A whole week.

So I went over to the food stamps office on Thursday around 3pm only to be turned away, because they had more applicants than they could cover through the end of their work day, 5pm. I decided to let Friday, my day off, be my food stamps day. I got over there around 11am, thinking 6 hours was a great buffer, to only be turned away again. Apparently 120 people were in line already. The lady at the front desk wasn't entertaining my pleading (I start my job Monday, this is the only day I can do this, please) and told me to come back at 7:30am on Monday. Dang. I've yet to decide what I'm going to do about that situation.

Friday I also went over to my clinic where I start on Monday to do a TB screening and meet some of the people I will be working with. They all seem very nice and also very busy. There has been some miscommunication over who exactly is in charge of me, so hopefully I can convince someone to sign my time sheet tomorrow!

I spent my entire weekend with my dear friend Kelsey who used to live in this house and who is about to jet set off to South Korea to teach English. She came up to visit and get some of her last things from the house, including the toaster oven and the shower curtain. Yesterday we went to a coffee shop that's only about three blocks away called Qualia where they roast the beans on site and brew them to order. It was adorable, and I can see myself indulging on a $2.50 cup now and again to have a place outside the house to sit and read. It's exciting to have something so close. Today we had breakfast at Rachael's, who also used to live here. She now lives in a new apartment complex in the neighborhood that has a roof with a spectacular view of the entire city, including the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, Library of Congress, Catholic University and the National Cathedral. It was about 65 and sunny today, so we ate on the roof. Gorgeous.

Tomorrow is my first day at the clinic. I'm nervous.

Stay tuned for further updates on my food stamps adventure as well as my newest investment in a transition to veganism!