Now we're cookin' with gas. Not.

I have recently become interested  obsessed with purchasing a new grill.

In a previous part of my life, I was in the military and was station on the North Carolina coast. I bought my very first gas grill from Wally World for about $90 and cooked proudly for a couple years. One evening, while watching Hurricane Fran bend the neighbor's pine trees over to the ground, I noticed a grill rolling down the street. That sucks for whoever owns that grill is what I was thinking. Then, you guessed it, I realized that was my grill tumbling and sliding down the street. So, I went out in the hurricane and got my grill back. It still worked after it dried out and I put the lava rock back in it. In fact, It still worked, without a single part being replaced, 5 years later when I gave it to a friend. They don't make em' like they used to.

Mrs. Mike and I have been living together since just before the millennium. We have owned three gas grills. Two of them were purchased (for over $275 each) and one was given to us after I refused to fix the second one. The third has turned me to a Gas grill hating SOB. One can only replace so many burners, knobs, grates, heat exchanging flavor plates, and regulators before you say, "Cuss it!!" and go back to charcoal. I love the taste of charcoal. I hate the taste of lighter fluid. So I have decided to hunt for The Performer.  I have been dropping all kinds of obnoxious hints to Mrs. Mike. If she buys it, I won't feel guilty for spending a bunch of money on something I want. (yes, we have a joint checking account) We have an acquaintance that works at a local hardware store. He can get us last years model for about$220. I sure do hate to drop that kinda dough, but there are very few parts to break and it has a lifetime warranty. All I really need to do is keep the bag of charcoal dry and a little propane bottle handy and we are cooking in twenty minutes.

Hopefully, I will be cooking Labor Day Steaks on an "already seasoned" new grill.