I was too laid up on the couch last night to write this, but this is what I did yesterday:

I needed to pick up my Capital Access Card. Read: food stamps. Luckily this center was right around the corner (about 30 mins). But I guess since I also needed to go back to DHS it didn’t matter but at least the pickup center was directly on the way and not in the opposite direction.

There’s been a lot of change on H St NE lately, with bars, clubs, restaurants, deli shops, and such. Give it five years or so and it will be really amazing. Maybe seven years. While I would feel comfortable walking H maybe down to 11th St or something at night, anything further west of that would be a little scary. But since it was daytime I decided to walk the entire length of H.

Heading directly north on 15th, I come to the intersection where H terminates with Florida, Bladensburg, Maryland and Benning. There are still some thrift stores, boarded-up buildings and independent clothing stores along H and most of these establishments will be gone in the aforementioned 5-7 years. Major construction of the future trolley line, that will run from Union Station until 2am, was underway in the middle of H all the way down its length. That will be nice when that is completed.

I arrive at the EBT office (electronic benefits transfer) I am the only person waiting. Hallelujah! I sign in and barely have time to sign in when my name is called. They program my card, I enter my PIN, she gives me some info on monthly amount updating and I’m out of there. In, like, three minutes. 

Next stop is back to the DHS and I could get on the Metro at Union Station and take it one stop I decide to go ahead and walk. This will give me the opportunity to walk straight up North Capitol St, which I’ve never done and probably wouldn’t do at night.

Headed towards North Cap I pass over the Hopscotch Bridge, which drastically rises over the train rails that carry Amtrak into the northeast corridor. I’ve driven over this bridge many times, but never walked it. Cross that off the DC to-do list.

Once on N. Cap I’m passing the Housing Authority and other govt offices. At DHS I’m weary that I’m going to be sitting there for another five hours just to have a letter copied and added to my file, but luckily the ladies behind the desk were in a good mood even though their conversation about skiing at Seven Springs took up more time then doing their actual work. That was okay because they let me stand there instead of “taking a seat” and calling me in two hours. So I was quickly out of there in under 10 minutes. Hooray!