"And to think that it happened on Mulberry Street"

I have lots to say today.  Perhaps because I've lots to procrastinate.  But in any case, I don't have time to write it all.  So, I'll settle for just the adventures of today, feast of St. Gertrude. 
All started out as it should.  I got up and got ready to go, and took with me an extra-large lunch I had packed last night, with an extra fork in case of sharing.    I got to school early, as planned, and went in for Lauds and Mass with the Dominicans.  And, as usual, entered the adoration chapel after Mass for exposition.  Then I went for my usual breakfast (cappuccino and cornetto) in the Angelicum bar.  (Still pretty routine, and still pretty incredible, I think).  After my morning class, instead of going to the campus-wide magisterial lecture in honor of St. Albert on reading the Bible in the time of St. John Vianney, I ducked into another classroom to tutor an underclassman in statistics.  Two of her classmates decided to join us, and we spent the next 2 1/2 hours going over the basic vocabulary associated with the subject.  Afterward, the sister asked if we could meet regularly, but I had to refuse as I have too much now to occupy my time.  So, she gave me some of her lunch, and led me to the bar to buy me a full lunch, and a coffee.  Since I had too much food, then, I called a friend to come share with me, and immediately another friend called to have lunch with me, and we had a feast.  Then I disappeared into an unpopular classroom that was at one point a cell and spent the next four hours studying, coming back down to earth in time for Benediction in the adoration chapel.  There, a friend who studied with me a few years ago at the Angelicum before disappearing to join a convent greeted me on her way out of the chapel!  She is back in Rome working in the North American pilgrim center, and she remembered that we had adoration at the Angelicum and decided to come in.  We walked back together, chatting about old times and new for the part of our route that we share, and then I continued my walk home.  Just a few blocks along, I heard someone call out a greeting to me in Italian.  When I looked up, I saw a woman who had never before greeted me outside the chocolate shop where she works with her family.  She was out taking a walk with her toddling daughter, and wanted to make sure I had gotten the package she had received on my behalf a couple of days ago!  Awfully kind of her.  So, I decided to stop in and see her brother, since he was still there at work at the chocolate shop when I arrived, and let him know she had asked (since it was from him I collected the box last night). He was engaged reading a very thick paperback with a funny title in Italian which translates to something like, "The Awaking of the Lion.".  I asked if it was interesting, and he pointed out he had just begun reading, and would know once he got to the end whether or not it was worth reading.  He was skeptical, and explained that it had to do with  evolution starting all over after the destruction of a great civilization, far more advanced than our own....  With his view, though, I suggested he was a philosopher, and he claimed not to be and started talking about the state of the world, Italian politics, and the horrors of the Church.  When we got to that point, the discussion became very interesting, and he quickly discovered that there we disagree quite a bit, and he started firing away accusations, without leaving time for a defense in any one point before going on to another.  Anyway, it was so interesting, and we seemed to get almost nowhere before some actual customers came in, that we agreed to resume another day.
Not bad for a Wednesday.
Now I want to write more, but it would be boring, and I should finish supper and get ready for tomorrow.
but, really, more will eventually follow (not necessarily about today, but slightly more universal than just my day).