The Sarasota Grapevine

Esmé

2010-01-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

I recently adopted a dog from the Humane Society. Her name is Esmé (changed from Princess). She had a rough life and was taken out of a bad home. She was not doing well at the Humane Society, not eating and shaking a lot, but she is doing great in her new home. She's already put on a few pounds, which was needed. She's a great dog and so sweet.

Here's a photo of her in the Humane Society, with the adoption counselor:

And her relaxing on the couch:

Christmas 2009

2009-12-15T20:50:00.000-08:00

Start the PLANNING

We are looking at an album of the 60 Bears y'all sent me back in May.

And here they are on my new 2009 Tree.

Thanks to each and everyone.

With BARB Home ... IT IS A BLESSED CHRISTMAS.

Dawn and Heather vist=Happy baby

2009-09-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

This doesn't need an explanation.

Patrick And His New Friends

2009-09-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time at the Spur Cross stable with the Schommers after spending the afternoon at Bartlett Lake. And, Patrick found some new friends in Gilbert the pig and Jake the donkey!

Old to New

2009-09-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the '94 F-150 had seen better days.

So we decided to take advantage of the nice folks in Washington who were willing to give us $4500, and upgraded to something that Zachary can now ride in.

The good news is that the new one has an automatic trans, so Amanda now enjoys driving it as much as I do. Well, not sure that is good news for me?!?! :-)

All by myself

2009-09-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

A sure sign that Zachary is growing and learning - he is now climbing stairs all by himself. This is only the first step, but he can go four or five before we can get to him. Time to put another gate in place!

We're heading to Kentucky for Labor Day weekend so that Grandma and Grandpa LeFranc can chase him around for awhile!! :-)

Hope everyone is doing well, and hoping to see some new posts soon!!

Carol's expert dye job

2009-07-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Carol had this done at Che Patrice, looks great! :-)

It Looks Like Diane Has Found A New Dance Partner!

2009-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

I loved watching Diane teach her grandson Zachary some dance moves!

There Was A Whole Lot Of Dancing Going On!

2009-07-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ray and Megan made a great dance pair at Jean's 90th birthday party!

Our get up and go has got up and went!

2009-07-03T13:46:00.001-07:00

I love this picture that Katie took of Barb, Diane and myself back at the hotel after Jean's party.

A new idea for centerpieces!

2009-07-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

At Jean's birthday party, we came up with a new idea for a table centerpiece AKA Zachary and Jacoby!

What a cutie!

2009-07-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

I had to share this picture of Zachary and Amanda. It was wonderful to finally meet him in person!

Our new addition

2009-06-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Carol & I surprised ourselves by installing a ceiling fan for the 1st time. You all know how handy I am around the house :-) so yes, we did get a little help from our neighbor, David but basically did it all! Looks good & feels good. No, I'm not holding it up in the picture, just pointing at it.

Back from Dearborn

2009-06-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

My weekend with Zachary

Sooner or later I will figure out the Camera

LOTS and LOTS of BEARS

2009-06-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Many THANKS to y'all for the BEAR Ornaments...every one was different and FUN.
Let's keep this SIXTY a secret between us.

Love to all ... DIANE

Birthday Bash in Big Spring

2009-05-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

Leslie and I surprised my mom this weekend by showing up on her doorstep to wish her a Happy Birthday! Fortunately, she didn't send us away, LOL. So, we took her to one of her favorite restaurants in Midland, Olive Garden. Then off to an ice cream shop for a birthday scoop. Then, the grand finale... James Avery to let her pick out a pair of earrings. She has them on in these photos. We spent the evening with her at her apartment. We all had a great time. I updated her internet security software, so hopefully she'll be good to go for another year. We spent the morning with her before heading back to Houston on Sunday. I don't understand how Texas gets bigger every time I make that trip! Texas is huge!

Web Album - Jags Pics

2009-05-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

Lots of pics of our team that made the top 4 in the state. Here are the 4 seniors.

http://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.trapnell/JaguarsPictures02?feat=email#

I'm back!!!

2009-05-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

I am back from Shady Creek. I had lots of fun and learned a lot. I got to play Ultimate Frisbee.

I also got to play a huge game of capture the flag with about 50 to 60 people. I learned that a newt is very poisonous. In a bird class my class found 18 species of birds. I had eight people in my cabin and my counselors name was Marco Polo. Thank you Samuel family, Nana and Papa, Rzepecki family, Aunt Carol and Uncle Patrick[AKA the green coach] for writing to me while I was at camp. Love Quillan.

Mail Call

2009-04-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Quillan is headed to a week-long outdoor education camp with his 6th-grade class. He will be away from family and we'd like to think our boy will miss us. His teacher said the kids love to get mail so we're planning to send lots and we thought you all might like to join us. Only flat mail is permitted (no packages) and it must arrive at camp between May 3-7. The address is:

Quillan Perez
c/o Mrs. Smith, Excelsior Elem.
Shady Creek Outdoor School
18601 Pathfinder Way
Nevada City, CA 95959

We'll post some pictures after Quillan gets home (we're sending a disposable camera with him).

Love,
Paula

Cheryl and Jacoby

2009-04-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

I loved this picture of Cheryl and Jacoby taken on Easter. He is such a cutie! Cheryl is such a great mommy in addition to Larry, Matthew, Megan and Ayanna being wonderful helpers!

My Harley Experience

2009-04-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with all of you most likely my one and only time being on a Harley! This was definitely a photo-op time when we were at the Harley Davidson Restaurant in Las Vegas.

Congratulations to Larry L & Katie R

2009-04-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Larry Langdale & Katie Rzepecki for coming in 1st in our family & friends March Madness tournament!!! As always, another great tournament, so many good games & an oddity in that I found myself cheering for Michigan State...for Brian's sake. Have to give kudos to the Spartans for a great tourney. Hope everyone enjoyed it as it's a small way of connecting while being spread out around the country. Thanks to all who participated and we'll do it again next year!
PT

So close - and yet so far

2009-04-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

This was a picture of Zachary and myself on Saturday, right before I left to head downtown to the Final Four. Zach brought luck to State as they took care of UConn. The crowd was unbelievable, and it was a riot being there.

Unfortunately the luck didn't last through Monday night as UNC whupped State, but it was still one of the coolest things I have ever been to. Got to see them hoist the trophy and cut down the nets, so even though it wasn't the team I wanted, it was still quite an experience. One more thing I can cross off the list now! :-)

Sorry Pat, Bob and HB, but Go Green!! Can't wait until next year!

2009-04-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

To the "Green Coach" and Uncle Fred: I know you didn't teach her this way in her lesson, but here in California we play tennis with helmets on.

When she picked up her scooter to leave we had her take the helmet off. We're not completely unreasonable!

And the Oscar goes to...

2009-03-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

For those who did not see our 4 year-old little actress on Facebook, here is Tawny doing her impersonation of Mushu from Disney's "Mulan." We are taking her to see Disney's stage production of "The Lion King" in June and, since she loves the movie, we really think she will enjoy the performance. She and mommy saw a local children's theater company production of "Alice in Wonderland" several months ago and even at 3 years old she sat through the whole thing. We think we either have a budding star on our hands or we are just in for a LOT of drama in the teen years...

More of the New Girls

2009-03-12T19:44:00.001-07:00

As you can see in the photo with Ryan, these girls are tiny! Randy and I got to visit with Gabriella in the hospital, but only saw Isabella through the window the first day. She was then transferred to Oakwood for a week. They are both doing well and are home now. The weather has been cold and rainy here, so they have not been taken visiting yet. We look forward to seeing the girls and their parents sometime soon.

New Babies

2009-02-28T12:41:00.000-08:00

Well, Randy and I are now grandparents! Ryan's fiance Ashley had a c-section today. They had identical twin girls. The names are Gabriella and Isabella. I think one was 3lbs., 50z. The other one was 4lbs, 3 oz. They are breathing on their own and look healthy, just tiny. Lots of prayers for the new parents would be great. I think they will need them. They are excited, but I know they have a lot of work ahead of them.

Still smiling (at least Zach is!)

2009-02-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

Even though Zachary is just getting his first tooth, he is still smiling and laughing. Unfortunately that is only during the daytime - the crying at night keeps Amanda awake most of the night for the last week or so.

He had his first "bites" of food on Tuesday night. A little bit of rice cereal mixed with milk - it was more of a soup than anything, but it was the first time he got to eat from a spoon! We videotaped the whole episode, but other than him learning to spit everything out by the fourth spoonful, there wasn't much to watch. :-)

Hope everyone is doing well, and we'll upload some video as soon as I can figure out how to use the computer to edit it and make it small enough to post. (You'd never know that I work with computers for a living...) hahaha

The Oscars Party

2009-02-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

Arriving to a red carpet, decorations, lots of food, contests, games & some costumes, a good time was had by all! Was pleased that Slumdog Millionaire won for best pic & 7 other awards...if you haven't seen it, it's fantastic. Very cool that the 9 kids that played the three main parts (at different ages) all attended the show as a couple of the younger ones had never acted before & actually live in the slums of Mumbai. Loved Kate Winslet winning & her speech (& her dad whistling)but would have liked to have seen Mickey Rourke win in his comeback role. The best idea in years for the show was having 5 former winners speak about the current nominees in that category. My useless knowledge came in handy as I picked 19 of the 24 winners. March Madness is not far away....bring on the brackets!!!

Lindsay & Katie's visit

2009-02-19T09:44:00.001-08:00

We also had a great time when Lindsay & Katie visited...nice to have some young people here after the Loonies visited (just kidding Barb!). We played tennis, visited, again went to Buffalo Chip which was too crowded for us to dance. I was disappointed though I think Lindsay & Katie felt like they dodged a bullet not having to dance w/ me! The highlight was probably our 3 hr hike w/ Patricia, Angela, Katie, Lindsay & I which I'm sure you've all seen the pictures...very cool! Anyway, attached is a group pic from Buffal Chip.

Visit from the Loonies

2009-02-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

We all had a great time when Barb & the rest of the "Loonies" invaded our home for a few days! We got a lot in as we played tennis, went to Buffalo Chip, danced (Terry was the only one who knew what she was doing), they went to Sedona, we visited Fred & Pat's new house & played games over at Dawn & Heather's. Also, a good game of Catchphrase here. Yes, somehow I survived but sure could use a visit from a MALE friend sometime. Although, it was kind of nice having all those women around except two of them were my sisters! Pics will be coming soon but here is one of the group & one of me serving "room service" to Ruth Ellen.

Arizona trip

2009-02-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

I had a great time in Arizona. The weather was perfect, a nice break from the cold Midwestern winter. We fit a lot in the weekend, as you'll see from the photos: tennis, a long hike, visiting, Catchphrase and hanging out and catching up. I saw javelinas for the first time, an experience I could've done without - they are not very cute!

arizona: feb 09

Scenes of an ICE STORM

2009-01-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ice covered Birch Branch

Icicles are getting longer

Branches are starting to break and fall

Our poor River Birch is DROOPING

This is all we can do on a STATE of Emergency Day.

Utah trip

2009-01-23T10:31:00.000-08:00

I recently returned from Park City/Deer Valley, Utah trip with friends. We've gone every year for the past 7 years or so. It's a nice break filled with snow, games and this year we timed it with the Sundance Film Festival (as we have a couple of other years too), so I got to see some great, not-so-great, and almost always very interesting films.

I usually snowboard, but this year I skied for the first time. Skiing was a lot of fun, and I managed to stay upright...though I wasn't always in complete control, but that's part of the fun, right?

The trouble with Patrick cleaning

2009-01-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

Well, the house is clean but Carol's rooster collection is now one less. Actually, it's only one feather less...something about the shop vac falling from the kitchen counter into the kitchen sink. If the darn things were quicker they could've gotten out of the way...but nooooooooo. So, to me it's an easy fix, that rooster now has to face the other way so the missing feather is hidden in back. The attempt w/ crazy glue didn't work but the alcohol to remove the paper towel particles stuck to the counter went quite well.
So, the Loony ladies will be coming to a clean house & if they encounter any animals, I'm the guy to take care of it now that i have my first kill under my belt!

Dr Angela Trapnell

2009-01-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

Even though Angela is technically a nurse, just wanted to let you all know she'll be performing her 1st surgery this Sun as she attempts to remove a wood splinter from Uncle Pat's palm that I received the first day of moving Fred & Pat. Which was the same day that part of the entertainment center fell on Will's head, I stuck a nail in my finger, Will twisted his ankle carrying a couch & I smashed my thumb as Ashley & her friend were putting the TV stand together. But other than that, a good time was had by all. GOOD LUCK ANGELA & hope the surgery is a success!

If anyone cuts off a limb, I'm your guy!

2009-01-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

K, if you actually cut off a limb, I have never actually attached a limb, and it is still not in my scope of practice but if you promise not to tell anyone I did it, I will try to sew it on. Anyway... for the real news.
Well, I am finally done with Nursing school which ended in Nov. and on Dec. 29th I took my Arizona State license exam, and passed. I am now officially a nurse. Up until this point, when a patient asked me something I did not have the answer to, I would tell them, 'I dont know, I'm a fake nurse, I'll go ask the real nurse'. So... I am not quite sure what I will say now if I don't know the answer so let's just hope I know EVERYTHING (I did say hope). I am working at Phoenix St. Luke's hospital in downtown phoenix. Not only am I a nurse, but I am a telemetry nurse (I work with heart patients). I told the director on the floor, where I was a student, that I would like to work on her floor and she said she would love it. To work on that floor though, you have to have an ACLS certification, which I actually got before I took my exam to be an RN. I am very excited, I was dreading the thought of working as a med/surg nurse which is a typical entry level position.

I am also incredibly excited to have so much more time with Allie. I am sure my mom is thrilled, not that she does not love allie, but I'm sure it will be nice for her to maybe have two minutes free to herself a day. We probably won't give her much more than that, I would not want her to get bored. :) I love my days off when I wake up and just hang out with my little girl. A problem we have always had is that everytime I tickle her, she gets the hiccups, so with all my time off I have discovered that if I tickle her upside down (her upside down, not me), she does not get the hiccups, so now every day I walk over to her to give her a hug, I pick her up, and I softly tell her, don't worry Allie, I won't tickle you, I only tickle on Thursdays, or whatever day it is. The first time, she actually fell for it :) The second time, well she is smart, but she still loves to be tickled!

The other thing I am excited about, I told Marge and she told me she doubted anyone else had those same thoughts or looked at the walls of a bookstore the way I have, so I will try to paint a picture.
If you can imagine, a single mom (unless you count my parents who have doubled, and tripled? as parents), in school for two years, working most of that time, and just about every free second I had was spent at the local Barnes and Noble (which was not really free, although I do enjoy their comfortable chairs and starbucks, I was studying). My friend Rich and I would go several days a week. We would study for hours, get up to get a cup of coffee and back to studying while we drank the cup. And with books open all around me, at least a couple on my lap, one on the arm of the chair, a couple on the little plant holder thing in front of me, and probably one where my feet should go, but I sit with them in the chair, and as I would sink deeper and deeper into the chair, I would stare up at these sort of poster paintings of all the classics (books) and dream about the day I would come to the book store, grab a cup of coffee, and read a book for enjoyment, and not because if I didn't find out what drug you give for superventricular tachycardia I would surely flunk my test. Then, when I was too tired to study even after the coffee, I would go home and go straight to bed, wake up and repeat. Rich and I would joke that we would meet back at home the next day (the bookstore), or that we should just bring a pillow and a change of clothes. Anyway, so now, I can't wait to pick out a book, go to the bookstore, and read it. I am so excited I am having a hard time deciding which book to read!
Anyway, on to my next adventure, I am going to teach myself Spanish, read a good book, and spend time with my amazing daughter.
P.S. I will post holiday pictures later.
Love you all, Ang.

Light Rail Opening Day!

2009-01-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

We all probably know that Lanny has been counting down the days pretty much from the first day of construction. And so, it was very exciting to share the day with him in addition to Sharon and the Perez family. Seeing that familiar face at the information tent at the Encanto and Central station, who wouldn't have confidence asking questions of this "Light Rail Opening Day Ambassador"? We also had fun riding on the train on opening day. Since, we were packed in like sardines we only rode from the Encanto station to the Thomas station. But hey, we did it! A great time was had by all!

Carol's Christmas Homework Assignment!

2009-01-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

Here I am by our Christmas tree. And, misting our wreath on the front door. So far no one has opened the door while I was spraying it. Diane pointed out that in Michigan or Kentucky you could probably depend on snow for the moisture. But, I like it just like this!

Our Holiday Happenin's

2009-01-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

Our holiday so far - see if you can keep up:

-Rode Amtrak from Sacramento to Flagstaff, AZ.

-Rented a car and drove to Phoenix on Christmas Eve morning.

-Went to the Christmas Eve service then stayed up until 3:30ish AM on Christmas Eve/day wrapping gifts with Nana and Papa.

-Children thankfully didn't wake up until 9:00AM to unwrap all those recently wrapped gifts.

-Had Christmas steaks on the grill. That was the best Nana and Papa!

-Rode Phoenix light rail with an excited Papa on opening day (thanks Dawn and Heather for letting us park at your house).

-Finished the evening with a wonderful dinner at Cibo.

-The whole AZ family, plus Karen and children from VA, and Jason and family from West VA gathered for Jal's 13th birthday party with the Game Truck (the ultimate video game party parked right in front of Nana and Papa's house).

-Got tennis lessons from Fred and Pat (Tawny now calls Uncle Patrick "The Green Coach.")

-Went to see Tawny's first theater movie, "The Tale of Desperaux."

-Toasted the new year with Nana and Papa while watching "Hitch." (From this trip we also recommend the chick flick "The Holiday").

-Continue to enjoy fun and family until we leave on Jan 3rd.

We're not looking forward to leaving but we will enjoy the sleeper car again on the Amtrak ride home. We've been enjoying all the family updates. It's so fun to read what this big group has been up to!

Holidays

2008-12-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

I don't have many pictures of Christmas, but I do have some photos to share of some of our annual traditions. Here we are baking and decorating sugar cookies (in the spirit of the holidays, we decorate them all including the deformed ones such as one-legged deer or a snowman with a tumor...I should've taken some photos of those ones).

My family also hosts an annual Christmas party. As you can see, we recruited a young but no less rocking band for the party.

The holidays have been fun and relaxing. My siblings and I have created a new band for Rock Band 2 called The Pixiefaced Warbears (our emblem is a koala bear). We are taking America and Europe by storm. Other than that, not too much to report.

My writing group has created a small press/publishing company called Moxie Paper Press, and we had our first event called Monster Holiday, which consisted of the five of us reading an excerpt from our short stories with live music in the background and two bands also played. It was a really fun time, and we sold all of our handmade books that we made for the event (only 40, but still). So that was exciting and fun. Here's a photo of the books.

Happy New Year everyone!

A very coy boy

2008-12-28T06:26:00.000-08:00

2008-12-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

For anyone that hasn't seen or received this yet, here's a fun game you can play. Throw the shoes at Bush! The unofficial record so far is 10 but I'm sure we'll beat that.
Patrick
http://www.aksalser.com/game.htm

A Melvindale Christmas

2008-12-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all from the Samuel family! We all got together at Randy's sister's house on Christmas eve. A noisy time was had by all. The noise continued on today as the boys received a karaoke machine from Santa. I am being serenaded as I type this right now. They also got an electric guitar and a new larger drum set, so I am not sure why earplugs were not in my stocking! Hope everyone is having as much fun as we are.

Follow George's Lead

2008-12-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, now the rest of y'all have to follow George's lead (you too Carol) and share some holiday pics w/ the rest of us. Loved the tour of the living room in louisville!!!
Patrick

Diane's Christmas Tree

2008-12-22T15:20:00.000-08:00

Wishing Everyone A Merry Christmas

and A Happy New Year.

HOLIDAY SPIRITS

2008-12-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

Going to see SANTA ( 9 weeks)

This is at The Henry Ford Museum.

This at The LeFranc's in Kentucky.

Exercising with Brian

Merry Christmas to Y'all

from Diane and George

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-22T12:28:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone has a great holiday season. Looking forward to seeing the Perez family very soon. So, I'm completing my homework assignment early...there's a first time for everything. Hope everyone contributes some posting &/or pictures so we can kind of share the holidays together.
Love, Patrick

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

Loved the card Linds! I am so thankful to all of you for the support & love I have received and to a fresh start which could not be going any better! As I've said, I feel the best I've felt in a loooooooooooong time. All of you helped in my move & transition to loving life again and a special thanks to Carol for adapting to a change in her environment...although I, of course, still allow the Monkisms. :-) It's been great for both of us (I hope Carol agrees) but basically I've gone from dreading each new day to can't wait to start each day and have a newfound appreciation for all the things (big & small) in this roller-coaster ride that we call life. Good, bad, mediocre...doesn't matter, I'll deal with whatever it is. I truly feel blessed for the family that we have and I hope all of you know that I am here for you just as you were there for me. So, THANK YOU...I love you all!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T09:24:00.001-08:00

I hope you all have a wonderful, food-filled Thanksgiving! I am thankful for such a large, loving family! I am also thankful that I'm (currently) no longer a vegetarian.

Timeout for Patrick

2008-11-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

Katie's idea is that's where Carol can put me if I need a timeout! But I'll fool them...I'll put a dartboard up on the side of the neighbor's house & I can stay there for hours!!!

Great Time At The Jackson Browne Concert!

2008-11-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

Patrick, Lanny and I had a fun at the concert. We were glad that Lanny seemed to enjoy the evening, too! Here are a couple photos from that night.

Patrick's Monkisms

2008-11-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

It's going great w/ Carol & I living together but I'm starting to fear that she's wearing off on me! See picture w/ me arranging the cans of vegetables!

Every now and then we need a break from each other... here's a picture after we've been together for too long!

More work for Carol

2008-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

With all the additions Carol will need to make to the Trapnell family directory, she better get started soon. Zachary Richard LeFranc joined the family on Oct. 11 at 8:40pm. He weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Amanda started feeling contractions a little bit after 4pm, so I guess the 4 hour labor isn't TOO bad. (Of course, since I'm a guy, my opinion doesn't really count.) :-)

Both Amanda and Zachary are doing great. It took him 2 or 3 days to get the hang of it, but now he is latching on and feeding pretty quickly, so that is a good thing. I give my wife all the credit in the world for having the patience she has shown with that whole process - I was heading out to purchase bottles of formula after a few hours of frustration, but she stayed very calm and worked with him and now everything is going great!

My mom and dad came up on Sunday morning and got to spend a few days with us before heading back to Kentucky, so Zachary was able to see his grandparents for a couple of days. I'm sure that either George or Diane will be adding another post soon, with more pictures.

Hope everyone is doing well, and hope to see everyone soon!

- Brian (and Amanda & Zachary)

These are the Monkisms of our Lives

2008-09-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Since Carol doesn't mind me kidding her about her "Monkisms" here are some examples & a few of my fau paus...evidently, some guy keeps coming in to our kitchen & moving the foot pedal trash can back a few inches at a time but we haven't caught him yet. My paper dixie cups didn't match the bathroom decor so we've hidden them in the cabinet below. So far I put dirty dishes in with the clean ones and trying to be helpful one morning, unloaded & put away a full load of dirty dishes. So, our next purchase is going to be a Clean/Dirty sign so I don't screw up again! I've only broken one dish so far so that's not too bad for me. Carol had showered & when she came out, I had broken the dish & unloaded the dirty dishes so she asked if next time, would I please just stay in my chair till she got out? :-) I've only had to return 2 or 3 items that I bought the wrong kind so I'm learning. But, you don't know what pressure is until you've had to pick out apples for Carol...I could have eaten one or two by the time I found 4 that had no bruises or marks whatsoever. As I was putting away the Derby glasses, I started to panic..thinking not only do they have to face the same way but I'll bet she arranges them by year. As I'm doing my sodoku puzzles & talking numbers to myself, Carol said "just let me know if I'm supposed to answer". I am getting up early every morning (around 6:30) & going to bed much earlier than I used to...so Carol says, at least Mom could stay up & she was in her eighties!
But in all seriousness, we are getting along great I love it out here & as you can tell we can kid each other about both of our idiosyncracies. Hope all is well with all & love you.
Patrick & Carol

Busy, busy, busy

2008-09-07T23:43:00.000-07:00

Well I've been keeping busy lately, if you couldn't tell from the title of this post. I recently took a trip to L.A. to visit friends. I hadn't been back in awhile, so it was really good to catch up with people and hang out in the city. I went to the beach twice, which is probably about 1/4 the amount I went the entire time I was living there. The weather was great and I packed a lot in the days I was there. Here's a photo from the beach (I'm second from the left, and yes, the water was quite cold, but I braved it).

From L.A. in August

If anyone is interested in seeing more photos from the trip, you can click here or on the "L.A. in August" link above.

I got back to Omaha from that trip at midnight and left the following morning for Minneapolis to help my sisters move into their apartment at the University of Minnesota. It was a quick trip that involved a lot of unpacking and trips to IKEA, Target, Trader Joe's, etc. I guess that was just practice for my big move-in that has already started.

We then drove from Minneapolis to Hancock, Wisconsin for a relaxing few days at the cottage. It was also the first time I was able to witness the Labor Day parade. Parades in Hancock are one of my favorite things, and this one did not disappoint (despite its close resemblance to the 4th of July parade). The main difference (and main attraction of the overall parade) was the float with free potatoes and carrots, which parks on the street after the parade and provokes total mayhem. You would think we were back in the Great Depression days. I felt like I was in a scene from The Grapes of Wrath. I did, however, manage to grab a few carrots and potatoes. Here's a photo from the chaotic scene:

From Hancock Labor Day

And if you are so intrigued by that photo that you can't wait to see the rest of the parade excitement (believe me, that was the most exciting part - although there was a crane with a man throwing bouncy balls off of it, but you don't quite get the effect from a picture), then you can click on that link above for more photos in an album.

And now to the present: fall classes have started up again and I've got what seems to be a good group of enthusiastic students. I've also started moving into my house. It's a slower process than I would like, but it's going good so far. I'm still mostly in the cleaning, sanding, painting, removing carpet phase. But the living room actually started to look like a living room today, so that was very exciting. I'll post some pictures when I get further along.

Hope everyone is doing well!

House Pics

2008-09-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hey, where's my coffee?

Allie training for the biathlon (Biking & Roller skating)

2008-08-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

2008-08-21T11:51:00.001-07:00

Before & After Computer setup

2008-08-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Before & After computer set-up

2008-08-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

The reason I had a "kiddie table" as a temporary setup was the assembly of my computer cart was progressing smoothly & Carol even said Dad would be proud until the final piece, the keyboard shelf which was not rolling properly so as I stepped to get better leverage, the piece I stepped on was not flat on the ground as it looked but slightly off the ground. As the screws broke thru & pieces chipped off, a few words came out that again, Dad would have been proud. Target replaced it no problem & the 2nd attempt went smooth as silk. So, now I can actually get my knees under the table & sit straight forward instead of sidesaddle.

Patrick

Hello Arizona

2008-08-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well, as I'm sure most of you know but also for those who don't, I am now an Arizonian! So far, Carol & I are adjusting wonderfully as we learn or get use to each other's idiosyncracies or Monkisms. I like to cook breakfast & some dinners & Carol likes to clean up so that part should work out great! I got to play Wii at Fred & Patricia's which was a lot of fun even though I came in last at bowling including Allie beating me. My favorite so far was the golf but all the games are fun. I've definitely been eating well as Patricia cooked ribs on the grill, burgers & bratwurst the next day & then Carol cooked steaks on the grill and I cooked a pork loin the following night. As I'm planning to be more active out here, I better start soon before I weigh 200 lbs. :-)
I will give regular updates but definitely so far, so good!

Love, Patrick

New house

2008-08-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I am officially a homeowner as of today (at least verbally, I still have some papers to sign). I'm really excited. It was only recently decided that I would look for a house to own rather than to rent, but it made sense with the real estate market and how much more affordable places are here in Omaha (especially compared to L.A.!). I got the house that was my definite favorite, so I'm very happy and still quite shocked. I like the city a lot and plan to be here for at least a few years since there's a lot going on here at the moment and then who knows...I never expected to buy a house in Omaha, Nebraska so I won't try to predict the future.

The house is within walking distance of the downtown of a neighborhood in Omaha called Benson which is an older, small town area but is starting to be revitalized. Benson has some places that I already visit a lot, like two music venues, a bake shop, coffee shop, pizza place and art gallery/boutique stationary shop Pulp. And it's a short drive to downtown.

Anyway, here are a few photos from the house.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to come visit!

Dawn and Heather update (and the Tigers)

2008-08-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

Update from the heatwave! We did another camping trip with the puppies to Christopher Creek (I know, it amazes me too). This time with friends and their dog. Our campsite was right on the creek and backed up to the forest. Apparently the bears wander down from the forest during the night - or at least that's what our neighbor said. Heather (and I) didn't think I would last very long after this statement. Our friends convinced me that the lady was crazy. But just in case, they hung up a "bear bell" on a clothesline in case the bear wandered through our campsite. Whew!

Unfortunately, we did not take pictures this trip. You all would have loved the pictures if we had taken any. We found out that Chauncey actually is capable of swimming. And at times will go in the water on his own (without being thrown in)! This discovery was made in the canyon/gorge a few miles down the creek from our campsite.

The dogs loved going down the water slides to each of the pools below. The hard part was getting them (and us) back up to each next level on the way back. Thank goodness we had harnesses for them!

We didn't take pics, but I have a link that shows some pretty good pictures of this area:
http://hikearizona.com/phoZOOM.php?ZIP=68194

Since the creek was next to our campsite, we made great use of the "bathing" opportunities - or at least some soap and shampoo. Enough until I could get home & take a really long shower after our 4 day trip. Still amazes me that I am now a camper. Brian doesn't believe it each time I tell him.

Hopefully we will fit in one more camping trip this summer. And I will plan on taking a fully charged camera (good intentions always). In the meanwhile, we will deal with the heat by staying in & watching the Tigers tumble back in the standings. Poor Heather....

As you all know, I will watch the Tigers games since they are always on at our house (who told Heather about the MLB package?). However, I refuse to participate in the yelling about why every Tigers closer is incompetent! Someone in our household makes a practice of this. I cannot wait until Pat gets out here so he can get in on the current one-sided discussion. I have had to hear about Todd Jones for months and now apparently there are others joining him.
Pat, please hurry - I need a reliever.

Until the next adventure, I hope all is well with everyone!
Love, Dawn (and Heather)

Hello from Chicago!

2008-08-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I love reading all of your posts when I get a chance a few times a week, but I have become not so great about updating all of you on my life! So, as most of you know I moved to Chicago in June (and have even seen my new apartment, thanks Aunt Carol!). I had some time to explore the city and get "settled" and learn my way around. I'm still not 100% confident and sometimes wish I have a compass, but I am loving living here! As of this week, I am working in downtown in network TV ad sales for Cox Communications. My company's job is to be the sales representative and sell ad space to agencies for certain stations in several major markets. Needless to say, my first week was an adventure! If any of you have read or seen The Devil Wears Prada, my trainer is a little like the character based of the editor of Vogue. However, I survived my first week and many people congratulated me for surviving it! Yesterday on my way out, I found out that I had officially lasted longer than the previous three assistants, who left crying on the Wednesday or Thursday of their first weeks. So, I figure it can only get better from here!

That's about it for me, I am working on trying to get pictures of my new apartment/life here, but my USB cord isn't working properly so it may take a little while.

Love and miss you all!

Katie

More Summer Fun

2008-08-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well, we may not own a boat, but that doesn't stop our water fun! We went the last couple of weekends out to Randy's brother's house. He lives on Lake Sherwood in Wixom, with a dock and small beach of his own. Randy took the raft, but it was the boys who decided to try it out first. After they both drifted out a ways and Randy had to retrieve them I finally came up with the idea of tethering it to the dock. That worked out better as they hadn't quite gotten the idea of how to row.

We also enjoy heading out to Greenfield Village several times during the summer. It was too hot to stay for the old-time baseball game last Saturday, but we did get Ramon Santiago's autograph. He plays for the Tigers, though not in an everyday role. The boys were excited and now ask if he is playing every time the Tigers are on. He looks shorter in person than he appears when you see him playing.

We had a quick visit from Randy's son Ryan two weeks ago. He just came by to let us know his girlfriend was expecting a baby in March. They both still live at home with their mothers, so they were not exactly planning on or preparing for this and it came as a bit of a surprise. There may be a silver lining to this, though, as we have already heard from or seen Ryan three times within two weeks. That is the number of times we usually see him in a year! Hopefully he will keep in touch more often.

Well, I am taking the boys over to their Grandma Samuel's house for a visit, so I better go get ready. Also, I have to make a stop at Target. The new Third Day CD just came out Tuesday and I NEED it!!!

Love, Deb

Boring Stuff and a Bridge

2008-07-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hiya Folks,

I log on to the Grapevine most every day over lunch at work just to see what you all are doing and figured I'd better post something to let you know we're still here. So Deb and I were chatting and we commiserated about not always having exciting things to post. Some days are exciting, but let's face it, the day to day is pretty dull. So let's see... Larry and I bought a new mattress. Okay, actually that is exciting because the cheapo thing we bought 15 years ago (yes, it's been 15 years since the gala event you all attended in Phoenix) needed to go! We found out our dog Zach has hay fever and now has a daily medicine routine that rivals that of a sickly octogenarian. We finished stripping wallpaper in the boy's room and have started to paint (the boys felt they were getting to old for teddy bears playing sports). yawn Are you still with me?

Actually this past weekend we took a family boating trip up to Lake Clementine in Auburn, CA. [Dad, do you have your map?] Our regular haunt, Folsom Lake, is so low this year it currently has a 5mph speed limit over the ENTIRE lake. Since it's hard to catch too much air off the wake at 5mph we headed north. There was a two mile stretch of road to get down to the lake that would have been quite treacherous if we'd had to pass another vehicle towing a boat going the opposite direction. It was pretty much a fairly steep, one-lane road that twisted and turned down to the lake. I guess if you meet someone you just stare each other down until one of you decide to prove your trailering skills and back up until you get to a wider section of the roadway. I'm sure Larry appreciated my driving skills (I was in the passenger seat not the back seat so that's okay right?). So to get to Lake Clementine we crossed the Foresthill Bridge. It's a crazy-high bridge that was built with plans to flood the valley below. When the "Auburn Dam" was never completed it left a 730 foot high bridge over the river. We walked out to the center and Larry took this picture of the boys. Larry missed my safety briefing and so took this picture standing on the opposite rail (just like the one the boys are leaning against). Okay, maybe he wasn't in danger of going over the edge, but the highway was just over the rail on the other side. But we're all safe and he got a great picture. Some of you may recognize the bridge from the Vin Diesel movie XXX (Triple X). Even in the picture with the boys it's hard to get a perspective of how truly high up you are until you see the stunt man in the movie base jump from a Corvette driven over the edge. Haven't seen the movie? Watch the scene here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUawc64NmA

We were content to look and did not try our base jumping skills on this day. So now the weekend is over and it's back to the daily drudgery. sigh Hope you all are well, and keep posting so I have something to read over lunch!

Love, Paula and Co.

Hancock

2008-07-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

Lindsay,
Looks like you all had a great time! If anyone wants to see the rest of her pictures, they are on her blog (http://lindsaytrapnell.blogspot.com/), some real good ones of the various family members. Glad to hear Rufus had a good time as well.

Back from Wisconsin

2008-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a trip to Hancock, Wisconsin. It's been great to catch up on the family blog, it's exciting to see so many new entries!

As a lot of you may know (and some of you have visited), my grandparents on my mom's side have a cottage in this small town in Wisconsin, that I've been going to for my whole life. This year we had kind of a mini-reunion there with my grandparents, my family, and my two aunts and a few cousins. I had a really fun and relaxing time.

We of course had to attend the annual Hancock 4th of July parade, which seems to be expanding - they even had a high school marching band this year (there were only about 20 and they didn't have uniforms, but they still sounded good)! There was also a car show in the single gas station parking lot in the town, and so if you had an old car or a truck or some defining feature you could also drive your car (or sometimes tractor) through the parade.

That night there is also a street dance, held on the street (surprise!) and in the fire house. They had the same band since last year, but I must say that they played more of a variety of music this year. Last year they played 85% Johnny Cash covers. Kyle and I also gambled on a wooden wheel with numbers, where you can put a quarter or up to a dollar on numbers (or the cherry or star). We lost about $5 but it kept us going for awhile.

Other activities while up at the lake were: tubing, jet-skiing, lounging, playing Wii, reading, boat rides, a LONG canoe trip on the Crystal River in fiberglass boats from the 1950s, picking asparagus (see below -- one of my favorite activities -- it's like a scavenger hunt but you get to eat the prizes in soup), picking strawberries, bowling, eating, playing mini-golf (in the front yard on our homemade course), going to garage sales, going to antique stores, playing Rock Band, working on a puzzle, watching Season 1 of Lost, and talking walks.

I also picked up my dog, Rufus, in Beloit and he had a great time at the cottage. For a city dog, he really found his country/wilderness side. Here he is on his first ever boat ride.

And here is a group photo at the bowling alley with our Pinecrest reunion shirts. I drew and designed the shirts. Since it's pretty far away to actually see the design, I'll add the design below.

I hope you're all enjoying the summer!

Baseball Ups and Downs

2008-07-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

Well, so much for Jake's season. His team lost both games and are done for the year. Jake did at least get two hits today and made a couple of nice plays at first base.
The Tigers, however, did win today, which puts them back at .500 for the season. Verlander looked excellent! Hopefully the rest of the season after the All-Star break will be a much-needed improvement over the first half.

Love to all,
Deb

Nice contributions!

2008-07-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Paula & Larry, Dawn & Heather,Angela, Deb, Amanda and Diane & George for their recent posts. I'm sure we'd all agree that we miss each other and it's nice to feel like we're a little more in tune with what's going on with everyone. The pictures are great & help us feel like we're a little closer to each other. For example, Jal is now a boat driver, Dawn is now a camper and Brian & Patrick are now bocci ball players. :-)
With our new additions coming, we may not be able to hold them in our arms but seeing pictures would be great! Let's keep it up so as Diane & George told me, I can stay off your backs now. Evidently, Lindsay is the good cop & I'm the bad cop so let's all keep in touch to prevent further scoldings! :-)
Hope all the soon-to-be-mothers are doing well. Amanda looks great, but I'm not going back over there until her belly is as big as mine, so remember girl, you're eating for two. Or, as Brian said, I could just wear looser fitting shirts.
I missed my calling as a film critic, as I've been watching lots of movies lately (3 I borrowed from Amanda) & my couple a month from NetFlix...The Usual Suspects (one of my top ten) was on TV the other night. A suggestion for anyone that wants a great movie that will make you laugh, make you cry & is very touching w/ excellent acting is I Am Sam w/ Sean Penn and Dakota Fanning and an all-Beatles soundtrack. I have also read 4 books in the last two weeks, a couple of mysteries & an interesting autobiography by George Tenet, the former head of the CIA...Paula, I bet you'd like it.
Lindsay has been at the cottage in Wis so I'll let her tell us how it was but they are having a great time. She stays so busy, I know it's nice when her toughest decision of the day is whether to go jet-skiing or tubing. I was disappointed to hear that Hancock went from a one stoplight town to a stop sign. What is happening to our big cities?
Anyway, hope you all are doing well & love you all!
Patrick

Smokin' Hot Summer

2008-07-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hello from Northern Cali! Thanks for all the posts family. I feel warm and fuzzy and so much closer to you all already. It is fun to read about all the goings-on and see all the pictures.

Mid-summer in Sacramento and it's hot and it's smoky. Wildfires throughout the state have had our valley hazy with smoke for weeks. Today was especially bad - much like being in a think fog only worse for your health. The result is the children have to stay inside all day. The boys field trip tomorrow to the wildlife preserve was canceled and replaced with a trip to the Sky High Trampoline Center (I don't think the boys mind this smoke stuff all that much). We decided to try to escape the city and head to Lake Tahoe last weekend - still smoky up there and the lake was choppy and cold, but we still had a great time.

Speaking of the lake, our tween Jal is now a legal boat driver. He and Larry took a class at the Sac State Aquatic Center and Jal passed the boating and waterways test. We celebrated by giving him his own key and floating keychain and taking him to the lake to drive us around.

Quillan used the opportunity at the lake to show off his wakeboarding skills. He's quite a ham and enjoyed letting go of the handle to wave at all of us. Tawny is a little fish. She loves to jump into the lake. She really surprised us this summer, since she hadn't been in a pool since last year at Nana and Papa's house, by fearlessly jumping into our friends pool as soon as we had her swim gear on. And on the subject of gear, the picture of her was taken as we were taking off her cover up. The life jacket went right back on!

Other than our fun outings and time spent with friends it's just the usual routine around here. Busy, busy. We need to catch the moments we can to just relax. Speaking of which..."So You Think You Can Dance" is on and Larry and I have to discuss who to vote for (we don't actually vote, but our opinions matter a lot to us). Talk to y'all again soon!

Love, Paula and Co.

Finals are almost over!

2008-07-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well, The most exciting adventures I have had lately is working at the Behavioral Health unit, or the Mental Health unit, at the hospital here, for school. I figured out the theme of my existence there when talking to patients: don't look scared and don't look shocked (I repeated it over and over in my head). One guy talking about trying to kill two guys and he was actually excited, telling me about how they screamed. Scary! Then a lady who, on interview, admitted she hears voices and they tell her to do bad things. My next question was, when do you hear them. She tilted her head and paused and responded, I am hearing them right now. (In my head I was thinking, please don't let them be telling you to kill me, and, maybe I could run really fast) but I responded with, and what are these voices telling you? They were telling her exactly how to kill herself, so I moved from being terrified, to being sad.
Now with the classroom! I still have one final left but I'm already at an 89% so I'll be good. I have an A in my other class but my Advanced Med-surg is the most exciting news. That class is so hard. The tests, even our clinical instructor at the hospital could not answer the questions, and if you get a 75% which is the minimum to pass, you are thrilled. In fact, if you get a 60% you are pretty excited. Everybody needed to do well on the final to pass the class. And the next day, after a final from another class, we all waited in a room for our number to come up, to go to his office and see if we had passed. 5 people did not pass and have to repeat the semester, which is really sad because we have all become so close. We usually lose one or two but five is a lot. I however, passed with a B and really, for this class, I would have been elated if I passed with a 75%, so when he said, "B" I was happy enough that I forgot to even ask him what I got on the final, so I don't even know my exact grade. I'll ask next time I see him just out of curiosity.

Okay, last thing. I am so excited about having 2 sisters pregnant at the same time! I know Cheryl already posted the name, and Ashley's baby will be Sophia Giselle (not sure how they are spelling them but I think I have it right). So I will have 7 nieces and nephews. Crazy! But very cool.
Love you guys, Ang.

Camping in Christopher Creek

2008-07-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

FINALLY, we are joining in the Sarasota Grapevine!

I thought we should start with pictures of our latest adventure.

Of course, it's always about the doggies. Most of you have met Maggie and Chauncey so you have a little idea of their personalities. Maggie is the adventurer and Chauncey plays it safe as you will be able to tell from the pictures.

We just got back from camping in Christopher Creek (yes, I now am a "camper") where the temps are about 30 degrees cooler than Phoenix. If you have experienced the 110's then you realize the "need" to get away.

Christopher Creek is located just east of Payson so it's less than a 2 hour drive from Phoenix. The campground has a creek that runs right through it. The creek has a few deeper spots, swimming holes, which Maggie believes were made just for her - oh, life as a dog...

We hiked for a long time each day in order to wear out the dogs. First day around Woods Canyon Lake. Second day along Horton Creek. Third day up a very steep hill next to the campground, but when we couldn't figure out where the trail went we came back down to the creek.

Since this was the 3rd day of camping (without showers), Heather decided to rinse her hair. Unfortunately, Maggie's bath was less effective because she got out of the water and rolled in the first dirt pile she could find. Nothing like the smell of wet dogs!

Unfortunately, we are now back in Phoenix and are hibernating in the comfort of our home. The doggies have been sleeping since we arrived home. We aren't sure if they are still tired from the hikes, or if they just don't want to deal with the extreme heat. Back to life in the 110's. Oh well, better than having to deal with snow...

Hope everyone is doing wonderful and having adventures of their own.
Till our next adventure...
Dawn and Heather (and Maggie and Chauncey)

2008-07-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

My Boys of Summer

Trevor and Jacob both played baseball and have finished their regular seasons. Trevor played on a farm league and was really getting some good hits by the end of the season. Jacob played on minors and was one of the best hitters for the second half of the season, also pitching for his team. He earned a spot on the All-Stars team and has playoff games on July 12th and 13th.

Our daily lives seem so uneventful that I don't really know what to write. Randy is back to work at a different plant. He is now at a Mopar plant, still with Chrysler, and on days. So that is good news. He has also been exercising to get back to good health and has lost over 45 pounds! Now I need to get motivated! I am still at Target part-time. Over 15 years now; it's hard to believe. Kristen just graduated high school and is planning on Henry Ford in the fall. She thinks she would like to be a teacher. This summer she is working at the YMCA camp near Jackson.

All is well with our branch of the Trapnell family tree. Hope all is well with you.

Deb

Week End with the FAMILY

2008-07-05T09:36:00.001-07:00

Bocce, beer, brats, buns, Barb, Bob, Brian, bright sunshine, beautiful backyard day.

(Amanda, Pat, Diane, and George were there, too.)

Maybe I can meet Ellen Page

2008-07-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

Pretty Cool! Michigan passed legislation giving a tax rebate to companies that film in Michigan. So, in addition to the movie below, Clint Eastwood is filming a movie here as well as a director named Miguel Arteta who Lindsay met out in LA & even went to lunch with him. Anything to help the MI economy is a good thing!
Patrick
p.s. If anyone has not seen Juno yet (speaking of Ellen Page), rent it. It's one of my top ten of all time.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Barrymore rolls into town for new film
Tom Long / Detroit News Film Critic
One of Charlie's Angels is coming to Michigan. And she's bringing Juno with her.
Actress Drew Barrymore is set to begin shooting the roller derby film "Whip It," starring Ellen Page, in southeast Michigan later this month. Barrymore is both appearing in and directing the film, in which Page plays a rebellious daughter who becomes a roller-skating dervish.
Barrymore's production company, Flower Films, has established an office in the town of Saline, just outside Ann Arbor. Shooting in Washtenaw County and Metro Detroit will begin July 28, according to producer Chris Miller, and shooting will last for about seven weeks. The producers expect to hire some 3,000 local extras and stand-ins during that time.
Page, 21, was nominated for a best actress Oscar for her role as a wisecracking pregnant teen in last year's "Juno." Also starring in "Whip It" will be Juliette Lewis ("Natural Born Killers"), Marcia Gay Harden ("Mystic River") and Kristen Wiig ("Saturday Night Live").
"Whip It" may be the most high-profile film yet to take advantage of the recently passed legislation that offers filmmakers a 40-percent film tax rebate to shoot in Michigan.
Clint Eastwood has opened a film office in Troy in advance of shooting his latest film, "Gran Torino," the story of a Korean War vet and a Hmong teenager, in Michigan. And director Miguel Arteta's "Youth in Revolt" -- a teen-angst flick starring Page's "Juno" co-star Michael Cera, Justin Long, Fred Willard and Ray Liotta -- is currently shooting in locations around the state.
All of which show Michigan's film industry is picking up momentum, according to Janet Lockwood of the state's film office.
"The ball is rolling. It is definitely rolling, and it's a pretty big ball, too," Lockwood says.
I WAS GOING TO APPLY TO THE AD BELOW (for the movie) UNTIL I SAW THE AGE. :-)
Extra, extra
The Birmingham-based talent company Real Style is looking for some 3,000 extras age 18-40 to appear in "Whip It." "We're looking for people who are expressive, eccentric and creative, anything from a punk rocker to a biker and everything in between," says Kathy Remski of Real Style.

All, let's use this site more!!!

2008-07-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Family!
Carol & I were talking & we're really hoping to increase the use of "The Sarasota Grapevine". If you're like me, we think about family a lot & wonder how everyone is doing & what they're up to. There is no better way for the whole family to keep in touch & stay aware of any "family news". Even if you go on just to say hello, that's fine. You can also post pictures, comment on anyone else's post or just say here is something we recently did. For example, Lindsay & I talk quite a bit but even if we didn't, I always know what's going on with her because I go on her blog every week. Once you get used to logging on once a week, again, it will help us all stay in touch. So, let's all go Sarasota Grapevining!!!
Thanks, Patrick

My Illinois Trip

2008-06-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time the weekend of Cheryl's baby shower. It was such a great opportunity to visit with so many people I hadn't seen in a long time. Thank you Nancy and Ray for your hospitality! Also, it worked out perfect that Katie moved into her apartment that weekend. I loved being able to see her new place (thank you Cheryl and Larry!) and all of us having a "Fun-Filled Afternoon"!

Red Wings

2008-06-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

How 'bout those Red Wings! What a great Stanley Cup Playoffs & the Cup is back in it's rightful home. It was fun seeing all the celebrations, on the ice, in the locker room and the parade yesterday w/ a million people there. After the Pistons let us down, the Wings came through & what a great team w/ Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Osgood, Holmstrom, Franzen, etc. Evidently, they put a small dent in the Cup at Cheli's Chili Bar last night but I'm sure it's been through worse. The only downer is now all we have to cheer for is our Tigers who unless they turn it around quickly, are going nowhere. Anyway, thank you Red Wings for a great season!!!

The Cup is back in Hockeytown!

2008-06-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

News from Dearborn

2008-05-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken so long for me to post this, but along with the rest of the newlyweds, Amanda is also pregnant! :-)
Everything is going well, the baby is developing normally, and the due date is October 12. (Looks like I'll miss Hunt Camp this year, but I'd say it's a very good reason!)
We went for the ultrasound last week, and got to see the hands and feet (and spine!), along with hearing the heartbeat (very exciting!) but we are NOT going to find out whether it's a boy or a girl at this time. We're excited enough for the moment, we want to save a little more excitement for the end!!! :-)
Hope everyone is doing well, and I hope that Cheryl and Ashley are also holding up OK!!
- Brian

Congrats to Katie!

2008-05-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Since there is rarely anything exciting going on with me, I'll post any family news I'm aware of although I did post a comment about the Derby (so much fun!). Anyway, below is info on Katie's advertising team that placed in the top 5 in a national competition. Congrats Katie!!!
Patrick
WMU Home > WMU News >

Advertising team again among top five in national contest
May 9, 2008
KALAMAZOO--A team of Western Michigan University marketing students placed in the top five in a recent national competition.
The team of five students, all of them majors in the WMU Advertising and Promotion Program, competed in the EdVenture Partners Department of Defense National Case Study Competition against 25 teams from universities across the nation. WMU has participated in EdVenture competitions for the past four years, placing in the top 10, nationally, each year.
The WMU contingent was composed of recent WMU graduates Kathleen Brinnehl of Benton Harbor, Mich., Amy Cathcart of Troy, Mich., Bridget Jancarz of Vicksburg, Mich., Kathryn Rzpecki of Northville, Mich. and Danielle Thayer of Battle Creek, Mich.
In an EdVenture Partners National Case Study, small teams of students within a class are challenged to consider and answer a number of analytical questions regarding a client's brand positioning, a communication strategy or any other current strategic situation as identified by the sponsoring client. The WMU team, "Halyn Group," developed an integrated campaign for the Department of Defense. The goal was to recruit college-aged men and woman who speak a foreign language fluently and have specific skill sets, such as engineering, medicine or math/science, for more than 700 civilian roles within the agency. They used a variety of consumer touch points and carried the tagline "The Difference of Distinction."
Dr. JoAnn Atkin, WMU assistant professor of marketing and the team's advisor, uses the competition as the capstone project for advertising and promotion majors in the class Marketing 4810: Integrated Marketing Communications Campaigns. The students won the "right" to represent WMU in the competition by beating out three other student teams also taking the class.
"The competition this year was much more challenging than in previous years," says Atkin, "but, the process of developing a campaign from start to finish hasn't changed. I'm very proud of what the students accomplished this year. The team's hard work was rewarded with another WMU top-five placement."
Established in the mid-1960s, WMU's Advertising and Promotion Program is part of the Haworth College of Business' Department of Marketing. Roughly 300 students major in the area.
Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu
WMU NewsOffice of University RelationsWestern Michigan University1903 W Michigan AveKalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA(269) 387-8400www.wmich.edu/wmu/news

A few pictures from DERBY DAY

2008-05-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

If you look closely in the background .... HORSES

Our motley CREW

Hard to read ... INFIELD and OTTA MY MIND

DERBY 2008

2008-05-03T05:16:00.001-07:00

First comes the HATS

Then the beauty QUEENS

More HATS

Then to the INFIELD

Then comes the RAIN

and talking to ????? (barb)

Hey it only LOOKS dry

and this is only OAKS

NEXT WE DO DERBY

Katie's First Blog!

2008-04-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!!

Sorry I have been such a slacker with this blog! I have been checking in and reading up on all of the "Trapnell Happenings,"but keep forgetting to update you all on my life as well. It's so exciting to hear about all the baby updates and the tidbits everyone has been sharing, this was really a great idea!

With skating winding down at the end of March and school now officially over, I can finally take a second to breathe! As I write this my parents and Aunt Carol are on their way to Kalamazoo to watch me walk in graduation tomorrow. I am very excited, especially because Aunt Carol made the trip to visit me!

It has been a busy last couple of months. My team (and of course my Mom and Dad) travelled to Providence, Rhode Island for Nationals in March. It was a fun trip, but also very emotional because it was my 10th and last skate at Nationals! Also, I have been involved with a national case study competition for my last advertising course. Our task was to create a college recruiting campaign for civilian jobs at the Department of Defense. We submitted our case materials about a month ago, and just received the news that my group made it to the second round of judging! The second round includes the top 5 groups and is being judged to choose the top 3. The top 3 groups will travel to the Pentagon at the beginning of May to present their campaign to the DoD marketing executives! We are very excited to have made it to the top 5 and are hoping we make it to the next round.

I'm not quite sure yet what I am going to do after graduation, but have been applying to jobs in Media Planning in Chicago. I have been talking to a few recruiters who have expressed interest in hiring me around June or July so I am planning (I hope!) on moving to Chicago sometime this summer. In the meantime I am enjoying a break from being busy. Next week I am heading down to Louisville to finally go to Derby!! It should be a good time.

Well, there's a little update about what's going on with me, I'm so happy to hear everyone is doing so well and keeping busy as always. I think we need to get working on our next family reunion!

Love and miss you all,
Katie

Update on Nancy's Surgery

2008-04-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's surgery went well!!! The doctors even had her walking around today. She said the apprehension of putting weight on her hip was worse than the actual act of putting weight on it. She sounds great. She is scheduled be released from the hospital on Saturday. Everything seems to be going as planned. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

I finally watched it!

2008-04-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

Well, I finally watched Juno last night with my mom and Aunt Carol. I loved it! Even aside from the story line, I loved the way it was made. I told them during one song, "That will be the next most popular wedding song!" Not really but I thought it was cool. It was the song that says, All I want is you, you to be my bride; then the singer refers to himself and his bride as all kinds of things like, if you were the floor, I'd be a rug, or maybe the other way but I thought, ahhh!!!! how romantic. Anyways, definately a great movie.
I have been doing almost nothing besides studying so it was a good break.
Saturday I am going to a silent siege down at the capitol (of Arizona) building. It should be really cool! We are silently praying for the end of abortion and we put red duct tape on our mouths that says life across it, to symbolize the little ones, and probably the mom's who get caught up in it. I like these things so much especially because I feel they are done with God's heart in mind. We are not shouting at people, or arguing with those who disagree, we are just taking a stand for what we believe is right, and silently praying that things change.
And....to my eldest sister and her tummy. my little, little nephew, I can't wait to squeeze your little cheeks and kiss your head (well, I guess its not for my sis, but for the baby). But I'll kiss your head if you want. :)

Picture of tiger in Lindsay's article

2008-04-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Let's see how observant you are. Who noticed in the picture of the tiger that she only has 3 legs? If you noticed, you're more observant than me. :-) Yay Cheryl, we need more boys in the extended family as we are outnumbered by all of you girls. Glad to hear all is well. Congrats to Lindsay for the "distinguished artist" award & the grant...I've always thought you were a distinguished artist even before you got the award!
Hey Ray, I feel like having a Dominos pizza...what would the delivery charge be from one of your stores? I can hear the delivery guy...Road Trip!
Carol, looking forward to your visit & our trip to the Derby w/ Brian & Amanda...hope Diane & George are ready for the onslaught of visitors. Brian & Amanda: remind me to tell you my joke about the field trip to the racetrack.
Red Wings are thru the 1st round hopefully on their way to another Stanley Cup. Go Pistons & Go Wings.
Just rented Waiting for Guffman (Amanda & Lindsay had recommended it), very funny! For those of you who haven't seen it or Best in Show, rent one or both as they are hilarious! It has been in the 70's for several days in a row...pretty good for MI.
Till later, Patrick

Matt Made It onto YouTube

2008-04-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Matthew was part of Lip Sync show at his high school. He is a big wrestling fan and proved it here. He is the "really strong one" according to his 4 year old sister. She was so impressed with his talent. He did really great, but check it out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAf92o9w07M

It's A Boy!!!

2008-04-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Well... we went for the big 20 week ultra sound today and it's a boy! This will be 2 of each for Larry. He and Matthew are very excited because they will no longer be outnumbered. We have not yet thought of a boy name but are working our brain cells. Luckily we have a few months to come up with this. I had a girl name, Sophie Kay, but it is impossible to make masculine. I am due September 8th. The baby is about 8 inches long and everything looks good. It was really great to see him moving around. I look forward to feeling it. Overall my health has been good. My mom's hip replacement is this Wednesday, so please pray that all goes well. She is really important to a whole lot of people.

Good news!

2008-04-21T17:14:00.001-07:00

This morning I found out that I got a grant from the Nebraska Arts Council. I received the "Distinguished Artist Award" and will be receiving $5,000. That was a great way to start a Monday morning. I wish that happened every week!

It's not officially announced yet, but they said they will putting out a press release I think sometime this week. I can't remember the exact details, as I was still in shock from the news. I'll post with any new updates, but I wanted to share the good news.

I think I am going to put a portion of the money towards a short film that I want to make here in Omaha this summer. Now I just have to finish writing it and start planning!

The Jackson Browne Concert

2008-04-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let you all know what a great time I had at the concert. It was even better than I anticipated! I was very pleased that Fred and Angela seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. Hey, Fred even got a round of applause when he carried in the two bags of can goods to the food drive for a local soup kitchen which were from the three of us! When I read a review after, it said that he only did a handful of hit songs but concentrated more on a variety of songs which showcased his songwriting career. I thought wow I guess he did just do only a few big ones but being familiar with his other songs I enjoyed them just as much! He also included some great anecdotes in between the songs! He will definitely continue to be my favorite!

Hello from Chicagoland

2008-04-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hi to All,
Well the weather is finally turning as well as the grass to green and trees to blooms, the smell of spring is great in the midwest. I just wanted to say hi and remind everyone that I am hosting a baby shower for Cheryl here in IL on June 14th. I was excited to hear the the Phoenix group plan on coming and that Barb and Katie may also come. Diane and George will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary that weekend. That was about the time I met the Trapnell family, hard to believe it has been that long. My mom is doing well, she will be 89 in May. Still busy all the time and working 2 days a week for Ray. My sister Carol is making jewelry, beautiful stuff. Check it out on http://beadinforkichs.etsy.com. Hope to hear more from you all on the blog.

Love you guys,
Nancy

Article

2008-04-19T10:49:00.001-07:00

I had an article published in this week's Omaha Reader, on the Omaha Zoo's conservation efforts. You can read it here.

Edit/Addition: I scanned the pages below (the first page is unreadable, as it was too big for the scanner, but you can read it here).

Family Reunions

2008-04-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

I like Nancy's idea of family reunions every other year. Look at how much fun we had at Bian & Amanda's and Ashley & Will's weddings & unless there is a wedding in the next couple of years, we may not all get together. We could have alternating "reunion chairmen" to set up the logistics and we could have them in several different parts of the country. Something to think about! Let's start in the summer of '10, what does everyone think?
Patrick

Music video

2008-04-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a music video I recently directed (and shot and produced) for a band called Thunder Power!!! from Omaha. Some of you have seen it, some haven't...but this blog is a great way to share stuff like this with the whole family. It was made on no budget, but it was a lot of fun and I like the band a lot. We shot it over 2 half days in Omaha. The day we shot outside was freezing!

"Why Don't You Go Take a Hike" Thunder Power!!! from Lindsay Trapnell on Vimeo.

Blog Name

2008-04-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

One more thing...re: the name "Sarasota Grapevine", we wanted something in memory of Mom & Dad so Linds & I came up with that. So, if you have any issues with the name, you can take it up with her. Gotcha back Linds. :-)

Hello from "Detroitland"

2008-04-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd better contribute from us Michiganders & I do think this is a great idea! I'm not computer illiterate but far from an expert so when I signed up, some of you may have noticed, not only did I sign up, I unintentionally created my own blog. :-) I'm sure it would have been extremely interesting (NOT) but Lindsay helped me delete it. Since I don't have a lot to add right now, I thought I would let you know that I am pregnant as well...hey, it can happen, anyone see that transgender guy on Oprah & in People. On second thought, maybe I'm just getting a potbelly...more sit-ups are on my agenda. It has been in the 60's the last few days so take that you Arizonians & Californians. Cheryl: Lindsay & I were also upset when UCLA lost as we both had them winning it all. The "Family Brackets" were a lot of fun & pretty cool that Jamie Poljanac won as that was the 1st time she has filled out the brackets. The final game was one of the best ever, what a comeback by Kansas! The Tigers, who are supposed to be one of the best teams in baseball (Sports Illus picked them to win the World Series) are starting off great...0-7. Oh well, fortunately it's a long season. Hope everyone gets involved with this blog & hope you all are doing well.
Pat

2008-04-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I think this is exciting. It will be like calling Grandma, and the Sarasota name is very appropriate. Well... over here in Phoenix, my mom is still recovering from her surgery and heart attack. If she doesn't go hiking soon I'm sure she is going to go mad. I am doing almost nothing besides school, study, more study and taking care of Allie; however, I just watched the movie August Rush and I loved it. Not so sure if the movie is plausible in the real world, but the underlying message was, I believe, true to a tee.
I applied to a couple hospitals to work as a nurse extern, so pray that I get a position, there are very few extern positions available.
Ashley is pregnant, I'm sure you all know, but I am so excited, within a month I will have two new editions, either nieces or nephews. Allie wants one of both so they can get married but Cheryl said no son of her's will marry into this family! I thought it was funny. sorry Allie.