12 Monkeys & What's On The Table...

...is the perfect combination right now.

It makes me almost forget about this:

My doctor had no clue when I saw her yesterday.
The steroids she prescribed are not doing a thing but the vodka seems to help quell the burning itch some.

Anyway, I have got it better than Bruce W's character in Twelve Monkeys.

All the best,
GB

Meet The New Grill, Same As The Old Grill

They promised rain today but I decided to take a bit of a chance and try to assemble my new BBQ grill instead of letting it sit in its carton in the rain as it did right after it was delivered on Thursday. I was too busy to do it yesterday and that was too bad because it did not rain. For today though, the weathermen predicted a good amount of rain starting this afternoon and into tonight. I decided to give it a go and try to beat the rain.

I began the whole assembly process at about noon. It was partly cloudy/partly sunny - not a bad day. It was warm but not too much. I opened the cartons (one inside the other with a few smaller ones inside the large inner one. After pulling out this and that and the almost fully assembled grill body (thank you Brinkmann) I found the manual.  I went over the parts list and checked off each and every part against it, they were all there! Wow, what a pleasant surprise for something made in China (I had no idea where it was made when I bought it). I started to read the assembly instructions, read a few steps in advance and said let's do it because the instructions were in good English and seemingly made sense. It looked as if it would be pretty straightforward and easy to accomplish. In fact, it was pretty easy; one of the hardest things of the whole deal was getting it all out of the main carton but that was none too difficult and I was able to manage it by myself, including the grill body.

As I said, it was pretty easy to put together thanks to very good to excellent instructions. I had to redo one step because I used two screws with washers, when I was not supposed to use washers, and I needed the washers for another part. Otherwise I got it done without a hitch - at least as far as I can tell now. I have not tested it to assure that it does not leak gas but if it does leak - well then that was a problem straight out of the factory as I had nothing to do with the assembly of the gas line or burners except that I tightened some screws that held the burners in place. There were only a few things for which I would find fault with Brinkmann: 1) virtually 75 to 80% of the screws on the grill body assembly were loose (while 8 of them were supposed to be loose and tightened later once a couple of pieces were put in place, all the others were a different story and were proof that quality control in the Brinkmann  factory in China sucks), 2) There were a few small dings on painted parts, a few scratches on the stainless steel cover and a pretty large dent in the bottom panel (that I straightened out pretty much okay). None of that will effect how it works and other than some design quirks that I am used to already because I had the same grill for three years prior to this replacement, I am satisfied with it for the price I paid. he only thing I noticed that has changed since I bought my original one over three years ago is the thermometer - certainly not anything major. I figure I will get at least a couple more years out of this one if I am careful not to let grease buildup and thus allow for major flare-ups.



As for the rain that I was worried about: It's raining out now. It also was raining a bit when I took the dogs out for a walk, became a downpour once we were committed to about halfway in the walk, poured until we were about 75% through with the walk, stopped a few minutes before we got home BUT it did not rain even one drop in the 3 1/2 or so hours it took me to put the grill together (and I took my time with it). I made sure to get every tool I could think of that I might need, cleaned my mess as I went along (all the cardboard, plastic bags and Styrofoam), read each and every step of the instructions twice (except maybe the one about not needing two washers when I used them by mistake) and enjoyed my coffee throughout the process. My son walked outside just as I was done (great timing) and asked how it was coming along and if I knew when it was supposed to start raining. I was happy to report it was done and that I was dry but that yes heavy rain was predicted.

Perhaps I will have to cook on it tomorrow, that is if it dries out by then. Being the knucklehead I can be, and being lost in the fog of happiness that is little known to me for actually getting something like this done without a problem, I forgot all about the rain to come. I also forgot to do one thing after I had assembled it. I had laid the cover across one end of it so I would not forget to cover it completely, then rolled it into its cubby hole next to my fence. Of course, I left the cover draped right where it was over one end of it. At least that end is dry, then again so is the garden gnome!

All the best,
Glenn B (Master Grill Assembler)

Meet The New Beer - Not The Same As The Old Beer

I tried a new beer (for me) last weekend and again this weekend. I liked it the first time and like it today too. That is a good thing. It is Samuel Adams Octoberfest  beer. I am not a fan of virtually every Sam Adams beer I have ever tried before and there have been several to pass through my lips and over my gums. I found most of the ones I have tried to have been way too bitter and hoppy tasting and I like beers that taste strongly of hops, like strong IPAs. Sam Adams though are usually not to my liking, I guess mostly because I find them overly bitter. 
 
So, I guess I took a chance buying a 28 bottle case of these beers at Costco a couple of weeks ago. I am happy I did so because these taste pretty much like true German Oktoberfest biers, of which I am a fan, and that is a good thing. What was also a good thing was that there were 28 bottles in the case instead of the normal 24 and the price was about the same as it would have been for a normal but smaller sized case.
 
Good stuff. I recommend it.
 
All the best.
GB
 

Kilted To Kick Cancer - Day 12

Like I said in previous posts, I have been doing just about everything kilted and definitely have been wearing my kilt each and every day and today was no exception. I've been posting pics of myself kilted each day too. The only exception so far was yesterday and I decided to forgo the Kilted To Kick Cancer efforts in favor of dedicating my day to the memory of 9/11/2001 and 09/11/2012.

Big umbrella or not, I still got kind of soaked when
out for a walk with the two bigger dogs this afternoon.

Here is my latest Kilted To Kick Cancer pic, day 12, with a kilted me out walking the two bigger dogs of our five dogs (or of the seven total dogs I am stuck with while the wife and daughter are away). Our three and our daughter's two Chihuahuas have not been out for a walk since the wife left, they get to run around the yard for most of their exercise but tomorrow I am taking them out. I can't wait - the two big ones were excellent while walking but 5 high strung Chihuahuas - heaven help me!

If you would like to donate to the fight against prostate cancer, please do so through Kilted to Kick Cancer at this link and I would hope that you select Team Glenn B as the team through which you want to donate:

http://www.kiltedtokickcancer.org/product/ktkc-donation-2015/

All the best,
Glenn B