Trumpfheller Family Site

This chili makes the house smell wonderful on a cold, brisk day!!  Not spicey at all, just good hearty taste!!  I took a couple recipies that sounded good and made them into one!!

• 2 lbs Ground Beef
• 1 Green Pepper
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1/2 Onion
• 3 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Cans diced tomatoes
• 1 large can tomatoe sauce
• Sugar/salt/pepper/Chili Powder

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
2. In a crock pot ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cook 8-10 hours.  Salt/Pepper/Chili Powder/Sugar to taste!!
   

I asked my son when he looks into the future, what does he see himself as......and this is what he told me:

Well, seems like I sorta spaced on writng here; so let's see what I've beeen doing...

1)  Working...yeah, someone's gotta pay the bills....LOL

2)  Refereeing...I've been running up and down the court at least 2 or 3 times a week, 2 games a night!!  Feels good to get out and run; the kids keep me young!!  I must say the difference in Basketball between NC and CO are noticable.  I guess the only way I can explain it, is that the game in CO seems more "smarter".  I know that doesn't make much sense, but I really can't find another word to describe the difference.  I am not surprised when we're in the bonus, or even double-bonus early in the 2nd quarter.

3) Playing...I'm really liking this new MMO (Star Wars: The Old Republic).  Although I like playing more solo stuff, I've been having fun playing with Nicole and our guildies. 

4)  House stuff -- We've had some stuff go south on us, and I have some updates/repairs that I've had on my list to do since we've moved in.  Kitchen faucet, toilet repairs, etc.....so that is what is on the agenda for today.

I hope to catch up more with you again!!!

So today was spent in and out of the house, driving to the city, and working on the well pump.  Seems that our old pump was on it's last leg and the cold night just sorta pushed it over the edge....

We ended up driving into "the city" (Fayetteville) to purchase a new well pump and installing it, along with the heat tape and a heating light with a thermostat to keep it from freezing.  The new pump creates the pressure needed to push the water through the house with no issues; a welcome sight!  The shower now actually feels like a shower, not like standing in a yard sprinkler, and the hand sprayer on the kitchen sink now sprays across the room!!!!

Woke up this morning to go to work and I turned the shower on to let the water run to get warm...after a few seconds, the water stopped running.  I was like...."What the...?"

So I went over to the sink, and no water there either...so now I'm getting concerned.....it wasn't till I noticed that it was 18 degrees outside that I figured that my well pump had frozen; we don't have any heater on it.....dope!

I ran to work real quick, did a couple hours and then ran to Lowe's to get some heating tape.  I took Nic's hair drier out and started warming up the pump and installed the heater tape.  I need to get a heat lamp in there to keep it warm on cold "winter" nights.  Once I heated up the pump and pipes, the water started flowing again....no worries, just upset that I didnt catch it before.....

Today was Pat's 20th Birthday, and it got me thinking..."What was I like at 20?"

Well....this is what was happening in the world at that time:

• Chevy introduced the IROC-Z Camaro
• Ronald Reagan takes oath for second term as 40th President
• Coca Cola introduced "new coke", which flopped miserably
• Rock Hudson died of AIDS; the first major start to fall victim to the disease
• Madonna goes on the road for "The Virgin Tour"....LOL...Madonna and virgin in the same sentence.
• Sand Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl
• Edmonton Oilers won the NHL Stanley Cup
• Top movie was Back to the Future

What was going on in my life?  Earlier in the year (my 19th year)

• Just like Pat, I was living with my parents (LOL)
• Just like Pat, I was working part time at a couple different jobs
• Just like Pat, I was trying to determine what I wanted out of life

On my 20th Birthday, I was in Technical Training School for Security Police for the United States Air Force......

So Patrick, as you go forward with your life, I wish you luck, love, and support; and understand that I know exactly what is going on with you...   

Well, last night I could not get to sleep, was flopping around at 3 am trying to get to sleep, cause I knew that I had to get up and go to work in the morning.  So I finally get to sleep...the alarm rings at 0550 and I drag my tired butt out of bed.  I then shower, shave, drive into work (20+ miles).  I then sit down at my desk (I usually am the first one in) and log in to my computer, start going through my emails.....decided to open my time sheet up to put my hours in.......and there it is......"HOLIDAY"......OMG...what a fail...LOL.

Oh well, at least I should be able to go to sleep tonight!!

I just wanted to take the time to write a little about our Christmas visit from Patrick and Shannon. Although we did not do a lot of "stuff" out and about, in my opinion, we had a great time--I want to thank Pat and Shannon for coming, and for Sheri to allow them to come see us over the holidays.

The kids bought me:
 

and they bought Nicole a really cool "I believe in Sasquatch" shirt.  Both gifts were perfect!!

I can't wait till next time they come to visit, I am hoping Spring break, with some weekend shore time involved!!

Love ya guys, and thanks for coming!!

Here are a couple of the photos that I made for the 2011 CHBOA Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion

See more at http://TrumpPhoto.smugmug.com

Prologue

My dad recently moved to Fayettville, North Carolina. He and I walked through the Historic Downtown, and I just found it so intriguing that I had to write something about it! So here it is. Fayettville: History in Abundance.

The Settlement of Fayettville

Fayettville actually started out as two seperate settlements, Cross Creek and Cambellton. Cross Creek was established first as a trading post. It was named after two fast-moving creeks that crossed eachother just before they entered the Cape Fear river.

A few years after Cross Creek was settled, Cambellton came next. It was settled a mile away from Cross Creek.

The two settlements were established by explorers from the Highlands of Scotland. In 1783, the two settlements merged into one and named themselves Fayettville, after the French Revolutionary war hero, Marquis De Lafayette. Out of all the cities named after Lafayette, Fayettville was the only town he actually visited.

The Key to History

Fayettville played a big role in developing history. The Liberty Point Resolve of 1775 pleged local support for the Revolutionary War cause of independance from England. After the Revolution, because there was no permanent state capital, the state's legislature met periodically in Fayettville. In 1789, North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution and chartered the University of North Carolina, America's oldest state university

Fayettville Destroyed!

On May 29, 1831, a horrible fire spread through Fayettville. It had started in a kitchen at a house on the northwest corner of Market Square. Just as the people thought they had the blaze under control, strong winds picked up and the fire swept through the town. It destroyed one of the most important buildings in Fayettville, the old state house, where the General Assembly met once. It was also the place where North Carolina adopted the U.S. Constitution.

The fire destroyed every single church in town excluding the Methodist Church. People swiftly abandoned the town, giving up hope on putting the terrible fire out. The only thing they could do was to take away the fire's fuel supply, and the entire town went up in smoke as people blew up their houses and shops to keep the fire from spreading. Nearly every house, 105 shops, two banks, a school, and two hotels were blown up. Amazingly, nobody died, though many people were injured. More than $100,000 was raised for those in need.

The Civil War?

During the Civil War, Fayettville was in the path of General Sherman's Union troops. The troops left a path of destruction behind them, and destroyed the N.C. Arsenal, which had been a munitions center for the Confederates. Again, the citizens of Fayettville had to rebuild their city from the bottom up.

Fayettville stands a proud testament to it's past struggles and hardships. It's a very history abundant place to be, and if anyone ever gets the chance, it's a greaet place to visit.