I have now been at my new job for 9 days & I'm really enjoying it! I was a little nervous about going back to work as a dealer only because I haven't dealt in 2 years. Once I dealt my 1st table, I realized that there was nothing to be nervous about & everything came back to me. I love dealing & am so happy that I finally got a dealing position!
I am still having some trouble with being back at work. My last job was just a cashier job with Target & I was only there for 3 months. I have been a stay at home mom for the past 18months & I think it's kind of hard to adjust to being at work so much instead of being at home. My first 2 days of work were just orientation classes. It was especially hard because it was 8 hours for 2 days of just sitting there. All I could think about was how much I missed my babies. Now that I'm actually dealing it's alot easier. I'm very happy to have a great job after so long & it makes me feel great that I'm finally contributing financially to our family! My shift is still incredibly hard (2am-10am) & it's very difficult to work those crazy hours & come home to two little kids. Garyn's doing an amazing job watching the kids so I can sleep for a few hours when I get home & a few hours before I have to leave for work. I want to switch to the swing shift ASAP & was told that there are 6 dealer positions open so once they fill those positions, I should be able to switch shifts!
Working at Vee Quiva has made me realize how much I miss working at All Star Lanes & Casino. Vee Quiva is not very big especially compared to Wild Horse Pass but it does have many slot machines & about 16 table games but no Craps or Roulette. I always really liked the fact that All Star was just a card room. The biggest thing I miss is the no smoking policy. When I got hired at Vee Quiva, I didn't think the smoke would bother me but it does...ALOT! Especially since alot of people aren't considerate when they smoke so it goes right into my eyes & makes them water. Plus when I get off work, I smell like smoke so badly that it almost makes me sick to my stomach. Finally, I really miss the variety of games All Star had. During a shift I'd deal Spanish 21, Pai Gow, Three Card Poker, Blackjack &Texas Shoot Out. Vee Quiva only has 14 table games & 12 of those are Blackjack. Usually by the time I get to work at 2am, they've already closed Pai Gow & Three Card Poker. Again, I love my job as a card dealer but I really liked the variety of games that All Star had. I was told that Vee Quiva will be bringing Spanish 21 in & they are thinking about bringing Texas Shoot Out in as well. I don't mind dealing Blackjack & I really love being a dealer but I get bored. :) All Star is where I took the dealer class & got my 1st dealing job & returned in 2007. I had my share of minor problems there but have alot more great memories from there. Now that I'm no longer there, I realize how much I miss it!
I realized over my 9 days of work so far that the pay at Vee Quiva is great! Gila River has 3 casinos, Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte & Vee Quiva. I found out that out of the 3 casinos, Vee Quiva is their biggest money maker. I found that hard to believe because it's the smallest of the 3 but it's true. The main reason for that is it's location. It's in Laveen, AZ & it's the only casino in that area. I was hired as a dual rate dealer which means that most of the time I will deal but I can also be a pit supervisor. Out of my 9 days of work, I've dealt 8 of those days & floored 1 day. My average in tips so far for dealing is about $200 a night! I prefer dealing over flooring just because I think time goes by faster when I deal but when I floor I get $19 an hour! I will be dropped to 3 days a week but it's better than nothing. I would like to get full time but only if I can get on the swing shift so I'm hoping that in about 2 months I'll be able to move to the swing shift & then get full time. We are very grateful that I was able to get a job that I love & pays well. We've really struggled the past 2 months & just what I made in my tips alone in those 7 days was enough to get caught up on all of our bills & have a little bit left over! Now I'm just hoping that it won't be long before I'm moved to swing shift & can get full time. I think we'll be okay if I'm just working 3 days a week but I'd like the extra hours & tips of the other 2 days. We're both just so happy that I finally started & did so well this 1st week! I think that for the 1st time in about 2 months, I'd not over-the-top stressed out.
It was a very long process for me to get this position (I went through 5 interviews). I was finally hired on 7/7 & started on 8/31 (orientation) & 9/2 (dealing). Garyn & I are both incredibly happy & thankful that I finally got this job. It's really tough but we are adjusting as best we can. Garyn is not working at the moment so when I get home at 11am, he stays out in the family room with the kids while I go catch some sleep. Then around 9pm, I go lay down again in hopes of catching a few more hours of sleep while he stays with the kids & get the ready for bed. He's doing a great job at the stay at home Dad thing. He really wants to find a job again & is thinking about several options. He's applied to many jobs already & even had an interview but because of my schedule, he's very limited to the hours he can work. We will not put Rya & Hayden in day care so as of right now, Garyn's either looking for something that will work with my hours or just enjoy some time off until I can switch to the swing shift. As hard as the crazy hours are & as much as I miss being around my babies 24/7, I really love being back to work & a job that I love & could do for the next 10 years. We are both so incredibly thankful that the Lord blessed me with a great job!
