Hardware Cloth

One word of advice about hardware cloth cleverly fashioned into a charcoal briquette screen: don’t lose yours. If you’re trying to grill dinner for a large group of people and you’ve left it pretty late to get the fire started, be sure you at least know where your charcoal sifter is. Without it, you’re fucked. Yes, dear brother-in-law, you can help me with the grilling. If you could kindly squat down and crap out a square of hardware cloth, we’d be in business. Dad actually said that, made that suggestion so calmly, so matter-of-factly, to his brother-in-law that you got the distinct feeling that he would truly welcome it. If BIL had farted one out and said “here ya go” he would have delightedly gone on his way. The dirty looks my Aunt gave me as I laughed hysterically have stuck with me, though this was several years ago. I’ve wondered if she assumed we were laughing at her husband, or laughing to encourage Dad. I was laughing because Dad said it so earnestly. There was no sarcasm there, none at all. Yes, BIL, that would be the best help of all.