Or to put it more directly, we got a new grill. New-ish, anyway. The guy who just moved out from the apartment above ours left his CharBroil Supreme in the yard, with a vague promise to return for it "on the weekend".
That was a month ago.
Never one to miss an opportunity, I promptly email Landlord and asked if he thought Old Neighbor would ever really return for said grill, as per his prophecy. After a quick email exchange, Old Neighbor decides that trekking across multiple boroughs in expensive rental car in order to retrieve $120 grill not worth the trouble, so Charbroil Supreme deemed abandoned, and quickly scooped by me.
Obviously, it's no luxurious or limited edition Weber model, but seeing as how I was able to mostly dismantle our old grill with a hammer and my foot, anything is an improvement. Old Neighbor apparently used this grill exactly once, so although it has sat exposed to the elements for getting on a year now, it is more or less in tip-top condition, which I intend to begin changing immediately. First up, the boring chicken breasts I bought on sale and then froze on their expiration date—I pulled them out of hibernation last night and let them brine all day in a mixture of water, salt, and a gross, holiday-themed beer that had been rolling around the back of the fridge since Christmas. Certainly nothing fancy, but obviously, I must first acquaint myself with the Charbroil Supreme's various subtleties before I hurl... I don't know, a marinated yak onto it.
Postscript: Now that I own not one but TWO propane cylinders (obviously, we saved the one from our old grill), I feel as though I have crossed some major threshold on the way towards neo-suburbia. It has been said that outdoor grills are like gateway drugs for city-dwellers, and there may be something to that. My wife and I got our first grill two years ago. In the time that has elapsed since then, we also had a kid and bought a compact hatchback. (Or, a "small station wagon", as people say when they are trying to hurt my feelings.) Buyer beware, I guess. If you're really attached to a swingin' social life, maybe you should stick with the rice cooker and your microwave. Consider yourselves warned.
>how I was able to mostly dismantle our old grill with a hammer and my foot...
nice. i've been letting the elements take mine apart. this summer's will be her last if she makes it that long.
Posted by: jeff | June 12, 2010 at 09:30 PM
It's OK, Mike. Go forth and grill!
Posted by: ken beegle | June 15, 2010 at 06:19 PM