thora

Thank you all for your kind and supportive comments re. my termination from the Lusty Lady Cooperative. Yes, I was fired over a shift mixup, but we work on a point system. The points are assigned for lateness. I already had late points on file, and since I arrived an hour late for my scheduled shift (but early for the shift I thought I had) I incurred a shitload of points, pushing me over the pointed edge. Irony was I was buying work shoes when I was supposed to be working!
When I was on crutches I got a lot of late points and was thus suspended. Originally it was a termination with no chance of rehire, but my union shop steward negotiated for me and turned it into a 2-week suspension. I was told I couldn't be late again until June, which I wasn't... I was getting there extra early. I mean, I would've really had to TRY to be late, ya know? But then it happened, I didn't double-check the schedule (guess I was sabotaging myself) and I thought I had the closing shift instead of the 8:30. Oops, my bad. Yes, some of my points did roll off in June, and this was definitely July, but one gets a LOT of points for what essentially equates a no-show. This time I was fired, but told I could (maybe) be rehired in the future, depending on how the "madams" in the office felt. I appealed the termination, but it didn't work. A lot of workers feel that only the point system should dictate a Lusty's fate because it's more objective, and that if you start judging on merit, you delve into the sticky realm of subjectivity, which makes sense...
Maybe I'll post my appeal letter soon. It shows how much I've done for the place and for my coworkers, and how much money I've brought the business.
I did have a recent problem with one performer/board member, which may have triggered the self-sabotage. I called her to offer her a shift, and when she thought we had hung up, she was actually leaving a conversation between herself and her husband on my v.m.. Out spewed some horse puckey, some unsavory words about me, some screeching and hooting about how a male support staff worker "hated" me. I confronted the latter without naming the former. Yes, we'd had a prior dispute, but we were two adults, and there was no "hate" involved. Frustration, anger, annoyance, yes, but no hatred. People thought it was brave of me to call her back and let her know I got the message, but what was really brave was that she called me back and let me know I "wasn't supposed to hear that".
Over the years, I had maybe argued with one or two other girls, but really nothing big... The good thing about the LL is the comradery, the lack of cattiness, the intelligence, philosophy and support. I have fond memories of my time there, and of my fellow worker/owners.
I'm going to invite them to a dildo-destructo ritual to send my Private Pleasures toys back from whence they came, through a grand HOLE in spacetime, the Cosmic Pussy.
This was probably for the best. I'm starting a new book project on the dual diagnoses of bipolar and borderline personality disorders, and I'll need the extra time. I'd also like to finish my novel one of these days.

- Thora Zine, filin' for unemployment