Lots of running

Yesterday, Kurt and I hit the stores to comparison shop for a new grill and lawn mower. Our grill was starting to cause us fits with lighting. We could have changed the burners, but decided to buy a new grill instead. The burners ran the wrong direction in the grill, so it was hard to keep the heat low enough to roast bigger pieces of meat and the side burner was a whole other problem altogether. The gas line ran right under the burners for the grill, so I was always scared to use the side burner. I think I only used it once in the 10 years we have had the grill. We are going to see if our neighbor across the street wants the old grill and if not, we are going to donate it to a charity. The new grill came from Sam's Club. It has 4 burners, 1 radiant sear burner, and 1 radiant rear burner. It also came with a rotisserie unit, so I am excited to try it out. Last week, I used our indoor smoker to make a chicken and a brisket for a couple of our meals. If the rotisserie works, I can do those things outside now.

Our mower was also 10 years old. This summer, it feels more like a push mower than a self-propelled mower. The cost of getting new wheels and gears was nearly as much as buying a new mower, so we started researching what to buy. We got another Craftsman mower, but this one is rear wheel drive instead of front wheel drive. Kurt and I both had in our minds that we would get front wheel drive again because that is what we are used to. The salesmen at a few stores explained the differences to us, and we decided we would buy the rear wheel this time as we always bag our grass. Kurt also decided to pay the extra and get the key start. This will be better for me, so I don't have to pull the cord anymore.

We got both items put together early this morning, so we will be able to enjoy our pool this afternoon. I got in the pool yesterday, but it wasn't to swim. Our neighbor's tree has put so much stuff in our pool, that I had to get in to skim some of it out. Kurt said the water was too cold for him, but he may try it today. Not much else going on here.