Hi! Thanks for everybody's helpful posts about POLISH CITIZENSHIP. After reading them all, I still have questions. Each of my direct questions has ** next to it. I made this as brief as possible! Here goes--

Summary:
--I am an American woman w/USA citizenship.
--I happen to be in Poland at my relatives’ house right now. (Tourist).
--I applied for Polish citizenship once before, via the NYC Consul office (early 2005), but was denied 2.5 yrs later (no clue as to why).
--I have new documents since last time and intend to apply again now, in Warsaw.
--My parents were both born in New York and have only USA citizenship.
--My basis:
My Dad’s Dad was born in Poland (1913), never left, never renounced, never army, never naturalized anywhere else, and died (very sick) in Poland (1965). This is my closest link to Polishness. [My Mom's side is also Polish, but one generation further back so Dad's side is closer].
--Also, my Dad did NOT ever renounce his own Polish citizenship, although he did 'gain' his USA citizenship simply by being born on American soil. But according to Polevault's excellent and relevant post about 'Circular 18 from 1925', (about the 'conflict' for people born on American soil but from Polish parents), I believe my Dad is still a Polish citizen.

(If you're confused about the location of my Dad's parents, it's because they were sort of split in two unintentionally: Grandma sailed to America without Grandpa in 1938, to go get their new life started, since she was an American citizen. She was unknowingly pregnant with Daddy-O when she sailed, and Dad was born in 1939. His Dad (my Grandpa) never did sail to America to join them, because he was too sick to be allowed to make the journey. He, meanwhile, was raising their daughter (my Aunt whose house I'm sitting in right now) back in Poland, alone. She has both US and Polish citizenship by the way (can you sense my envy?).

In fact, this same Aunt took care of Grandpa (her Dad) for the last two years of his life, as he was sick as a dog. He lived in this house with her until he died here in 1965. Now he is buried less than 1/2 mile from where I sit typing this email!

Please note...
I didn’t know about the idea of my Dad doing his Confirmation of Cit. before I applied last time, and thought my application would be successful since the Consul guy told me in person (as he reviewed my app'n): that I had more than enough documents to prove my Polishness and would most likely get it! But I didn't get it.

Now for the hitch...
The only documents we have on Grandpa is a Death Certificate. The town where he was born in Poland no longer exists! (And other family members have apparently already tried to get his Birth Cert, to no avail). This Death Cert, (acquired yesterday from the nearby church office, thanks to my Polish-speaking Aunt), does include the name of the Polish town where he was born, though - even though this town is 'gone'; as well as his birthdate, and his father's name. To back it up, my Aunt also procured a brand spankin' new Death Cert for the next Dad up the line (that is to say, my GREAT grandfather, or my Dad's Dad's Dad). His death cert also shows that he was born and died in Poland. But we don't have a Birth Cert for my Grandpa, nor a Marriage Cert. We do have my Dad's own birth and baptism certs, which indicate his father's name.

**Should I have my Aunt write up a statement in Polish, swearing that my Grandpa really existed, really lived here, and really died here (it's her Dad after all!). Would that help? But can she swear that he was born in Poland if she wasn't born yet at the time he was born?

So...
I would love to get my citizenship as fast as possible (don't spit out your tea from laughing too hard at that statement), since I'm already in Europe, already sold everything in the States and I'm too broke to buy another flight to come back here later!

ON THAT NOTE...
**Does anybody know if it's really true about the "8 weeks" if I apply directly in Warsaw?

AND...
**Why can't I find the website for the President's office in Warsaw including the street address and phone number? I'm pretty smart, yet this website continues to elude me.

**Can I even submit my application in Warsaw, if technically I had my last residential address in the States? [You're supposed to submit at the Consulate nearest to your house, if you live "abroad" (not in Poland).] I can use my Aunt's address in Poland as my current residence, I guess, but that sets me up for trouble since I don't have a resident card in Poland, no?

AND we all know that if I don't apply in Warsaw and I go through the NYC office (again), I will have to wait the oh-so-painful 2-3 years! Similarly, if my Dad applies for his Conf. of Cit., we'll still have to wait 2-3 years... Ugh! No thanks! Not if I can help it!

So...(drumroll)...
**What about this crazy idea: I apply for my own citizenship, and my Dad's confirmation of citizenship, at the same time, together, in Warsaw? Two applications at once, both presented by me? (My Dad cannot come, sadly). What do y'all think? Will that just confuse them even more? Ha ha.
(My Dad would send me his app'n via certified mail).

And...
**If my Dad really does already have his Polish Citizenship but just has not confirmed it, shouldn't I be submitting a Confirmation of Cit. for myself, too, rather than an Application for Cit, as his daughter?

And...here's a good chuckle for y'all:
**Is it feasible, as one post suggested, that my Dad just waltz in (or polka in) to the Consulate in NYC and apply for his Polish PASSPORT? Along the lines of, "He is entitled to it but just has not done the pesky Confirmation step"? Anybody tried this? (Of course he has no Polish passport number nor Polish ID/SS number that I know of).

One more thing:
A man from the Consul office in NYC gave me his opinion the other day (by email). He said that I just need to do my own application; no need for my Dad to do any kind of app'n, since my Dad's status will be reviewed 'anyway' during my own app'n process. (And yes he confirmed that the decision of my Dad's status is the pivotal part to my whole quest for Citizenship).

MY BIG QUESTION IS-----
**Despite the Consul man's suggestion, do any of you think I'm making a costly mistake by NOT having my Dad apply for his Conf of Cit first? Or at least 'together' with my own app'n?

Dziekuje! (Thanks) - Christine, in snowy Poland