Pulled pork and pastelitos

Friday was Star Wars day: May the 4th be with you (get it? -- ok, it is a geek thing). We left a bit early to pick up the pulled pork and rolls, then headed downtown to the Institute. In the car we ate one of the incredible rolls, and the smell of the meat (5 kg, or over 10 lbs) was wonderful in our small car. Once we got to the Institute, we put the delicious meat into ziploc bags in the fridge. Just after 3pm I put the meat into the big crock pot and started heating it, sending out a photo to the group enticing them to come for my "exceptional" dinner, cooked via my credit card. Gabriele messaged the group to ask if I was sure that it would be exceptional. I responded "yes, but doubters don't get any!" Whereupon his brother Claudio chimed in with "Anziano Whiting, I never doubted. I will eat Gabriele's portion!" After the meal that evening, I made Gabriele message out to the group how exceptional it was! 😀

 

Dee left for her doctor appointment before 2:30pm, taking a taxi alone because I had classes coming up. We held our final Seminary class for the semester. I asked the kids to share their favorite Book of Mormon scripture, and they gave some thoughtful explanations. Then we played Bingo. It was good to see how well they are able to identify the scriptures from rather obscure clues now. This class has been a lot of fun for me and for them, and I will miss these kids (and they will miss being together).

 

Dee writes: The taxi ride was wonderful, passing by the Circus Maximus and other gorgeous spots. It cost about 10 euro. Dr. Giorgini is American and very good at explaining what was going on. I am happy to report that I have no soft tissue damage, and only the crack, which is called an avulsion, in the fifth metatarsal. In Italy, the patient keeps the x-rays. Also, Italy only allows x-rays in buildings with lead linings, so I had to have it done at another facility. The insurance was surly about it. 
I also met a wonderful couple in the waiting room. She is a retired nurse and he's a violinist. They've lived in Italy for years, and graciously gave me some tips on medical care. Maria Teresa, the secretary, is also a knitter so we hit it off, too. 

On the way back, the taxi that picked me up STARTED at 9 euros on the meter, but I didn't let that ruin my enjoyment of the scenery.

Dee got back from the doctor by the time class was over, with fairly good news. She has to be off her foot almost entirely for over a month, then a new x-ray will determine what to do next. It takes a long time to heal, but mine is not painful. I will be a good patient and be non-weight bearing. She ordered a knee scooter so that she can stand up and get around, with the doctor's approval. The doctor liked the idea of the scooter but didn't think that they were available in Italy; Amazon to the rescue! It isn't cheap but will be well worth it and probably covered by the wonderful Aetna policy the church provides. Meanwhile she is fairly mobile in her office chair, which she calls her "chairiot". She let the mission president know that her prognosis is fairly positive, given the nature of the fracture, and he was pleased that we can continue to function, as are we.

Matteo sent his first email from the MTC in Provo. His flight from Rome to Amsterdam was delayed and he missed his connection to SLC there on Tuesday, but he finally arrived OK. He was made district leader for a group of 21 missionaries from all over the world going to English-speaking missions. He had one really great line about the food at the MTC: "there are two kinds of missionaries from Italy at the MTC: those who say that the cafeteria food is gross [fa schifo], and those who are lying." 😀

Our Institute class covered Moroni, chapters 1-7, with a lot of great topics for discussion. The group was smaller than in recent weeks, but I think that the huge activity from the night before had a lot to do with it. These kids usually have to travel an hour or more each way on public transit, and doing that two nights in a row is a lot to ask. As a result, we had a ton of food for everyone. In addition to the pulled pork sandwiches, Margie made Honduran pastelitos (fried corn flour turnovers with rice, potatoes, beef and cabbage, with a topping of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and cabbage and a couple of sauces) that we didn't have time for the previous night. It was truly a wonderful feast, with leftovers for once, and everyone was happily stuffed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

By the time the dishes were done, we got home about 10:30pm, late even by our standards. The kids all offered to help, but there is still always a lot of stuff for us to do, with a bit more of the load falling on me these days. However, I do enjoy taking care of my wife and telling her not to try to do as much, which is not easy for her!