It's Grillin' Time...

Well folks, since it was briefly in the 60s and sunny outside, I was almost duped into believing it was Spring. Actually, I still believe it, only because the snow has sadly melted away, and those (in)famous April showers have started early. Last weekend, while the sun was still sunny and fun was still funny, we went and got ourselves a patio dining set for our deck. Ever since getting our house, I had been eagerly awaiting the day when I could eat a nice dinner out on my deck, in the fresh air. When it happened, it was a nice reassurance that heaven does not exist in an afterlife.

What's next, then? Well, if you must pry (and please do pry, otherwise you might as well skip over to the next random blog), it is time to put the next piece of true American life on my deck: a grill. I have begun looking for an inexpensive, not necessarily large, gas grill to leave out and use regularly. I would, of course, prefer a charcoal grill for the flavor, but with a gas grill, stepping just outside to put on a few dogs, burgers, or, once I find where and how to procure it, carne asada. I think it would be durned sporty to be the local carne asada man.

Where to go for a good, cheap gas grill, you ask? Go ahead, ask. I won't mind, go ahead and ask away. See? Was that so bad? It's okay, I couldn't hear you anyway. You sure are a nutter.

So where to get a cheap gas grill? My first few attempts have been over the local listings at Craigslist, and it seemed that I could make it another success story. For under forty bucks, a not-so-pretty but working gas grill from someone who just upgraded to a larger unit could be mine. But sadly, I have been burned. The last person I wound up playing phone tag for five days before he called me up last night to say that he had actually sold it. I don't care for that sort of wheeling and dealing much of time. I would just like to say this: please, if you are dealing with multiple people when selling an item, let the potential buyers know that there are other parties vying for your stuff. I was sorely disappointed, truly.

Now, after all that rubbish, I am ready to start looking at cheap, new grills. I'm not looking for a side burner (I have a stove fifteen feet from my deck; they can see each other) nor a grill that can cook through a water buffalo. So now here's a legitimate question for both of my readers: how much power do I need to just cook up burgers, dogs, chicken, and the occasional steaks? Does the BTU value make any sort of difference? I don't yet know what sort of surface area I need, but not to worry, I won't be getting anything sight unseen. I'm just wondering if there are particularly hardy or troublesome brands or other things to look for that I might miss. Please, dear people out there in radioland, answer my call~