Griffin is eleven. Holy crap. ELEVEN!

We went to La Margarita for her birthday. The waitstaff comes out and sings a humiliating song and dresses you in a giant sombrero. Oh, and did I mention the fried ice cream?

So, yeah.

11.

Someday, you’re all invited over to my place so I can cook for you. I have to assemble this damn behemoth first, though.

It shouldn’t take too long. There are only 18 steps in the assembly instructions. Of course step 9 is:

First, remove the two screws and lock washers factory attached to the sideburner valve bracket. Position sideburner valve bracket beneath sideburner shelf fascia so that valve stem comes through larger center hole in fascia. Align the holes on valve bracket with left and right holes on fascia. Secure using lock washers and screws that were removed from bracket. Next, place sideburner bezel over valve stem on front side of fascia. Align small holes on bezel with upper and lower holes on fascia. Attach using two #8-32×3/8″ screws and 4mm lock washers. Press sideburner control knob onto valve stem.

There are 3 illustrations with two “Notes” and 8 callouts for this one step.

I love putting stuff together. Really. I do.

Update: Well, 4 hours later and it is done. I know I could buy one of the pre-assembled ones from the hardware store, but now I know that every screw, nut and bolt are on there exactly the way they’re supposed to be. Complaints? I had to practically re-tap every one of the receiver holes for all the bolts, and there is quite a bit of the enamel chipped off of the small rack that sits over the main grill (at the back). I’ll be calling CharBroil and letting them know about both of these.

I know that two posts in one day is COMPLETELY unprecedented, but this is Big News. There’s a new Apple Store coming to town. And it’s less than ten minutes away from my house. Between that and the Ikea store — also ten minutes away — I am never, ever moving.

So it turns out that I’m not much of a blogger. I’m more of the information hunter-gatherer type; I scour the web, rooting out treasures here and there, but not making time to post anything of my own.

A friend once described people as either transmitters or receivers. You know those people that you can’t get a word in edgewise with? You stand there, your eyes glazing over, as you are pelted by a non-stop stream of blather, silently wishing that you could just scream out, “Will you please just SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY?” These are transmitters. My daughter, who I love dearly, is a transmitter. Some days I feel as if I might bleed from the ears because she will not stop talking.

But I’m talking about internet transmitters. I know people who have MULTIPLE blogs, several of which they update EVERY DAY, or something close to it. And they can type up PAGES and PAGES of stuff every day. WTF? Who has TIME for that?

Me, I’m more of a receiver. Sure, I’ll have a conversation with you and all, but when it comes to the internet, I’m a receiver. I want information. Knowledge. FACTS.

I used to blame my lack of blogging on not having a blog, but handily, DH provided me with a blog that only served to prove that not having a blog was NOT the problem.

Group: Gore a Hypocrite Over Power Bill

So, the way I see it regardless of whatever the fuck agenda you may have, you do not get to pull shit like this and get away with it. First-off, saying that you buy from clean energy sources to balance 100% of your energy cost is bullshit. The production of the [generator/wind turbine/solar array/etc] facility cost energy in terms of transportation, manufacturing and other hidden/subsurface costs. Also, it just sounds like a bunch of C-Y-A strawman logic. I don’t buy it.

I drive a somewhat economic vehicle (27 mpg). I pay attention to turn off lights when I leave the room. I’ve adjusted my thermostat. I buy part of my electricity from clean/renewable sources (at a premium).

I also believe in the heretofore unnamed “Long Earth” philosophy. Much like buying blue chip stocks “long”, the Earth is going to be around a long, long, LONG time. And no matter how much up-fucking we humans get around to, we’re not doing the Earth any damage.

You also shouldn’t shit in your own foxhole.

But, just for the record, there is no honor, class, or conscience in making a movie about the tough struggles young pups must make before maturing, and then spend Saturday night out seal clubbing. I’m not saying that global warming isn’t real. I’m saying Gore is a douchebag.