Movie Night #96 didn't turn out quite as planned.  Originally, there was going to be BBQ, good food and friends, and then some movie watching.  Well, we did some of that....

Having just assembled my BBQ the week previous, I was thinking that it was long past time to try the thing out - I mean, it is starting to get colder out, so the thing should get used while it still can.  Scott and Erin came over and we started grilling some burgers.  I went inside to go make myself a drink, came back out to check the progress, and noticed that he flames on the grill were rather high.

"Strange," I thought to myself.  "I think I'll turn the burners down to low." 

Upon doing do, the flames didn't die down at all.  I waited a moment, and then thought, "Double strange.  Perhaps I'll turn them off...."

Well, the flames still didn't die down.  They were about a good foot off the top of the grill!  Suddenly, my keen intilect kicked in and I realized, "Oh shit!  It's a grease fire!" 

Scott and I instantly shut off the propane and removed the unit from the BBQ, and I took the now flame-burned burgers off the grill.  The flames began to die down a bit, but there was a problem - the grease in the grease catcher, located underneath the BBQ, was on fire! 

With no easy way to suffocate the grease fire in the catcher (in case you didn't know, you have to deny grease fires oxygen in order to put them out.  DO NOT USE WATER!), because as we tried to throw baking soda on the thing it just fueled the flames.  Scott and I sat on the balcony with the flaming catcher until it ran out of fuel (grease).  I moved it so that the wind wasn't blowing on it any more, which helped.

Ultimately, we were still able to enjoy some of the burgers - but many of them were lost, becoming something more like hokey pucks than food.



After dinner, we sat around and chatted (and I played some PixelJunk Monsters), and the evening ended early.  People were tired, and we had an exciting fire experience almost burning down my apartment. 

Thankfully, I gave it a try the next day with some steak, and although the steak became a little burned (these are some high-powered flames, let me tell you), it was still very good stuff!  Scott came over to witness that, yes, I am able to use a BBQ responsibly.  ;)

Things are going to get a little crazy in the coming months for Movie Night, so here's a tentative schedule (subject to change, depending if I go to Chicago in October or not):

September 12:  Movie Night 97
September 19:  NO MOVIE NIGHT - Rock Band Party over at Scott's (Waffles recovers from surgery)
September 26:  NO MOVIE NIGHT - I will be out of state at Pokagon
October 3:  Movie Night 98
October 10:  tentative Movie Night 99
October 17:  tentative Movie Night 100
October 24:  tentative Movie Night 101
October 31:  NO MOVIE NIGHT - It's freakin' Halloween, people.  No doubt you have parties to attend....
November 1:  HALLOWEEN PARTY!
November 5:  BIRTHDAY!  Scott and I will be getting older.  Possible drinking binge outting on this night....
November 7:  Movie Night 102 - BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!  The new Bond movie comes out to theaters, so it might be something to consider for this night....