Bar Livin'

I don't have ESPN, so I had to watch Ohio State play Virginia Tech at a local bar. In L.A. it's nearly impossible to go to a bar that's from the 70's or 80's and not have seen it in a movie somewhere. As well as the characters that haunt it. I sidled up the stool and ordered a non-alcoholic brew. The gristly woman behind the counter look at me with some confusion. She pulled from the cooler a Buckler and asked "this it?"
"Yeah, I'll take that"
"That any good?"
"Not sure." I'm guessing it had to be better than O'Douls since it was from Holland.
Anyway, I swigged it back as I was watching the game. The first half was pretty messy. Which is when I had to palm my forehead. Headaches come and go.
"Hey, why you so worried, you got money on this?" the voice was hoarse and rough, for a female, this is the voice of hard livin'.
"What?" I turned to face the kraken next to me. I'm certain she was in her 50's but looked like she was well past 60.
"The game. You got money on it?" the smoke breath was unmistakable.
"I don't gamble" she didn't seem to notice my Buckeyes jersey.
"Ah, well, you shouldn't worry so much about a game. Stressing out so much isn't good if you don't have money on it." She had a point, even though I wasn't all that stressed. Just suffering a headache.
"Just take a shot or smoke something, makes the stress go away, you shouldn't worry about it"
Never occurred to her I had a non-alcoholic beer in front of me. Or the two others I'd polished off earlier.
She then began to tell the story about her life working in a ribs place. And for $11.95 you can get a brisket plate with two sides choices and sausage links. Fucking great deal! I thought. She'd worked in the kitchen in a Van Nuys barbecue place and was drunkenly convinced everyone in the bar should try the ribs. She was friends with bartender, so she offered her a choice between beans or cole slaw. To which the bartender declined "Good, I wanted the beans" Oh dear God.

She tipped back her cocktail, wished me good luck and vanished through the back door. It occurred to me, she was on her way back to work. And that I got good information on a barbecue place for cheap.

What a living.