In the afternoon, I finished lesson prep for Luke 22-23 Friday and Saturday, as well as reviewing my temple prep class lesson for Sunday. I also made followup phone calls about some of the apartment issues we found Thursday, speaking with several people in the office. Hopefully some action will follow soon. Dee spent the afternoon making a wonderful apple pie for dessert (12 apples!), as well as preparing some cooked chicken to be frozen for future meals, as is her wont.
Overnight Dee's new SIM card from TIM kicked in, turning off her old Vodafone plan but keeping the old number. However, the 50GB didn't show up, so I called customer support. They said that it was active, but that it hadn't posted yet, so to check on Saturday. They also said that the plan costs 10€ per month, not 8€ as promised verbally; it is still a great deal, but the lesson learned is to get stuff in writing. I also deactivated one of the two SIM card plans we bought for Wes & Alyssa and will do the other one Saturday. All of the jargon for cell phone plans here is very different than in the US, so it is hard to even know what to say. I prefaced my request by saying that I was from the US, where things are very different, and I didn't know the exact phrase so please help me, but I wanted to "deactivate the number". The agent said, in effect, "I don't know what that means." I tried again to ask for them to try to help figure it out, since I had been told I could deactivate it so as not to pay for the months we are not using it. Finally they put somebody on who spoke English, but I explained that the problem was not language but terminology, since the system was so different. We continued talking in Italian, with me explaining in general terms what I wanted to do, and finally he said "oh, you want to deactivate the offer." Yep, that's it. Seems like, with the detailed preface I gave, they should have been able to make the leap from "number" to "offer", but nope. Well, the "offer" on the second number should be much easier to deactivate now. 😏
People started trickling in during the late afternoon. By 7pm, when class starts, there were quite a few young people. It is very unusual here for so many folks to be on time! The classroom was completely full, all seats taken. Our lesson went well, though I didn't get as much participation as usual. The last supper and trial/crucifixion of Christ can be a rather somber topic, so maybe I will try a different approach in Napoli on Saturday.
Sadly, it was the last time that Noelle and Ashley, our summer visitors from the US, would be at the Institute. They have been really wonderful and have enjoyed being here as much as we enjoyed having them. Noelle complimented us as we left, saying that this was the best Institute atmosphere she had ever experienced. We will really miss them.
I am helping Claudio figure out what components to buy for his new desktop computer build. After dinner we spent some time on the amazon.it app on his big iPhone looking at various options and discussing them. Personally, I like doing this kind of thing on a big screen, but this generation likes their phones for everything. Several of the kids left to go watch the partial lunar eclipse together, but most of them hung out after we left.
On the way home, we called the Rattos in Napoli and gave them details about our Institute class Saturday. They plan to attend, which should help with the eventual handoff of the class. We also brought some buns and a glass jar of Sloppy Joe meat home to the Balzottis, delivering it to their apartment and then visiting for a while. It was late, so we couldn't stay too long, but they are always a lot of fun.
Last Sunday, our Relief Society President asked me if I would be a Jolly. That usually means wild card, so I wasn't really getting the request. It turns out she wanted to know if I could help visit some of the sisters in their homes as a fill-in. It's tricky for me because we're at the Institute Monday through Friday and in Naples on Saturday, with no P-day or free evenings. We often have things on Sundays, too. But I would love to have this opportunity, and soon Naples will be over.
We've had some nice visiting time with our Ganziani, which is rare. They don't hang around the Institute, since they want to be out where they can meet people. They're really great guys. They each usually have twelve weeks, so it's not a surprise when one is transferred, but we love them and miss them.
I made a test batch of chicken curry with coconut milk rice from the recipe that Elder Papritz' mother sent me. I have never cooked with curry before. It was really delicious, and easy. I'll make it for Friday's farewell dinner.
I was sooo tired on Thursday that I could barely function. I took a nap in the car twice, and also fell asleep at the kitchen table. I'm so glad to be feeling better today.
Our dryer in La Costa doesn't heat, and I've been trying to decide whether to buy a new one or fix it. It's ten years old, so it's not out of the question to need a new one, and I will get a matching washer. But I would like to do it in person, which is eight months away. Poor Rich tumbles his clothes three times in the cool dryer trying to get them dry. Anyway, I talked to a sales person today in California and decided to go ahead and fix the old one. I hope this will make it last until I get home. There are too many variables. I don't want a front loader, but two short friends have ended up with washers that were too deep and now they have to use a stool to get the socks out of the bottom. Sheesh. Some of the new machines are bigger, and the vent in the back of the dryer is in a different position, which will make the dryer stick out further and interfere with the door to the garage. Definitely a first world problem, but I know I'll do better in person.
When we did the apartment inspection for the Roma 1 sisters, I told them that if the smoke detector won't stop, they can wrap it in a blanket and put it in the freezer. I made them laugh by warning them not to try that with a baby when they get home.
We're really enjoying the Italian vacation time of late July/August, because there are plenty of empty parking spaces around our apartment.