We have had this cookout every Spring for three years now. We invite a few wonderful friends that I work with (and my mom) and everyone brings their own meat while we supply some sides. Every year, we end up with a story to tell!
2009:
we spent several days cleaning up the yard for our first cookout with friends. John and I worked so hard that we hoped to have energy left for big event, so I guess I got a little lazy toward the end of cleaning. Back then, we had this dog named Chip and he liked to chew on the line to the propane tank on the grill, so my Dad had put this short fence around the grill made of chain link to prevent the dog from putting holes in the line. Well, I cleaned the whole porch EXCEPT the area inside this fence. Jump ahead. Everyone is here enjoying themselves and John is Grill Master. He is flipping and turning everyone's steaks and burgers to absolute perfection. He carefully placed each perfected patty and succulent steak onto a plate to deliver inside for plating. as he picked up the plate, he lost his grip and everyone's dinner fell to whatever Mother Nature was keeping inside the fence around the grill!!! After we all gasped all of the air out from the surroundings, all I could do was laugh. John was mortified! But our friends were so great! "Take it inside, rinse it off and throw it back on the grill... we'll be fine!" So we did, and all was good!
2010:
We try again. This time, we even cleaned under the grill! We placed the grill near the house by the chimney this year and fired it up! Again, John is Grill Master and most everyone brought burgers. We sat around visiting about the year before and laughing. When John finished, we all went inside and prepared our burgers just the way we liked them and took a seat around the den to eat. Well, we had run out of chairs, so I went outside to fetch a folding chair. That's when I saw the grill completely engulfed in flames!!! I am yelling "FIRE, FIRE!" and no one is moving... hahaha. Finally, everyone comes out to see why I am freaking out and we all stand in awe at the flaming grill. It is blackening the brick chimney and the flames is traveling down the propane line. Thank goodness someone showed up with the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and John Prince saved the day! I just knew that tank was going to explode and we were gonners! Whew!
2011:
Third time is a charm, right? We invite everyone, we clean, we move the grill way out away from house...lol. John, the Grill Master is calmly cooking away while we all visit and have a great time. The burgers come off, and then the steaks. Except Jim and Cindy's... their steaks were still "mooing" and Jim decided they needed a little longer on the grill. Then it happens... the propane runs out! That would be the one thing we forgot! Fill the propane tank after last year! So the rest of us enjoyed our dinner while poor Jim went inside and started a skillet on the stove to finish his steaks. Hahaha... we can't win! We will try again next year though and our friends will too, because they are gluttons for punishment I guess! Happy grilling everyone!
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