If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right

I just sent an email to Patti Meyer at The Marsh. After a tough few weeks wrangling with my material (and I've been putting serious effort into the damn thing every day), it's just not ready for Monday's performance. I hope Patti's not angry with me for the last-minute notice, and I suppose I could've just put on my best ballsy mask and gone on, but the July 9 performance didn't go well and I just don't want a repeat. I hope she'll be open to scheduling me later down the road. I'll call the theater on Monday if I don't hear from her before then. I have a feeling she'll be understanding, and I hope she is.

In the meantime, I'm relieved at having made the decision. I'll be performing at WORDS FIRST in October, and I've decided to take Charlie Varon's class beginning in September. I need more professional direction. I can't do this in a vacuum.

And now ... Kenny Rogers -- The Gambler:

On a warm summers evenin on a train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns a starin out the window at the darkness
til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

He said, son, Ive made a life out of readin peoples faces,
And knowin what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
So if you dont mind my sayin, I can see youre out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey Ill give you some advice.

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
Said, if youre gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when youre sittin at the table.
Therell be time enough for countin when the dealins done.

Now evry gambler knows that the secret to survivin
Is knowin what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
cause evry hands a winner and evry hands a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.

So when hed finished speakin, he turned back towards the window,
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when youre sittin at the table.
Therell be time enough for countin when the dealins done.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count you r money when youre sittin at the table.
Therell be time enough for countin when the dealins done.