On the way in to the Institute we stopped at the nearby Lidl market. At first we thought it would be a small load, but as often happens the cart was overflowing by the time we checked out. The car was completely stuffed, including bags we brought from home. When we arrived at the campus, we carried our first heavy load to the elevator. Right then a bunch of Rome 2 missionaries came down the stairs, having just completed their district council at the campus (with our approval). They kindly offered to help and carried everything up the stairs, eschewing the elevator which was too small anyway. Instead of two big loads, we were able to do it all in one trip.
During the afternoon I worked on my lessons. Dee started cooking the turkey right way. Her plan is to have it in a crock pot Friday evening to supplement the whole turkey.
The Benincosas came by for a while to help Rhenald with his resume for an assistant gardener position at the temple, which is now hiring to fill positions. It would be nice for Rhenald to have a regular job and income, which is difficult to come by here for any kid, much less a refugee. The Benincosas are doing awesome work helping people find jobs and are really enjoying their assignment. I am particularly impressed and touched by Sister Benincosa, who is so enthusiastic. She could be wistful, negative, overwhelmed, or in denial but instead she is all in.
Our Wednesday evening event was to send packages to missionaries serving all over the world from Rome. I went out to buy the small shipping boxes, but had no luck at the local stationery store or the post office. We desperately need an Office Depot here! Dee suggested padded envelopes, which may be how we go. The activity was supposed to start at 7pm, but nobody showed up for the first 45 minutes. Dee & I were thinking that it was a complete bust, when the intercom started ringing. Claudio, Linda, and Junior all showed up. We decided to punt until Friday and have kids write notes to the missionaries after class. Instead we played a card game called Exploding Kittens that Claudio had with him. It is always fun to talk and laugh while playing. I almost won the game, but instead Junior pulled it off at the last minute. Linda is going home Thursday to work for the holidays, having arranged to skip her last couple of weeks of school here. We won't see her until the end of January when the next semester begins. She has become quite attached to us, and as she was leaving she gave us a big hug.
I made some pie crusts for Sorella Balzotti. Linda was really interested in the magic of food processor pie crusts. She even did the steps herself. Fun!
I have been so very busy, and I'm worried about getting my parents' insurance updated during open enrollment, and Rich's too. In addition, there are reservations for the Temple open house and Christmas shopping. The California contingent is holding Christmas before Chiara comes to visit us.
I'm wearing a knee brace. At first, it fell down, but now it's terrific. My kneecap is very loose, so it helps with that as well.
When I went to the dentist on the bus, I was more attentive. Google didn't have the stops written correctly. That's why I missed the stop that day with the huge rainstorm and flooded streets.
I also had an MRI of that knee. The clinic was large and beautiful. They asked me if I spoke Italian and when I said I did, they nevr tried again to speak to me in English. I was there for 2.5 hours in all, half of it waiting for them to give me the results. The patient gets all the films and paperwork, so I had to wait. Now, Italy has rampant privacy laws, so imagine my surprise when the doctor discussed my results in the waiting room instead of his office! Privacy is a big thing. In fact, names and addresses disappear in front of your eyes from a computer screen.
Dr. Giorgini wanted to know my 2016 MRI results, which I had in Evernote. It is a lifesaving app.