A pox on Financial Aid officers

The rain has been sweeping over the mountain all day. We left this morning to visit the Financial Aid office at UH in the hopes of shedding light on this loan process. In the past, the financial aid officers at UH have been utterly unhelpful and downright rude. The last time I visited, I politely asked about information on scholarships, hoping to apply for the next year. "You know its too late for this semester, don't you?" snapped the woman at the desk, not moving to hand me any papers. After ten minutes of defensively justifying my motives, I left with a thin pamphlet and a deep grudge. Today went no better. "I'd like some information about the loan process," I said. "You have to fill out the FAFSA," said she, turning away as though she wished I would leave. "I did, what now?" "Did they send you a letter?" "Not yet, what do I do when I get the letter?" "They have to give you a letter first." "OK, then what?" "Most people apply for financial aid when they apply for admission." "Well I didn't, so what's the next step?" "They have to process your FAFSA." At this point I throttled the woman. 

We left with no further information on the loan process, hoping that the mysterious authorities processing my FAFSA would make things clear in time for registration. We ate lunch at the food kiosk by the chemistry building. I poked quarters in the machine until a bowl of fried rice popped out, and we sat on a stone bench, surrounded by two dozen softly peeping doves and sparrows. An enormous white pigeon perched on Gavin's knee, which simultaneously horrified and delighted him. He gripped my leg for courage and slowly extended a hand toward it. After lunch, I watched him run through the grass, picking up flowers which had dropped from the trees, and I felt so proud. After a stop at the school book store, we came home with a bottle of spray fixative, a fine-tipped pen, a sheet of illustration board, and a parking ticket. A mix of contentment and frustration, but being on campus was so nice, and I can't wait to start classes this fall.