Six Different Deaths (Number two: Natural Causes)

[Gita]

Oscar's was one of those skeevy bars where men with broken nose capillaries drink. Oscar was the first bar owner in the Twin Cities to ban smoking on the premises -- in 1982, it was -- and when his clientele threatened to boycott, he slashed the price of a draft beer to 25 cents and threatened right back to ban every last one of them. Business never dropped off, the cost of a beer went back up to a buck, and Oscar saved his lungs a couple decade's worth of aggro.

One Tuesday morning, just after opening, Oscar was icing down the long-necked Buds as a garbanzo bean-sized blood clot left its post in Oscar's left calf and traveled briskly to a lung.

The bartender coughed twice before sliding off to his reward, but not before a couple of regulars stepped into the place for their eye-openers.

The wake, held the following Friday night, brought drinkers and smokers from both Cities, and altogether they consumed Oscar's entire stock -- right down to the lurid blue-ish liqueurs no one in his right mind ever touched-- in tribute to the gods of wine, to Oscar and the patron saints of grumpy bachelors everywhere.

[Joey Delgado]

Oh man, Oscar is so familiar to me. He seems like the kind of guy who would've been pleased that he died standing behind his bar. Wonder if he had a warshrag thrown over his shoulder. Awesome.

[Mark L. Torrey]

I could see him standing there right in front of me ...   thoughtful and picturesque !!  Love it.

[Cita]

the men with broken nose capillaries drink.... ahhh... that is excellent.  LOVE it that he slashed beer to $.25 and then put it back at a dollar.  This is soooo good... 

[bolton carley]

the first sentence was officially perfect and from there even better!  but i'm a big fan of UV Blue.  all about it!

[Diana E. Backhouse]

I agree with Galen, you have a knack of making the mundane  sound positively splendid.

[Jamie Hogan]

Left its post. Little beanclot just marching right along, AWOL and murderous. How is it that you can be cheeky about death and make me love it? Oh, and the capillaries line and I don't really care if everyone else has pointed it out because I should and everybody after me should too. It's that good.

[Carin Cryderman]

And, love skeevy, btw. 

[Carin Cryderman]

I saw the nose...you're good.

[Toby Tucker Hecht]

I want one of those blue bottles--tonight--right now!!!

[Mike Handley]

Capillaries ... punched me to the moon, by god.