In defense of my most of the time patient wife...


 

Jon Tofte

TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
From time to time I make cracks about my wife's less than enthusiastic attitude toward my grill restoration and collecting habit.

I took a little break from the computer screen and yet another tax return today to look things over and photograph the causes of her annoyance. I have to confess that maybe what one person said to me was right: "You need counseling for that!"

Here is our small deck. My wife feels ONE grill is sufficient, but has reluctantly agreed that a second one would be tolerable:

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I think I see 4 grills...Well, it is true that the Black Genesis 300 series was just obtained (see "It was free" post), and it is there only until next week when I can disassemble it after tax time is finally over. The kettle is my treasured acquisition of a real red kettle in a multi-grill, parts, etc. swap (see "Real Red Kettle" post under charcoal grills). It is awaiting a little sprucing up and space to open up in my shed. But, as far as my wife sees it, our deck has become just a grill landing pad, and I guess she is right:eek:!

Speaking of sheds, we have a small utility shed in the back for our lawn mower and yard stuff. It is also where I keep charcoal and grilling supplies. It is NOT supposed to be the repository for any grill parts...

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Right now it is stuffed with replacement shutters, but dominating the center is the massive firebox to a Summit 650, my fall $100 acquisition that is turning out to be a fiasco. Hopefully, I can get this big lug to our maintenance shop with the other Summit parts in long wait for my sheet metal friend to decide whether he wants to help fabricate the parts I need to make it work again. But for now, it is just plain in the way. I am sure my wife just loves it:p!

Around back of my shed in our obscure side yard are some more treasures! Fortunately, few neighbors see this and my wife very seldom ventures out this far:

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That would be 1 Green Egg, a SS Performer and a Gen2 Performer, a green kettle, a rusty old 18 inch kettle, an Orion cooker, a '04 or so Spirit project, the firebox of a '08 Genesis 300 and my out of service 2014 Genesis 330SE. Probably some other stuff. Wouldn't your wife like to have some of these?!!!

The yard tour wouldn't be complete without a view of the rotting carcass under the mulberry tree of ANOTHER Summit 650 purchased years ago:

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This 650 is NG, and I gave up a long time ago ever getting it restored. It sits in hopes that some parts will help with my other 650 and then maybe I can sell off some other parts or just scrap them. I am DONE with this generation of Summits:mad:, although I admit I could possibly STILL be lured into buying a Platinum version of the earlier one if the firebox looked usable:rolleyes: I guess I never learn!

TO BE CONTINUED
 
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PART TWO: A confession or "Why My Wife Gets Fed Up!"

You may have thought the preceding was over the top...

But there is more...I rent a shed in our community for $10 a month. For a while, I had it all organized with my Weber parts, mostly for Genesis 1000, Silver and 300 series grills. I even made labels for each section. But then, more and more stuff came my way by giveaways, gifts, fee pickups and a few cheap acquisitions. You can see the results:

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I call it the "Weber graveyard". There is no more room, so I guess something has to finally move OUT! It is a good thing my wife NEVER goes in this place, but she does make comments about paying for space to store old grill parts:(.

Of course, I can't get by with having grill stuff in the house...or can I? Here is part of my home office:

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Yes, those file folders on the floor are tax returns that I haven't done yet:eek:!!! The black thing in the foreground is the unfinished frame for my Skyline project. If you look closely on the piled up credenza you will see some more parts for it as well as some painting supplies. Just past the Skyline frame mostly hidden is a plastic tool box full of grill restoration tools and supplies and the cardboard boxes on top have paint and more parts and supplies.

Man, I guess I do need counseling:confused:!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Haha!!! You're a WEBERHOLIC! (as we all are :cool:) Or are you a Rehabolic?

Don't worry, I'm sure those grills can provide you lots of warmth if ever in case you have to sleep outside :D
 
Well, with your last pic you stole what was going to be my one-liner; "let us see pics of your family room," lol. An office pic is close enough. I don't do any restores but it seems you have some wonderful treasures. Thanks for sharing!
 
Jon,
Wow! You have a lot of Weber items.

But your Hobby keeps you at Home off the streets. Some guys gamble, others drink, others chase Women around. I'd say in the general scheme of things you'll be OK. :rolleyes:

Jeff
 
Yeah I guess it is a little over the top LOL Now I have ammo to show my wife if she ever complains.
 
Jon,
Wow! You have a lot of Weber items.

But your Hobby keeps you at Home off the streets. Some guys gamble, others drink, others chase Women around. I'd say in the general scheme of things you'll be OK. :rolleyes:

Jeff

Jeff,

Gamble - NEVER...Well I gambled and appear to have lost on those 2 Summits:eek:
Drink - No, I actually don't. Come from a long line of alcoholics and mother died from liver cancer brought on by cirrhosis. So, religious convictions aside, I don't have any interest.
Chase Women - Like any guy, sometimes tempted. But, no, just my wife!

I guess, then, I am allowed to way over indulge on my grill vice????
 
Jon, all your posting did was depress me. You make keeping up with the Jones's pretty damn tough.

But, personally, I don't see any problems there as long as you get some of that stuff moving. It looks like you have enough grills and parts to put together at least a dozen good ones. I have said before that you "never" pass up on a free grill, but I have come to reconsider that in your case.
 
Jon, all your posting did was depress me. You make keeping up with the Jones's pretty damn tough.

But, personally, I don't see any problems there as long as you get some of that stuff moving. It looks like you have enough grills and parts to put together at least a dozen good ones. I have said before that you "never" pass up on a free grill, but I have come to reconsider that in your case.

Bruce,

It was supposed to make you laugh!!!:D

Hey, I know I have gone too far. I really didn't want to add anything these last few months, but all these give-aways and cheap pickups keep finding me! I also made the "mistake" of browsing the Weber Kettle Club where that group has raised grill collecting to an obsession. They are a fun bunch, but some of them make me look like I operate a stripped down lean operation! I never knew there were SO MANY colors and types of kettles, let alone the nuances of different wheels, vents, etc. Some of them have DOZENS of kettles and think nothing of traveling for hours to get a certain color/style of kettle!!!

Anyway I have another tax return to do, but you can be assured that after Tuesday everything will be directed toward PRODUCTION & SALES:cool:!!!

I just delivered my sheet metal friend's tax returns and pushed hard for him to get me some of my parts finished so that I can get some things turned around. That is, of course, AFTER I finish some of my wife's long list of honeydo's:eek:!
 
Yah, Jon, you are a bad influence. My wife has already nixed my idea of a shed out back. I have pushed that one as far as I dare. I have six of my grills on my utility trailer covered by a tarp. That was their winter home. But now that the snow is pretty much done for the year, I am finding I need the trailer but I still don't have anywhere for the grills.

Anyway, Yah, another bad influence is bringing up another forum. I already spend too much time on the two or three I frequent. I have promised to stay away from kettle grills no matter what kind of deals I find and I see them every day on CL and other sites. BUt I just know if I grab one and fix it up, I am risking another hobby that I don't have time or space for.

I am staying focused on the gassers that I have now and being extremely selective on picking anything else up until I move or part out a few of what I have. The way the weather is going, it will be a while. You have tax returns, I have snow.
===================
WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation possible. Total snow
accumulations of 4 to 7 inches, and ice accumulations of one
tenth to one quarter of an inch are possible.

* WHERE...Portions of central, southwest and west central
Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota.

* WHEN...From late tonight through Sunday evening.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Power outages and tree damage are
possible due to the ice. Travel could be dangerous and nearly
impossible. Tree branches could fall. Significant reductions
in visibility are possible.
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I have 8 grills and smokers on their own little patio along with a small shed used exclusively for the grill supplies. The two winter gassers are on a completely covered patio. These are what we use and aren't going anywhere.
I now limit myself to one restoration at a time for resale. I fix one up and sell it before I acquire another one. I have a two car garage and both cars go in it, so that eliminates and accumulation of grills in there.
I'm also blessed with a wonderful wife that is a forum member, knows how to use all the grills and smokers and makes some wonderful meals on them. She also jumps right in on the restorations and helps me get them done. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty. She has actually taken over the cleaning and maintenance of the two patio gassers.
But when I picked up the blue performer a few years back she said I think we have enough now and she was correct and I haven't bought another grill to keep since then.
I totally respect her wishes as she does mine. I easily could have a grill junk yard in my back yard, but it's her yard also.
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[/url]DSCN6155 by Richard Dahl, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url]DSCN6152 by Richard Dahl, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
Nice to see someone has some self control around here. Still probably over the top by most standards, but at least there are clear limits.
 
Nice to see someone has some self control around here. Still probably over the top by most standards, but at least there are clear limits.

What I didn't say was prior to building the deck for the grills they were siting in rocks surrounded by anywhere from 5 to 8 grills I was going to rehab, really an ugly scene.
I was totally out of control. After we built the patio I realized that she wasn't happy with the junk yard look of the back yard and I wasn't either. So we worked together to get at that time I think 6 gen 1000s rehabbed and gone. That's when I bought the blue performer and she very nicely said that's enough.
So a happy wife is a happy life;)
 
Yah, sounds like a perfect setup. A wife that not only allows the obsession but even participates to a degree at the same time, she is able to keep you in control for both your own good. Some say their wives limit them. Others say they keep them safe from themselves. It sounds like your wife does a good job of keeping you safe from yourself.
 
I totally respect her wishes as she does mine. I easily could have a grill junk yard in my back yard, but it's her yard also.

Beautiful imagery and well-written post; I enjoy looking at and reading about your dinners in the Photo Gallery. Having said that, I sense that Jon and his wife also enjoy a respectable husband-wife relationship and I appreciate the intended humor from his thread.
 
Yah, sounds like a perfect setup. A wife that not only allows the obsession but even participates to a degree at the same time, she is able to keep you in control for both your own good. Some say their wives limit them. Others say they keep them safe from themselves. It sounds like your wife does a good job of keeping you safe from yourself.

Yep, the only thing that she couldn't get me under control on is vehicles. Not all of it was with Barb but I've owned over 300 vehicles in my 70 years and about 100 or so in our 35 years of marriage. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, RV's, boats. I'd flip them until the California DMV made you smog them first. That's when you could buy a decent older car for $150 tune it clean it and flip for $250. I worked my way up to buying a 1966 Shelby GT350 paying cash from the profits off the others.
Barb didn't mind that because in created income and was one item at a time. Don't do it anymore.
 
I am feeling even a little more guilty:eek: I do confess! Yes, I got carried away and need to make some amends and improvements:(. My wife deserves her deck and there is a limit how many grills need to be in my yard, especially derelict ones with no realistic way to restore:p.

As far as my grill shed, I am keeping that but fully intend to get it back to the original plan where the parts are sorted and accessible for the next restore. Yes, there are parts for at least 4 or 5 grills. If I had frames I could make even more.

What I will always wrestle with is what grills should I honestly keep? How many do I realistically need, even allowing for some collection fever? I did a post on this a while back, but my list probably evolves every month! I am really enjoying using a Genesis Silver again, I love my Q, sometimes do use 3 kettles at once...Will I be able to part with my most recent find the free Genesis 300 if I work hard and fix it all up? Who knows, but I need to get things down to a line in the Florida sand and then do as Rich suggest and rehab one (alright maybe 2 or 3) at a time!!!

Back to taxes...
 

 

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