I am generally the kind of person who can learn from others mistakes. That is why I always get pissed off that I generally have to learn a valuable life lesson in the hardest way possible.
Which is exactly what happened the other weekend. I am 35 and have been grilling outside on my patio since I was 21. Have I ever had a problem with burns? Sure, I've burned my fingers numerous times. I was generally drunk and being stupid by just reaching in the grill and turning the meat by hand.
Anyway last Saturday, I have the charcoal grill going and walk outside to check on the food. Everything is fine....until I stepped barefooted on a piece of white hot charcoal that somehow fell out of the grill. The damn thing sizzled right into my foot and I couldn't shake it off, so while screaming obscenities I had to put my foot on the railing of the deck and scrape the damn thing off.
My wife had the decency to stick her head out the door and tell me to shut up before I woke up the baby. So I gimped inside and got some water to put the smoldering coal out. I noticed when I poured water on the little basted it was still glowing red hot.
Which brings me to my point, I wish someone had said "hey dickhead, you should wear shoes when you're grilling"; I promise I'd have said "thats a pretty smart idea there hero". And I would have put on some flip flops or something. But instead I get to burn the holy hell out of myself, and learn the hard way.
It's been 10 days and I am still limping, for what it's worth.
