It was 40 years ago today that I got a little more red than I intended and I am not talking roses. Let me tell you how my day went...........40 years ago today.
As any of my Tinker friends will tell you, besides the money, one of the things we enjoy most about our jobs is the ability to take off at a moment's notice. It was no exception for me on that beautiful sunny afternoon that I found an excuse to take off. Some of you have mentioned to me that you don't know how I remember all the stuff I do and in just a moment you will see how easy it was for me to remember that afternoon.
I had this marvelous meal planned, steak, baked potatoes, salad. My salary in those days was about $8500 per year - and I had a car payment, bills, and rent - although albeit rent was just $85 per month. I blew out all the stops on this meal as well I should have since my future hubby had been feeding me for the last few weeks, but that is another blog post. Off to TG&Y to get decorations, remember TG&Y? What Valentine dinner doesn't include a paper tablecloth with hearts and red napkins, candles and paper hearts? Then on to Stockton's grocery to get those steaks. Just in case you are wondering, Stockton's was a grocery store back in the day on the corner of Key Boulevard and 15th where Locke Plumbing Supply is now.
I didn't have a grill, but that was no problem for I could borrow my fiance's. I could see it from my front window setting right beside his garage (just in case you are wondering again, he lived in the duplex across the street from me). Can you just visualize this woman pushing that grill across the street? At least it had two back wheels.
This is the point where things started to go wrong. You see I didn't know how to charcoal steaks. How hard could it be, right? Darn hard! Then I found I needed lighter fluid and I had none. I ran back across the street and sure enough I found some. Yea! Ran back across the street.......squirted lighter fluid like no tomorrow. Threw in matches and got that thing burning like a son of a gun. As quickly as the thing lit, it went out. How was I to know that it was suppose to do that? I mentioned I had never charcoaled before, didn't I? Well, I had to get that thing on fire again or my steaks would never get done by the time he got home. So here is what I did......wait for it.........yep, I put more lighter fluid in........and I lit it again.......and it flared up again just like before, but now I knew.......it was going to go out again........SO..........I had this great idea that I needed to squirt more fluid in AS it was flaming. WRONG - DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!! It flared back on me and no I was not on fire, but I knew I had done wrong when the flame caught that stream of fluid on fire. Thinking quickly, I threw the can away and raised up. Now you are going to ask me why I needed to raise up, aren't you? OKAY, 40 years later I can tell this story. I did a very, very stupid thing that day. I set that grill up right below my dining room window next to the house. And not only was the grill under the window, it was under the air conditioning unit that was in that said window. Somehow, backing away from the grill I hit my head on the corner of the air conditioner. Whew, I almost saw stars, but I was still alive, the charcoal was starting to glow again nicely, AND the house had not caught fire.
Future hubby came over after work and complimented me on my amazing table setting and the wonderful food. Of course, I had to tell him of my plight with the grill. I reached up to show him my head and that is when he noticed it was bleeding. Nothing do but him to run back over to his place and get the Mercurochrome. Again, this is something of which I had no experience, but I could imagine how much pain I would be in once that stuff reached my open wound. I begged him....OKAY I ran from him...not to put that stuff on me. I did NOT win and he poured that red stuff on my head. Believe it or not, it did not hurt.
Well friends and family, I am here to tell you that he married me after all, but not before he gave me the old Tinker safety briefing that very night. In fact, he was pretty adamant about how I should not put the grill next to the house, under the window air conditioner, and not to squirt lighter fluid on a fire. I still got a 5 pound heart shaped box of chocolates -- the biggest box I have ever seen -- even to this day.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I love you! And that is how I remember what a beautiful day it was--grilling weather. And in case you doubt the truth of this post, I can show you the scar in my scalp.
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