No, this doesn't rhyme.
"Hey, Pat, how ya doin'"
"Good, Mickey, how are you."
"Good! Good!"
"Hey, thanks, Mickey."
"Thanks for what?"
"The book."
"What book?"
"The Secret World of Video Poker Progressives."
"You ordered the book?" I asked
"Yeah, thanks!"
"Hey, Pat, you ain't picking on any of my plays are you?" I gave him a suspicious look.
"Hell No! I don't even know what a play is. But I did hit a 9-spot keno the other day. Only put $5 in the machine. Cashed out $400."
"Pat, do you know what the odds of hitting a solid nine are?"
"No, what?"
"About 1.6 million."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you're one lucky dude, Pat."
"Well, anyway, thank that Frank Kneeland dude for me."
"If you're playing 9-spot keno, then he didn't do much for you."
"That book ain't about gambling. It's about life."
"What?"
"Yeah, it's about life and how you live it."
"It is?"
"Yeah, you wouldn't believe how much my life has improved since I read that book."
"You're kidding me, right?" I asked
"No, I'm not. I've got the book on my nightstand. I've read it through three times already, except for the math part. I skip over that."
"So what has the book done for you?"
"I'm the top mechanic at the dealership now. I passed guys that got ten years seniority on me."
"No kidding?"
"Yeah, and I've cut my family's bills in half. I'm living really good these days."
"How did you get that out of the book, Pat?"
"That book ain't about gambling. It's about going after what you want out of life. It's about not keeping your mouth shut at company meetings. It's about self improvement. It's about how to get rid of the rubbish in your life."
"You know, Frank will be glad to hear that from you."
"Yeah, thank him for me, would ya?"
"Here, why don't you do it yourself." I said as I reached for my cell phone."
"No! No! I don't want to bother the guy. Just thank him for me when you get the chance."
"Okay, I will. You know, I could use a little self improvement myself, Pat. Maybe I'm gonna have to read that book again."
"Yeah, anyway, thanks, Mickey. See ya later."
"Take care, Pat."
