7:57 am.  My fingers fly over the keypad, expertly tapping the keys of the number I have etched into my brain.  The number that I have been dialing constantly for weeks.  The office doesn't open until 8:00 am, the voice informs me.  I am determined to get through today.  Damn phone.  I can't find the manual.  It's one of those fancy office phones that doesn't have a redial button. 

8:04 am.  I dial the number over and over again, each time I am rewarded with nothing but the busy signal.  There must be a redial button, somewhere!  But I can't figure it out.  My priorities are divided between frantically dialing the number and searching the internet for a phone manual with the hopes of discovering a redial button.

Finally, something happens.  The phone is ringing.  "Holy shit!" I exclaim before I realize I had even spoken.  I sit on hold for a time, listening to the radio through the earphone.  Occasionally, the line rings and I begin to sweat as I am forced to put my line on hold in order to answer the other one.  But, it was only the wrong number.  Relief washes through me as I hang up and hit the link button.  The tinny music drifts through once again and my heart slows.  I wait.

"Hello, Saskatchewan Student Loans.", the voice on the other end informs me.  I stutter and finally manage to spit out my request for the status of my loan application.  "Yes, here it is.  It's been processed."  It feels like three tons of bricks have just been lifted off my shoulders.  "You mean, I can go ahead and give my notice at work now?" I ask.  "If that's what you want to do." she tells me with a chuckle.  I think that she must be the nicest person in the whole world.  I thank her profusely before hanging up the phone.  I look up at the ceiling and whisper, "Whew." 

Now, all I have to do is write up my resignation.  I think I'll save that excitement for tomorrow.