Let this be a place of solace, where we can come together and admit our failures and failings, misguided judgements and (sob!) humanness.
I'll go first.
Last year I bought a really nice '87 SJ. Even the wood handle was nice; very little use. $15! Did some tasty cooks on it.
And then I left it outside all winter, uncovered. LAZY. No excuse. The wood handle now looks more weathered and is missing color in some places. Tung oil? Stain? I'm basically wood-ignorant. Ignernt. I'll search the myriad wood handle threads ... the legs, which had started light rust before I acquired it, now look pathetic. The charcoal grate is rusty. The grill grate is all spotted with rust.
And then a few months ago I couldn't see the SJ from the window. So of course I asked my then-7yr old about it, who is usually guilty of most things. She reported that she tossed it off the back deck into the woods. WTF?? "Do you NOT want ANY inheritance?" Now sporting a 4" dent in the lid, and corresponding missing paint, I was ready to throw the whole thing away in anger.
But of course, WHO would I be angry at? It's cooking marinated salmon fillets now. And, the lid on an SJ is thin enough that two thumbs can push out a dent reasonably well.