más HPAP

So, today was my HPAP appointment - and I won't lie, I've been panicking for a while in preparation. But I went over my checklist a few times and confirmed with my colleague (the one who told me about HPAP in the first place) that I had everything. Then, I went to CVS and bought one of those lawyer-y portfolios - you know the kind, the brown cardboard expanding files with the elastic that surrounds it to keep all the documents together. I also bought dividers - yep, like in tenth grade. I was FREAKIN' ORGANIZED, folks. And I left work at 2:30 today for what my boss and I are calling "that thing," since I'm not quite public with this news. (At time of this post's publication, the only people who know about this whole ordeal are: my boyfriend, my mom, a few of my closest friends, and my boss.)

And then I went to the appointment, and the counselor was very appreciative of my hardcore organization - which always makes a sister feel good. We went through everything - tax forms, bank statements, apartment lease - and it looked like I was good. But then two unfortunate bombs got dropped:

1. I needed proof of employment for the last 24 months - and I'd only been at my current job for 17 months.
2. I needed proof of my student loans being in deferment.

SIGH. Sigh, sigh, sigh. (I would like to take this moment to point out that, while the checklist I was given did in fact have the length of employment posted [mea culpa] it said nothing at all about student loans. BUT! I am nothing if not accommodating, especially to those who are about to very generously give me a shart-ton of money to buy my first home.) I left the appointment with the promise that submitting these items would complete my file, thus leaving 2-3 weeks until I was approved and needed to attend an 8-hour (!!!) Saturday class on the whole process.

Eager as I am to get into eight hours of PowerPoint slides, I jumped on the telephone with the Department of Education. THANKFULLY, there's a very easy way to get what I needed (something I didn't expect), and, as such, I just sent my counselor precisely that. I'm also incredibly grateful that she is able to accept email proof of my previous jobs - having emailed both of my bosses since this time, 2010, I expect to send both those her way by C.O.B. tomorrow (and have telephone calls to said bosses planned at lunchtime if I haven't heard back from them yet).

I won't lie - this song came to mind when I talked about how two bombs got dropped (see para. 2) but its insanity and hectic-ness pretty much describes my temperament throughout this whole process:

Two closing thoughts: (1) I really need to find a zen spot or else I won't survive the homebuying process, and (2) OutKast is awesome.