Patio Refurbishing...

So. We had this disgusting patio. Charlie and I went out there once and he came in with fleas. It was simply unusable. So after our last bbq outting, we decided to get our butts in gear and fix it up so that we could entertain, too! We didn't know what to do at first. Flooring was the major problem. My mom suggested bricking it. Too much work and too expensive. And we couldn't just concrete it (drainage problems, although I have yet to see it actually rain here since moving here 9 months ago). So our good friend, Chris, suggested just laying down some astro turf. Brilliant! And after checking into it, we found a company only a mile away (a rare occurance in this overly-spread metropolis) that has fake grass. Yes, rich snobs here actually install entire yards of this stuff so they never have to water or mow. Anyway, yesterday we went down there and there was a reminent piece just our size (and about 1/6th the cost according to the guy and thank goodness because that stuff's expensive!!!). Anyway, on our way home we swung by Home Depot and got ourselves a grill and supplies, and now you will see the new and improved patio, ready to entertain. After a read of Thais' article on grilling, I think we will be ready to give it a try. We are a bit nervous about charcoal grilling, but I think we'll be fine. And we counted. There are 12 people here we could (and are going to) invite. Woo hoo! Check out the before and after pictures below!

Before:

After:

It's Voldemort Charlie.

And regular Charlie.

After (daytime)