AT LAST

It's been a long time. Good, but long.

Finally--FINALLY--I can stop the do-not-talk-about-work thing on the blog. Mum's been the word, lest I say the wrong thing and get canned.

For over a year, I've worked at the Hard Rock Hotel.

THIS Hard Rock Hotel.

Technically, the official name is the "Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino," as the Seminole Indian Tribe opened the property on their land, thereby skirting those pesky no-gambling laws. But no one really cares too much who owns it, the "Seminole" part just takes too long to say. So people skip it. It pisses off the Seminoles but they can just sit back and be angry while they count their money.

Did you know that just for being a Seminole Indian, you get, like, $7000 a month? Just for being you, you get a big fatty check to spend however you like. Indian casinos all around the US operate the same way, paying for the tribal members to zip around town in limos and fly around the US on private jets, and all they have to do is wake up every day. Think about THAT the next time you pop $50 into a slot machine. Mmm-hmmm. Although it's no different than any other trust-fund kid getting millions, I guess.

I could tell lots of stories about working at this place. Like, the time Richard Lewis wandered around the hotel lobby, hand to his forehead, telling everyone he couldn't find his wedding ring. Or the time James Gandolfini yelled at me because his in-room movies wouldn't work right. Or the time that one hip-hop artist who's big on the radio right now couldn't find a credit card that worked so he could check in. What was his name? He's totally famous, if you're into all that stuff. Whatever. But I don't remember most of the good details. I should have written them down as they happened.

Yesterday was my last day, filled with cakes and well-wishes and a few people who seemed annoyed that I was leaving. That's especially flattering. If you want a piece of THE MOST DELICIOUS cake ever baked--yellow cake, with chocolate frosting--you can come over to my place. I have a lot left. Our manager sent one of the hotel's butlers to order the cake, to which the baker asked "Is this for a man or a woman?" And the butler said "...well, he's gay..." and left it at that. So I have a half-way girly-man cake, light brown with yellow roses. It was so ugly. But so damned delicious. And...nice.

I don't understand how people talk about "leaving work at work," and separating their professional lives from their personal lives. You spend most of your life at your job, I would hope you take it personally. And you don't have to care about the actual paperwork you do; but the people around you...if you're going to speak to them every day, hopefully you'd have some interest in how they are doing.

Anyway--I have lots more time now. So back to gossip. Back to yelling at people. Back to Deadliest Catch, which is another topic for another day all onto itself.

Hugs. Thanks for reading.

P.S.: Anna Nicole's room? Totally haunted.

Comments

[Tom]

I was wondering what the hell you actually, you know, did ...

[Christian]

I am always amazed at some people's ability to compartmentalize their lives. They have a work life, a home life and a social life and none ever spill into the other. My life has never been that tidy.

I have a friend who dated this guy for almost a year and about six months in, introduced her to this guy and was like "This is one of my closest friends." And he had never mentioned this guy's name to her!

[David]

Well, most trust fund kids don't have a family history that involves several century's worth of oppression, forced re-settlement, butchery at the hands of the US Government, and institutionalized discrimination.

I don't begrudge them a dime.

[MkeLaurie]

C'mon, Dan ... give us details about Anna Nicole's haunted room. Please?

[Yummsh]

Ghost stories, please. :D

[Daveia]

You should get a little notebook and write down as much as you can remember; then make a once-a-week blog about crazy goings-on from your Hard Rock Hotel working days :)

Hugs. You keep writing, I'll keep reading!

xo

[eRiKa]

Do you think the Cornelia Marie will be skunked out again on crab? Phil is pretty much having a heart attack right before our eyes!

[Jen]

I agree about work. I work in a small, 5 person, office. I LOVE IT. The guy i work with the most is like my dad almost, and his wife is GREAT to me! I tell the ladies I work with everything, probably too much, but you are right, I see them everyday for 8 HOURS!

[Glenn C]

What a minute. You told us that you worked for some big media company doing comuter/internet techincal work of some sort. I remembered a series of stories about a co-worker going to the bathroom for unknown reasons. Was that just a cover up??? I love James Tony Soprano yelling at you. I wonder if he cursed. It sounds like you were a waiter or room service person.

[M.M.]

Was the well known rapper Souljah Boy, by any chances?
www.poeticmotherlover.com

[magickat]

It's so hard to not blog about work. I have made the mistake several times and talked about too much.

But now that you have freed yourself from shackles of professional hospitality, I totally agree with Daveia and think you should dish.

Starting with Anna Nicoles haunted room!

[desertwind]

I could tell ya'll all about the local tribe with FOURTEEEN members who want to railroad a stupid casino over here.

grrrr.r.r.r.r.r.

[misfithausfrau]

You had better start spilling some more beans.

[chuck]

thank you, david. i was wondering who was going to bring that "minor" detail up.

[Marie]

Congrats Dan! It's always a good day when ya move on and there's cake involved! Yeah, and there's usually a few pissed off people who wish they were leaving too. What a total jerk James is (and really most people in general if you think about it).

I'm actually disappointed you didn't take more notes. All you needed was a small indescreet recorder and you would've been golden, my friend. Well, put your feet up and enjoy the freedom. Eat a big forkful of cake for me, ok? Yum!

[kate]

I agree with David, above, about the "trust fund kid" comment. I love reading your blog, but that analogy was very ugly.

[B. Good]

Another co-sign to commenter David's post. I wonder if Dan ever thought about WHY the Seminole Indians get $7000/mo to spend how they like. Trust-fund kid? Seriously?

Wow. Not quite.