Another hello from the UK.
I posted a "Hi" back in March, fully expecting to leap back into things again.
I don't know where the months between have gone, but I've done very little grilling in the meantime. This is probably because a lot of my cooking happens for gatherings for music or board-game playing, and post-COVID, we haven't really yet hit a routine.
When I last posted, I'd newly retired. Probably the first couple of months were lost to lethargy. Then I started getting my garden sorted, which had kind of been neglected for a while. Part of that was looking at my 10-year-old vegetable troughs I grow in (4 of them, each 6' x 2'). To do this properly meant emptying them, which was a project in itself. However, I was also getting guys in to lay a new front lawn, so they used the soil from the troughs to level out the ground, before laying new turf.
Once emptied, I found one of the four troughs to be terminal, another with the bottom falling out, but repairable, and two in reasonable condition. This has left me with a dilemma. I reckon I can probably get another 4 years use out of three of them, but they are currently empty, and in that state, they are easy to retire and replace. If I repair and refill them, in a few more years, I may have to empty them again.
Anyway, after a month of dithering, I've decided to use what I have, rather than buy new, and use scraps from the terminally broken one to repair the others. Of course, I have lost a lot of growing time... but I may get them repaired and filled into time for some winter veg, or else there is always next spring.
Otherwise, the repairs and improvements to the house are all done and good, which is a nice way to starting a retirement.
A big amount of fun for me has been the new car I treated myself to - a Skoda Enyaq EV. I don't think Skoda is a brand you have over there - it is part of the Volkswagen group. The new car is an SUV with an advertised range of 256 miles - which probably sounds terrible to you guys, but is actually quite practical here - there are a heck of a lot of places I can travel to and back without even needing to recharge. It is the most expensive car I have ever bought, and I love it. Of course, advertised ranges are like angel wings - they disappear if you breathe on them. But with my style of driving (light of foot, in no hurry) I am actually achieving the full range in summer - in January/February, I was getting 180-190 miles, which I am content with.
Finally, the two grills - my big Louisiana grill did get its major overhaul and clean, and is pristine. The little Davey Crockett is still awaiting my attention, and is going to be a tear-apart and reassemble job.
As you have probably heard, we have had some extreme heat here (for the UK) - the hottest day in recorded history on Tuesday at 40.3° C (104.5° F). But things are back to normal again now - if anything it has turned a little chilly.
