An Answer from the Consulate

The consulate got ahold of me yesterday to say that they'd sent out my visa!!!! This was after many calls, an email (from me and a few others), and a fax. I expect it tomorrow.
So---I really get to go.
Today I turned my attention to packing, that is, what and how much I can bring. I also learned that my refrigerated prescription can stand being left at room temperature for the time I'll be traveling. Very welcome news.
I ordered an unlocked gsm phone off of ebay. I can buy a SIM card in Florence and have a way for people to reach me apart from email and skype (free internet phone service that anyone can use as long as they have a microphone and download the program). Hopefully that card won't be too expensive.
Speaking of ebay, two of my three required art history texts have come in. They're massively heavy books--not things I want to take on the plane with me. I had been planning to make copies of just the pages I needed but this was cost prohibitive. Then I thought I could just cut the pages out and staple them together. Mom came up with the infinitely better idea of having just those requisite pages rebound with some basic spiral binding by one of the printers in town. So we took them down today.
I can't believe I'm actually going. I can scarcely imagine what an asset this experience will be in my understanding of Renaissance art history, Italian, and just plain being away from one's native culture. But I guess I'll be finding out for sure.