BBQ Trick

When I heard the theme of this issue was BBQs, the image that popped into my mind was that of the three-legged barbecue. One three-legged barbecue, in particular, is seared into my memory because it was involved in a prank that taught me some valuable lessons.

The prank I refer to was carried out by an unoccupied house I was showing to a young couple. The house had been beautifully prepared for sale by the owners. It was newly painted, and a new redwood deck had been built on the back with stairs leading down to a fresh and shiny concrete patio. The deck was neatly appointed with potted plants and that three-legged barbecue.

The prank goes like this: The Realtor guides the clients through the house. The house is bright and fresh and smells good. The back deck is the crescendo of the showing. As the clients happily take in the relaxing atmosphere of the setting, the Realtor turns to retrieve his papers from the kitchen counter. But he is stopped short by the newly installed selflocking back door.

The Realtor calmly strides around the house to the front door. Locked. He returns quick-stepping to the back deck. He feigns nonchalance as he pulls at window screens and searches for anything unlocked. He peers through the back door glass at the kitchen counter. Yes, the car keys are there, too. And no cell phone because they hadn’t been invented at this time in his career.

He searches frantically now and spots a narrow opening over the upper casement of a double-hung window toward the far corner of the deck. He slides the barbecue out of the way and begins fiddling with the window screen. He needs height now. A short stool plant holder at the other end of the deck looks just right. He sprints toward the stool. An errant kick into one leg of the three-legged barbecue sends the whole apparatus crashing to the deck and spewing a toxic mess of ash, old briquettes, and grill grease across the deck, down the stairs, and spreading over the shiny new patio.

Yes, valuable lessons were learned, like how to maintain a professional demeanor around horrified clients, and just how hard it is to scrub grill-grease and ash off of new deck boards and fresh concrete.

Doug Love is Sales Manager at Century 21 in Chico. Email dougwlove@gmail.com. Call or text 530-680-0817.

Sherry's experience and expert knowledge of the Chico market, combined with her incredible ability to work with others and negotiate deals, made the sale of our home smooth and successful. I highly recommend Sherry as a realtor.

- Jared Debock, Chico

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