Wednesday morning I woke up after a decent sleep, but my sinuses are closing up. This cold just won't let go, and I still have very low energy. We went to a new (to us) Todis not far from home to get more buns, and it is really nice -- it even has parking! We got stuff for Thursday night's meal, and then filled up the car with gas -- my last time paying for that.
From there we went to Metro, more to show them the ropes (so they can show the Motts) than to buy much. It is a huge store, like Costco, requiring a membership to enter. They have high volume packaging, but not everything is a deal. However, they are the only place in town we can find certain things, such as cheddar cheese and sour cream. We also bought a bunch of hamburger to stock up the freezer, plus chicken to cook for Thursday night. We also picked up a couple of little blankets (throws) for the Millets. From there we drove downtown to the Institute, so the Balzottis know how to get there and then downtown.
When we arrived, the Balzottis sprang into action, filling three crock pots with chicken to cook. It was early enough that they would be able to bone and shred it and have it cool enough to put into the fridge overnight. Sorella Balzotti made the bacon for the crack chicken so that everything would be as ready as possible for Thursday. I helped them with a few computer things, including making a copy of Benvenuti al Sud to show to their family.
President Pickerd called to say that he had a ticket for me to attend the Monday afternoon temple dedication session in the temple. The opening session on Sunday is reserved for Italians in person there (which is right!), though we may go see it broadcast at the stake center. I spoke with Dee, who said that there were big challenges with her dad and the convalescent home -- not a surprise. She is trying to do all this while jet lagged.
I was really tired and took an hour nap on the couch. Then a bunch of kids showed up, including Mariasol, just home from her mission in Spain. It was good to see a bunch of them hanging out. By late afternoon, I was really feeling weak, with lots of pressure on my eardrums. Anziano Balzotti drove me home to rest, and Sister Millet said that I should go ahead and start a second round of antibiotics. Hopefully that will help. I did a little bit of shredding and scanning of papers that Dee had left for me, but I felt cruddy all evening and went to be pretty early.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Throwing out my dinner
Tuesday morning I climbed the stairs once at our apartment, for the first time in a while. I seem to be slightly feeling better each day, but the cold is still doggedly hanging on. In the morning I walked down to Conad to buy lettuce and tomatoes for tacos. The Balzottis had to go try to renew their permesso (silly, because they go home this month, but this is Italy), so they were out of the picture for taco prep. The Ganziani happily came in early, donned their aprons, and went to work chopping and grating. With their help, everything was ready on time.
Daniele flew to the US to enter the MTC in the morning for his two-year mission to Tempe, Arizona. His mom, Mariela, sent me photos from the airport. On the plane they had WiFi, so he was able to WhatsApp with the group, which was fun.
About the time that lunch was served, Dee let us know that she was boarding a nonstop flight from JFK to LAX, the first one out that morning on Delta. She had spent the night in the airport. They offered her a hotel, but she figured that she would have maybe 3 hours at the hotel before having to get up and return to the airport. The thought of packing and unpacking for that little rest didn't appeal, and I think she made a good choice. She said via WhatsApp en route that her flight was very empty, so that she got to lie down across a row and sleep on the way to LA. Didn't hear much else other than that she made it home safely, probably around noon there, and promptly went to work. That's my girl.
The group for tacos started a little small, but grew steadily. After lunch they had some really energetic group karaoke. The Balzottis are enjoying being around the kids.
After lunch, Ugo showed up and we had our student council meeting, with Maria Jose in via Zoom, and Joyce, Marlene, Ugo, Anziano Balzoitti, me and the Ganziani in person. They were planning for things to come that I would not participate in, which was a very strange feeling. It was good to see Anziano Balzotti chime in with his opinions at a few opportune spots. I am so grateful to them for taking over and passing the baton for us, particularly with me feeling so cruddy these days.
There was a big transit strike planned for Thursday, which wouldn't really affect us much. However, we learned that they moved it to Friday, which would cancel our two classes and final dinner! Because I missed the last two weeks, it would be a real bummer not to have a final meeting. So Ugo decided to move everything to Thursday night. We won't get quite as many kids, but it will be fun. That took a lot of arranging, since we had the meal prep scheduled out to take up the rest of the week. Fortunately, we figured out a way to get everything done, and we will shop Wednesday morning. Then we realized that the Balzottis have a conflict on Thursday night, so we scrambled a bit, with Ugo offering to do the whole dinner. At last we decided that we could make it work by prepping stuff ahead on Thursday afternoon. My head, which was already spinning from not feeling well, took a couple of extra twists with all this.
When I went to get my rice and vegetable bowl from the fridge for dinner, it wasn't there. I looked around, and it had been washed and put in the dish drainer. I asked Sorella Balzotti, who first said she didn't toss any dinner, but then she said "well, there was that bowl which had been around forever." Yep, I had made the same thing the week before, and she didn't realize this was new. We got a good chuckle out of it, and I scrounged up some other food.
Once Ugo's class started, we headed home quite early. We needed to get buns for Friday's dinner, and Todis closes at 9pm. I showed the Balzottis where the key items (e.g., our tortillas for Tuesdays come from there) are to be found there, though they didn't have enough buns for our needs. We will hit a different store in the morning. It was good to get home and to bed early with how I was feeling. I chatted very briefly with Dee before hitting the sack about 9:30pm. It is nice that she is there, but this is not a fun way to end our mission: separated, me sick, her overwhelmed. Next time around we will use a better system!
The group for tacos started a little small, but grew steadily. After lunch they had some really energetic group karaoke. The Balzottis are enjoying being around the kids.
There was a big transit strike planned for Thursday, which wouldn't really affect us much. However, we learned that they moved it to Friday, which would cancel our two classes and final dinner! Because I missed the last two weeks, it would be a real bummer not to have a final meeting. So Ugo decided to move everything to Thursday night. We won't get quite as many kids, but it will be fun. That took a lot of arranging, since we had the meal prep scheduled out to take up the rest of the week. Fortunately, we figured out a way to get everything done, and we will shop Wednesday morning. Then we realized that the Balzottis have a conflict on Thursday night, so we scrambled a bit, with Ugo offering to do the whole dinner. At last we decided that we could make it work by prepping stuff ahead on Thursday afternoon. My head, which was already spinning from not feeling well, took a couple of extra twists with all this.
When I went to get my rice and vegetable bowl from the fridge for dinner, it wasn't there. I looked around, and it had been washed and put in the dish drainer. I asked Sorella Balzotti, who first said she didn't toss any dinner, but then she said "well, there was that bowl which had been around forever." Yep, I had made the same thing the week before, and she didn't realize this was new. We got a good chuckle out of it, and I scrounged up some other food.
Once Ugo's class started, we headed home quite early. We needed to get buns for Friday's dinner, and Todis closes at 9pm. I showed the Balzottis where the key items (e.g., our tortillas for Tuesdays come from there) are to be found there, though they didn't have enough buns for our needs. We will hit a different store in the morning. It was good to get home and to bed early with how I was feeling. I chatted very briefly with Dee before hitting the sack about 9:30pm. It is nice that she is there, but this is not a fun way to end our mission: separated, me sick, her overwhelmed. Next time around we will use a better system!
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Dee marches forth (eventually)
On March 4th, 1977, Dee flew home her first mission. Her dad had printed up invitations to a welcome home gathering, saying "March forth on March 4th!" And so perhaps it was fitting that she flew home on Monday, the same date this year. She had been up almost all night, packing, discarding, etc. Getting little sleep the night before a transatlantic flight can be good in terms of overcoming jet lag, but this would be an unusual day of travel.
Already by 6am, her noon flight was announced with a three-hour delay. Delta re-booked her connection at JFK so she would get the last flight out that night to LAX. I slept pretty well for the first time in a long while, having used no cold meds. With the delay, I had time to walk down to Conad and get some food, since it would be tight getting to Institute on the back end. We still left plenty early, with Dee willing to wait a few hours extra at the airport to accommodate our schedule, and there was no traffic either way. With my horrible cold, Dee and I had not even so much as held hands the whole time she was back here -- she really didn't want to get what I had, and I don't blame her! But we gave each other a brief hug as she left.
We arranged with Paolo, our wonderful doorman, to meet him at his little office on the way out. Dee cried as she said goodbye to him. He has been such a gentleman and so helpful to us throughout our entire stay here, particularly during the time of her broken foot.
I got back home in plenty of time to make my dinner and gather bags of stuff to go to the Institute, for the first time for me in 11 days. Yahoo! On the way out to meet the Balzottis at the car, I did my final gas meter reading for the two apartments in our palazzo. Every day now has several "lasts". We got downtown in plenty of time, with Anziano Balzotti driving via the freeway route so that he could learn that. I was happy for him to drive because I still felt a bit woozy, with some light ringing in my ears.
The Balzottis now know the drill at the campus and were all over the daily setup steps. We planned the week a little bit, then did an inventory of stuff we would need to buy at Metro for our "training" run there on Wednesday, showing them how to get from there to the Institute and pointing out where all the critical food items are located in the massive store.
By early afternoon, Dee's flight had been delayed another few hours due to engine trouble, apparently installing a replacement part. So she would be at the airport for a long time. At one point they apparently then taxied out to the runway, but something wasn't right, so they pulled back into the gate. Her flight would eventually depart seven hours late, with her snoozing as she could in the airport. Having tech to communicate in these situations is a real boon, and she would end up with WhatsApp connectivity on the flight to New York, so we knew what was happening, though not how or if (unlikely) she would get home that day.
My final home evening lesson was fun, with a full crowd. Sorella Balzotti picked the quote from our book, doing a very fine job in Italian, thank you. My question of the week was for everyone to tell something really nice and helpful that someone had done for them once. There were some nice stories. I told about Dee's friends, right after our fire in 1996, bringing her back some mementos that she had gifted them from our trip to Russia. All her stuff had been destroyed, and they wanted her to have that memory, which was very touching for her. Anziano Rouse talked about when he was a kid, with his dad in grad school (i.e., poor), and someone anonymously gifted them a bunch of stuff to give the family a Christmas, which they wouldn't otherwise have had. They still don't know who did it. That fit right into my very brief lesson on the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6, where Jesus says to do thing without fanfare, letting God have the glory and not seeking it ourselves.
Sorella Balzotti had made chocolate-chip cookies, which were quickly devoured. I ended my lesson early so that we could go home. I was really feeling tired and weak by then, though I hated to skip the games and fun that were to ensue.
With the time zone change, I went to sleep quickly without knowing what would happen with Dee. Stay tuned.
Already by 6am, her noon flight was announced with a three-hour delay. Delta re-booked her connection at JFK so she would get the last flight out that night to LAX. I slept pretty well for the first time in a long while, having used no cold meds. With the delay, I had time to walk down to Conad and get some food, since it would be tight getting to Institute on the back end. We still left plenty early, with Dee willing to wait a few hours extra at the airport to accommodate our schedule, and there was no traffic either way. With my horrible cold, Dee and I had not even so much as held hands the whole time she was back here -- she really didn't want to get what I had, and I don't blame her! But we gave each other a brief hug as she left.
The Balzottis now know the drill at the campus and were all over the daily setup steps. We planned the week a little bit, then did an inventory of stuff we would need to buy at Metro for our "training" run there on Wednesday, showing them how to get from there to the Institute and pointing out where all the critical food items are located in the massive store.
By early afternoon, Dee's flight had been delayed another few hours due to engine trouble, apparently installing a replacement part. So she would be at the airport for a long time. At one point they apparently then taxied out to the runway, but something wasn't right, so they pulled back into the gate. Her flight would eventually depart seven hours late, with her snoozing as she could in the airport. Having tech to communicate in these situations is a real boon, and she would end up with WhatsApp connectivity on the flight to New York, so we knew what was happening, though not how or if (unlikely) she would get home that day.
My final home evening lesson was fun, with a full crowd. Sorella Balzotti picked the quote from our book, doing a very fine job in Italian, thank you. My question of the week was for everyone to tell something really nice and helpful that someone had done for them once. There were some nice stories. I told about Dee's friends, right after our fire in 1996, bringing her back some mementos that she had gifted them from our trip to Russia. All her stuff had been destroyed, and they wanted her to have that memory, which was very touching for her. Anziano Rouse talked about when he was a kid, with his dad in grad school (i.e., poor), and someone anonymously gifted them a bunch of stuff to give the family a Christmas, which they wouldn't otherwise have had. They still don't know who did it. That fit right into my very brief lesson on the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6, where Jesus says to do thing without fanfare, letting God have the glory and not seeking it ourselves.
With the time zone change, I went to sleep quickly without knowing what would happen with Dee. Stay tuned.
Monday, March 4, 2019
In which Doug leaves the apartment
Sunday morning I awoke after a lot of coughing during the night, but I had a reasonable amount of sleep by recent standards. My cold symptoms were feeling good enough that I felt I could make it to church on our last Sunday -- really didn't want to miss! I took extra cough syrup and some Excedrin to help me make it through. Other than my doctor appointment on Wednesday, it was the first time I had left the apartment complex in ten days. We headed out carrying a bunch of bags of food and things for Primary, getting help from FrancescoM to carry it in when we arrived. The weather has been really nice, sunny and warm during the day -- a huge contrast from last winter when it was cold well into April.
It was a wonderful testimony meeting. Bishop Magnanti started crying when he read our names to release us. There were a lot of testimonies, almost all quite short. I got up for a minute to say that we had come on our mission expecting to love our GANS kids, but we never expected to get so close to our ward here in just 18 months. I blamed them for making my wife cry every day, which brought a laugh from the congregation. Then I bore a strong testimony of Christ and sat down. Several others had kind things to say about us, though Ugo warned that "it isn't easy to get rid of the Whitings -- they have been following my family for 42 years!"
After the end of the meeting, Silvia, the Primary President and Dee's good friend, came up with the great idea of getting a group photo of everyone in the chapel. I suspect that a few folks were missing, but it was still nice to have a memory:
Dee had a final Sunday teaching in Primary, and she had a great time. The kids each drew a picture and wrote a note to her. She has really connected with that little group.
A number of our GANS kids were there from all over to wish us well, enjoy the meetings, and eat lunch! I was feeling quite week and a bit dizzy, so I mostly stayed seated and just enjoyed all the wonderful people.
The lunch started just before 12:30pm, with plenty of food of many types for everyone. A few more of our GANS showed up afterward to join the fun.
Dee had to drive us home, since I wasn't feeling up to it by then. By the end of the day I was starting to come around. We got home by about 2:30pm, a nice long day at church, with lots of hugs and laughs and tears.
Dee went to packing her suitcases, right up until we headed out to have our exit interview with the Pickerds at the mission home. It was quick and low key. They are great folks and have a heavy load, and they are very appreciative of what we senior couples do for the mission. It is so hard to believe that this whole thing is over for Dee and almost so for me. We have loved every minute of it.
It was a wonderful testimony meeting. Bishop Magnanti started crying when he read our names to release us. There were a lot of testimonies, almost all quite short. I got up for a minute to say that we had come on our mission expecting to love our GANS kids, but we never expected to get so close to our ward here in just 18 months. I blamed them for making my wife cry every day, which brought a laugh from the congregation. Then I bore a strong testimony of Christ and sat down. Several others had kind things to say about us, though Ugo warned that "it isn't easy to get rid of the Whitings -- they have been following my family for 42 years!"
After the end of the meeting, Silvia, the Primary President and Dee's good friend, came up with the great idea of getting a group photo of everyone in the chapel. I suspect that a few folks were missing, but it was still nice to have a memory:
The lunch started just before 12:30pm, with plenty of food of many types for everyone. A few more of our GANS showed up afterward to join the fun.
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| Most of the GANS at Roma 3 for the da |
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| The Simoncinis dropped by to say goodbye |
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| Us with the Cadenas: Jair and Silvia |
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| Then Sheyla and Jomar showed up |
Dee went to packing her suitcases, right up until we headed out to have our exit interview with the Pickerds at the mission home. It was quick and low key. They are great folks and have a heavy load, and they are very appreciative of what we senior couples do for the mission. It is so hard to believe that this whole thing is over for Dee and almost so for me. We have loved every minute of it.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Take-home lunch
Saturday I awoke after a halfway decent night's sleep -- maybe 4-5 hours, upright in a chair -- with my sinuses still open! Progress. However, I was still feeling too weak to even try to go to lunch at the Magnantis. We love them, and she is an awesome cook! Dee called to tell them that I couldn't come, and Elia said that Dee should drive down and pick up the food, which she would package up for us to enjoy at home. It is almost 40 minutes on the freeway, but who can refuse an offer like that?
Dee had invited all the GANS to lunch at Roma 3 after church on Sunday, so we asked Ugo to buy some porchetta, a local specialty meat often served at ward events, to insure that there would be enough food to go around. Usually you have to order a few days ahead of time, but Ugo knows a guy who found 7kg for us to buy for Sunday. Nice. Dee walked down to Conad to buy the bread for the Sunday lunch, as well as getting more Gatorade for me, then headed out to get our lunch. I tried to nap while she was gone, but was unable to do so -- these days being sleepy and being able to sleep are rather uncorrelated. When she got back, we enjoyed some amazing pasta and eggplant Parmesan. Wow. I told Elia that it was magnifico and Magnantico!
I spent some time with Barbara's laptop but couldn't find any problems with it, other than the fact that is slow and 10 years old. I called her to ask what the issue was, and it was a rather vague "something pops up every so often". So I just made a backup of it and will give it back to her. Sorry I couldn't do more.
I did some of my usual financial and computer housekeeping chores during the day when I felt up to doing anything. For example, I gave Dee her Verizon SIM card for using at home and installed the one she bought for me in my US phone, which I also configured and updated for me. Dee set up the scanner right next to her desk to scan and delete a bunch of paperwork. This is not just a trip coming up; it is a move, so there is lots to do. I am glad that it cannot be done by car or truck, else we would be tempted to keep too much stuff. She also worked on her final Primary lesson. I got to speak with my sister Colleen in Las Cruces on the phone when I called my mom, and it was nice to hear her voice.
The Pickerds have been out of town for Zone Conferences and a Stake Conference, but I was able to set up an appointment for a final visit with them Sunday evening at the mission home. I hope that I will have enough strength to do that: it didn't feel right not to make one last connection with them before heading home.
Dee had invited all the GANS to lunch at Roma 3 after church on Sunday, so we asked Ugo to buy some porchetta, a local specialty meat often served at ward events, to insure that there would be enough food to go around. Usually you have to order a few days ahead of time, but Ugo knows a guy who found 7kg for us to buy for Sunday. Nice. Dee walked down to Conad to buy the bread for the Sunday lunch, as well as getting more Gatorade for me, then headed out to get our lunch. I tried to nap while she was gone, but was unable to do so -- these days being sleepy and being able to sleep are rather uncorrelated. When she got back, we enjoyed some amazing pasta and eggplant Parmesan. Wow. I told Elia that it was magnifico and Magnantico!
I spent some time with Barbara's laptop but couldn't find any problems with it, other than the fact that is slow and 10 years old. I called her to ask what the issue was, and it was a rather vague "something pops up every so often". So I just made a backup of it and will give it back to her. Sorry I couldn't do more.
I did some of my usual financial and computer housekeeping chores during the day when I felt up to doing anything. For example, I gave Dee her Verizon SIM card for using at home and installed the one she bought for me in my US phone, which I also configured and updated for me. Dee set up the scanner right next to her desk to scan and delete a bunch of paperwork. This is not just a trip coming up; it is a move, so there is lots to do. I am glad that it cannot be done by car or truck, else we would be tempted to keep too much stuff. She also worked on her final Primary lesson. I got to speak with my sister Colleen in Las Cruces on the phone when I called my mom, and it was nice to hear her voice.
The Pickerds have been out of town for Zone Conferences and a Stake Conference, but I was able to set up an appointment for a final visit with them Sunday evening at the mission home. I hope that I will have enough strength to do that: it didn't feel right not to make one last connection with them before heading home.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Dee's final day at the Institute
Friday I woke up after a tough night. I actually had over 3 hours without congestion right after I went to bed, but then I woke up after only two hours and couldn't get back so to sleep! It was so frustrating to miss that golden opportunity for some good sleep. When I did my saline nasal rinse in the morning, there was a lot of blood in it. Gross, yeah, but not surprising after going through a ton of Kleenex.
After showering and shaving, I got ready to go to the Institute, but just couldn't make it. Ugo stepped in to take over my lessons, and Dee went to the market for some Gatorade (to keep my fluids up) and yogurt (to overcome the antibiotic course in my gut as the course comes to an end). It was a real bummer not to be there for Dee's final day at the campus, but I just wasn't up to it. My nose was still completely clogged and I had little energy. I was actually able to take a number of good naps during the day, which was a nice change over recent days.
In the afternoon I switched from steroid spray to steroid tablets, which is what Dr. Baccini recommended if the spray wasn't working. Then I took my antibiotic, and within an hour or two my nose had cleared up and stayed that way for the rest of the evening! It was a very strange feeling after all this time. That was the wonderful news, but I was still very sleepy and weak, and thus glad to be home. I was able to stay awake until 8pm, just barely.
Ugo taught my Seminary class, which had 11 students who all were happy to eat a one final treat from my wife and give her hugs. Barbara and Mariela Rondinelli came by to give her gifts, and she had some US measuring cups as gifts which delighted them (they do stuff here by weight, not volume).
Ugo taught my Institute lesson. Dee said that the place was quite full, including President Rondinelli and his wife who also came to see her off. Dee prepared her pesto chicken spinach tortellini, which everyone loved. Ugo demanded the recipe! The Balzottis were there the whole time, quietly just helping out. At the end of the lesson, they invited Dee into the classroom, where Jomar and the Ganziani sang a song with rap lyrics that they added for us. Jomar couldn't look at my wife or he would start crying, so he had a difficult time. It was a lovely thought. Here is the video, and here are the lyrics:
During and after dinner, everyone wanted to hug and talk with Dee. There were lots of laughs and lots of tears. Chris Campos, our nonmember from California, is an awesome guy; he told my wife that we had become his family, which was really important for him when he first arrived here alone in 2017. It was hard for Dee to get out of there. The Balzottis were very patient. They departed for home about 10:30pm.
Half way home, Dee remembered that she had left Barbara's laptop at the campus for me to look at. So Anziano Balzotti quietly turned around and went back. As she entered the Institute to get the laptop, she saw Linda and offered her a ride home (her apartment is in a sketchy area nearby). When the two of them came out together, the Balzottis again took directions on how to drop Linda off, getting lost a few times along the way -- it isn't an easy route. Despite the late hour, never so much as an eye roll, much less any complaint, from the Balzottis. After leaving Linda at her door, Anziano Balzotti turns to Dee and says, "That is a bad area! You know why forgot the laptop, right? Linda needed a ride home." We love the Balzottis! Soon after 11pm, I woke up after more than three hours of good sleep, with sinuses still clear, to find her not home yet at that late hour, so I messaged her. She was just arriving and we got to chat for a while. She was just glowing. We are both so glad that she was able to come back for this final week to get some closure here.
After showering and shaving, I got ready to go to the Institute, but just couldn't make it. Ugo stepped in to take over my lessons, and Dee went to the market for some Gatorade (to keep my fluids up) and yogurt (to overcome the antibiotic course in my gut as the course comes to an end). It was a real bummer not to be there for Dee's final day at the campus, but I just wasn't up to it. My nose was still completely clogged and I had little energy. I was actually able to take a number of good naps during the day, which was a nice change over recent days.
In the afternoon I switched from steroid spray to steroid tablets, which is what Dr. Baccini recommended if the spray wasn't working. Then I took my antibiotic, and within an hour or two my nose had cleared up and stayed that way for the rest of the evening! It was a very strange feeling after all this time. That was the wonderful news, but I was still very sleepy and weak, and thus glad to be home. I was able to stay awake until 8pm, just barely.
Ugo taught my Seminary class, which had 11 students who all were happy to eat a one final treat from my wife and give her hugs. Barbara and Mariela Rondinelli came by to give her gifts, and she had some US measuring cups as gifts which delighted them (they do stuff here by weight, not volume).
See You Again (Jomar and the Ganziani Version)
It's been a long day without you, my friendAnd I'll tell you all about it when I see you againWe've come a long way from where we beganOh I'll tell you all about it when I see you againWhen I see you againDang, there's this guy I knowHis name is Anz Whiting, he’s got hair like snowHe’s funny, he’s cool, he’s kind and he’s smartYou can always count on him cause he’s got a big heartTalk about a guy that really loves peopleHe’s the world’s most greatest GANS institute teacherSo Anziano Whiting, we wanna let you knowWe're grateful, we love you, and we're sad you have to goHow could we not talk about family when family's all that we got?Everything I went through you were standing there by my sideAnd now you gonna be with me for the last rideIt's been a long day without you, my friendAndI'll tell you all about it when I see you againWe've come a long way from where we beganOh I'll tell you all about it when I see you againWhen I see you againThere’s activities every day, and the food is always bombBut the greatest parts been seeing you when we get to GANSYou’re the closest thing that all of us have to a second MomOn the real, when it comes to loving people Sorella never pretendsSo God be with you till we meet again, yeah,you'll always be our friend, no this surely ain't the end...How could we not talk about family when family's all that we got?Everything I went through you were standing there by my sidend now you gonna be with me for the last rideSo let the light guide your way hold every memory as you goAnd every road you take will always lead you homeIt's been a long day without you, my friendAnd I'll tell you all about it when I see you againWe've come a long way from where we beganOh I'll tell you all about it when I see you againWhen I see you again...
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| Dee in the class, sitting next to President Rondinelli |
Half way home, Dee remembered that she had left Barbara's laptop at the campus for me to look at. So Anziano Balzotti quietly turned around and went back. As she entered the Institute to get the laptop, she saw Linda and offered her a ride home (her apartment is in a sketchy area nearby). When the two of them came out together, the Balzottis again took directions on how to drop Linda off, getting lost a few times along the way -- it isn't an easy route. Despite the late hour, never so much as an eye roll, much less any complaint, from the Balzottis. After leaving Linda at her door, Anziano Balzotti turns to Dee and says, "That is a bad area! You know why forgot the laptop, right? Linda needed a ride home." We love the Balzottis! Soon after 11pm, I woke up after more than three hours of good sleep, with sinuses still clear, to find her not home yet at that late hour, so I messaged her. She was just arriving and we got to chat for a while. She was just glowing. We are both so glad that she was able to come back for this final week to get some closure here.
Friday, March 1, 2019
Getting better, very slowly
Thursday morning I woke up having slept a few hours, which was nice. I got another hour-long nap in the morning and was actually feeling decent, able to breathe a little bit during the day, but still weak. I even climbed our apartment stairs, once, very slowly. The Balzottis went to the campus for the day without us. I stayed home to rest up for the attempt to teach on Friday (fortunately my lessons were already prepared), and Dee stayed home to catch up on paperwork and take care of me. She finally turned in food receipts going back to August, which had been hanging over her head. We want the stakes here to see the true cost of the program, not just do it all ourselves.
Dee went out to Conad and the open market in the morning, saying goodbye to her favorite jewelry seller, Abdulla. She also went to the pharmacy to stock up on some meds, including prescription cough drops, which still come in handy for me occasionally.
By late afternoon I had the energy to take out the trash. I sent out notices to students about class tomorrow, urging them to come say goodbye to my wife. Ugo had offered to teach for me if needed, but with a little luck I can do that on my own. By bedtime I was feeling like that was a real possibility.
Dee went out to Conad and the open market in the morning, saying goodbye to her favorite jewelry seller, Abdulla. She also went to the pharmacy to stock up on some meds, including prescription cough drops, which still come in handy for me occasionally.
By late afternoon I had the energy to take out the trash. I sent out notices to students about class tomorrow, urging them to come say goodbye to my wife. Ugo had offered to teach for me if needed, but with a little luck I can do that on my own. By bedtime I was feeling like that was a real possibility.
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