An Austen Summer

I will enjoy August, as I will be working the dayshift and can resume taking the Metrolink to work. That means it is time to re-read a Jane Austen book, haven’t decided which yet. I just finished a version of The Watsons an unfinished fragment, titled: The Watsons and Emma Watson: Jane Austen's Unfinished Novel Completed by Joan Aiken. I thought it, not very good. Once you completed Austen’s words, the rest is more like a melodrama, and not very satisfying. I have tossed it in the goodwill box. Some of the sequels, can be a fun read, if you have a good author, but, most end up a puffed up romance novel, not at all like Jane Austen. I picked up The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy, by Maya Stater, and it is a dark, sometimes amusing view of Mr. Darcy’s side of the story. It reads well because it is not trying to be an Austen novel. It is written as diary entries and looks at Regency Era hypocrisy, from an upper class point of view. It also looks at the evolution of Fitzwilliam Darcy from prideful aristocrat to a painfully introspective suitor. It parallels the Pride and Prejudice story line with only little interaction with the Bennett sisters of Meryton, and many connections with the Bingleys, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and even Lord Byron. This is much more satisfying than some of the continuations of the P & P story.

Up-Side-Down

We had a wonderful weekend with Лука. When we picked him and his mom and dad up at the airport he was quietly sitting in his car seat looking around. He spotted Gramma and Grandpa and a big smile came on his face. Thank goodness he still remembered us! Of course he did, but in the back of your mind you think since the time seemed so long for us, he must have had such adventure as to forget the everydayness of Southern California. He had a rather up-side-down weekend getting over the time difference from Serbia. Saturday morning at 3:00 am he apparently was looking for Gramma down the hallway. Ah yes, he remembers me! But my time is not up-side- down, and gratefully his folks let us sleep, for they knew that we would have charge of him during his up-side-down daylight hours, so they could sleep. We spoke to DD1 last night and he almost slept thru the night, woke at 3:00 am, took a drink of mieko, (did I mention he was bilingual?) and slept till 8:00am. Things should get back to normal and harmony restored.

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN!

Well I arrived (finally) Saturday at about 3pm.  Mr Bankerchick was glad to see me.  My flight out of Roanoke was at 6:24 AM, and when I got to the airport, the flight was cancelled.  After waiting my turn I was rescheduled for 10AM and got on a tiny little airplane to Chicago.  I  had to run (walk very fast) for my connection for LAX.  I do not like to travel by air. It was a long day and I was tired.  Totes and Gwinnie were glad to see me, all jazz hands and wiggling bunnie butt.  I have worked for 2 days and now I have the rest of the week off.  WooHoo!

Thursday we are going to pick up Лука, DD1 and SIL at LAX on their return from Serbia, and head up to spend a few days in SB.  Hopefully, we can be of some help as they recover from jet lag.  I will be glad to see my Darling Grandson.  I am looking forward to big hugs and cuddles, once he is able to relax at home.  That is a really long flight for a very little boy.

A trip to Mayberry

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
I spent my last weekend in Virginia driving south on the BlueRidge Parkway to Roanoke and Mt Airy, NC. The picture above is Pilot Mountain (Mt Pilot) It was a beautiful drive and I hope to bring Mr Bankerchick back for some real touring and camping.  Mt Airy, NC is a lovely small town, the birth place of Andy Griffith, and setting for the fictitious Mayberry.  It has a small museum dedicated to Andy with memorabilia from his career.  I also went to the Market Square in Roanoke, a large market and craft center every weekend.  Had lunch in a smart restaurant 202 Market and had Paella for lunch, the chef was making it right at the street in a HUGE skillet and it was delish, all for $10.00. 

Missed the moving earth!

I am still in Virginia and missed the earthquake at home, it was located in the Imperial Valley, but was felt in many areas of Southern California, and didn't do too much damage. We hear the big one is coming, however, the media seems to be the ones who make the biggest fuss when we get something over 4. We then hear about earthquake WATCH and hear testimonies from all over about how much they were shook up. I am glad I missed that. Now when it happens on the east coastlike last month, that is more interesting !

Photo by:
http://www.woodrowwilson.org/visit
I had a great weekend, I visited Woodrow Wilson's birthplace in Staunton, Va on Saturday. I took the house tour and it was very interesting. He was born in 1858 and elected President in 1912.  I have always thought from a historical perspective he was an admirable person. Certainly, a progressive 20th Century man.
photos from Wikipedia
I would like to share my own photos, but can't seem to download them.

Three Day Weekend!

Well, week Two is almost over and I am ready to do my Friday Happy Dance.  I am half done with the month of training, and another 2 weeks seems daunting.  I miss Mr Bankerchick and the pups.  I had the opportunity to fly home this weekend, however, the flight here was long and tiring and I am not sure it would be worth the wear and tear to go home to California for a 24 hour visit. So I am staying to spend the 4th in the land of our forefathers.  I have some plans for the weekend and have a lot of options for history and fireworks.

I just revamped the blog and lost all of my comments,,,,,oh well what can you do? I am not sure about the choice so I am going to live with it a while and see. I am thinking a cool dark background will show the pictures off better so it might be different next week. I don't want to lose my comments many more times

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Лука is off to Serbia

Darling Grandson was off to Serbia to see his Baba and Deda. Grandpa Bankerchick is jealous that now even his DG has gone to Europe. This is Лука first trip abroad and DD1 said he managed the flight very well.  Airplanes are his particular passion and he could barely be constrained during the security part of the trip.  His mommy is not sure he really understood he was actually in an airplane, but the picture clearly indicated he was delighted to have a Grand Adventure,  I had a surprise Skype visit with him on Sunday and he was clearly not jet lagged.  His grandparents have some of SIL's toys saved and he was playing with his autos.  He is going to be bi-lingual as Dad speaks to him in Serbian and English. He seems to pick the word that is easiest to pronounce, so we are all learning a bit of Serbian.  My guess after a month with his Baba and Deda,(Serbian grandparents) he will be speaking a little more Serbian when he gits back, more for me to learn.  Baba and Deda spend the winters in Santa Barbara and he has not seen them since March, so he will have a great time.

What a cute boy!

This is our newest puppy,  He is called Totum, Totes for short.  he is a rescue dog from the Riverside Humane Society.  He was named by the Humane Society because he looks like a Totum Pole when he sits  up tall on his butt.  He is a Jacauawa, part Jack Russell and part Chiuauaua and he is a loving little dog and gets along with Gwennie.  We had rescued a little pup  (with our corgi above) that Mr BC found, and right after we took  him to the vet for shots he disappeared.  I think he was a runner, because he managed to get out of the gated front Patio, and we were unable to find him.  Hopefully he went home or someone else found him.  We missed him so much... that when it was clear we weren't going to find him...we decided to rescue ,, and fix the get away spot on the Patio.  Gwen and Totes get along really well and Totes is too attached to go running,  He knows a good home when he sees it.  We have had him over a year now and he is always attached to Mr BC, DD2, or me.

Beautiful Virginia

They say...Virginia is for Lovers...I wouldn't know as I am here alone, on business. I am doing some training for a month so I have my weekends available to poke around the area. This weekend I went to Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. I hope to add my pictures soon, however visit the website to learn more. This is a great place to visit if you are interested in history, architecture or archeology, a lot of each going on at this site. I like that they are still working on the house and you can see a lot of Thomas Jefferson at his personal retreat. He used many of his ideas here and it was his personal Hermitage.