I had hoped to know either way by this week, but they have had to push things down the road a bit.
However, I've had some more interaction and I came away even more encouraged about the possibilities (what the position entails, my ability to fill it, and the prospective employer's thoughts on me). I've obviously made a good impression, and one of the bigwigs wants to interview me again around the middle of June (when the rest of the applicants will be interviewed for the first time, I believe).
I've never been in a situation where a second interview was required during the application process, so any advice or "inside" info offered would be gratefully received.
In the meantime, I'm back to being sky-high in optimism and enthusiasm... of course you never know until it's said and done, but I still have a very good feeling about this. Please keep up the good thoughts, etc.--this would be such a tremendous opportunity for me, in so many ways.
I'm torn between the two pics in this post, but taken together, they seem to encapsulate my state of mind these days. [Sorry about the cat, Casca. More hairballs, I suppose...]