dbarrow
05-23-2006, 11:14 AM
The old faithful grill done bit the dust or rust, as the case may be, so I decide this year is replacement time.
After doing my prerequisite internet shopping and comparisons, I head out to the local chain stores for some hard core shopping.
End up at the local (huge home supply chain) that is the only one which has Char-Broil commercial grade.
Settled on this one because it converts to natural gas with a $50 conversion kit. I have the gas pipe stub under the deck I installed when the house was built and could never find a natural gas grill. Of course, I ran out of LP in the middle of a steak the other day and my spare tank was empty ... on the list of things to do ... get tank(s) filled...
Pick the model I want, on sale of course.
Stand around waiting for a sales assistant to go fetch me one.
Get tired of being ignored by store staff.
See a guy with the appropriate store vest headed my way and corner him in the aisle. He has no escape and concedes to get me a box. No, I don't want to spend $25 for the already assembled version, thank you anyway. I can operate a screwdriver myself!
We search out and find it on the second shelf of one of those 10 story racks.
The thing must weigh 300 lbs and it takes three of us to wrestle it off the shelf and onto a cart.
But... the cardboard of the box has obviously been creased by a forklift.
Faced with the possibility of having to get a forklift and five more helpers to get to the next one in line, several shelves higher up, the 'sales assistant' is quick to come up with a practical solution
"I'll give you a markdown."
Ok, I'll roll the dice!
Besides, I'm worn out from helping get this one onto the cart.
He knocks off $70 at the register and we haul it home.
Turns out it was damaged ... a minor dent in a door panel, something I don't even notice for $70.
Maybe I should have opted for the pre-assembled model ... 2 hours later and more nuts and bolts than a car engine, I finally fire it up and cook my first burger on it.
Now, if I can get around to running the gas pipe before my two fresh tanks of propane run out.....
After doing my prerequisite internet shopping and comparisons, I head out to the local chain stores for some hard core shopping.
End up at the local (huge home supply chain) that is the only one which has Char-Broil commercial grade.
Settled on this one because it converts to natural gas with a $50 conversion kit. I have the gas pipe stub under the deck I installed when the house was built and could never find a natural gas grill. Of course, I ran out of LP in the middle of a steak the other day and my spare tank was empty ... on the list of things to do ... get tank(s) filled...
Pick the model I want, on sale of course.
Stand around waiting for a sales assistant to go fetch me one.
Get tired of being ignored by store staff.
See a guy with the appropriate store vest headed my way and corner him in the aisle. He has no escape and concedes to get me a box. No, I don't want to spend $25 for the already assembled version, thank you anyway. I can operate a screwdriver myself!
We search out and find it on the second shelf of one of those 10 story racks.
The thing must weigh 300 lbs and it takes three of us to wrestle it off the shelf and onto a cart.
But... the cardboard of the box has obviously been creased by a forklift.
Faced with the possibility of having to get a forklift and five more helpers to get to the next one in line, several shelves higher up, the 'sales assistant' is quick to come up with a practical solution
"I'll give you a markdown."
Ok, I'll roll the dice!
Besides, I'm worn out from helping get this one onto the cart.
He knocks off $70 at the register and we haul it home.
Turns out it was damaged ... a minor dent in a door panel, something I don't even notice for $70.
Maybe I should have opted for the pre-assembled model ... 2 hours later and more nuts and bolts than a car engine, I finally fire it up and cook my first burger on it.
Now, if I can get around to running the gas pipe before my two fresh tanks of propane run out.....