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The short answer is I lean OCD. Dennis attracts this type. The majority of my cooks are high temperature, and I tend to avoid two low & slow cooks in a row. Bread, chicken, steak, paella. I keep the fire going, and chase cooks with some eggplants, or a foil-covered cazuela filled with potato and onion slices, salt pepper paprika and olive oil, an ideal base for nontraditionally prepared Spanish tortillas (egg frittatas). Or what's left of a fire is ideal for seasoning carbon steel pans like a paella pan. Empty, I sometimes let the fire go to 700 F afterwards, which approaches a self-cleaning oven effect. I always clean after a low & slow, especially the grates. Most of my mess is collected into a 16" foil-lined terra cotta plant saucer, my heat deflector / drip pan. I'm bucking a pretty strong cultural tradition not to clean up much after barbecue; when I'm out having Weber chicken I can taste the rancid burning fat. Outdoor vendors in Thailand don't need to clean, because they're cooking nonstop. I don't like to leave low & slow remnants in my cooker. My habits destroyed my off-brand K7. I'm not sure Dennis would encourage my habits with a KK, but yes it still looks close to new.

With the above set up you'll be direct grilling in no time.

Never give up, tinyfish;)

CC - That is one of the nice things about going down hill. A lot of old is new. Sure you are new. Don't you remember?