Well let me just reply to myself, then. I now have my HSMP work permit and Entry Clearance Visa, so, in case it helps anyone, here's what I did for the visa:
I sent in:
-The fee ($124 + $16 postage in a money order)
-My letter from the Work Permits folks confirming HSMP
-My passport
-Two passport photos
-Complete IM2A form (you don't need IM2C for the HSMP)
-Evidence of Adequate funds/Accomodation:
For this I sent, a current bank statement, wage slips, my auto registration and Blue-book value, 401k statement, job postings, and my C.V.
I basically wrote out a brief financial plan, stating that I estimate my cash reserves to be $X based on savings, sale of car, final paycheck, etc. and that I estimate my living expenses to be £X/month , and that current reserves will last me for a year, but I was really sure I would get a job before a month or two, etc.
So. I fedEx'd the whole mess down to the LA Consulate. They called a few days later and said everything looks great, what day do you want your visa to be good? And that was that.
Now time to move!
Oh, by the way, there are two people that answer the phone at the LA Consulate as far as I can tell. One is not very nice or helpful at all, and the other is fantastic (Scottish accent) and courteous and very pleasant to work with. If you get the mean one, just call back. This happened to both my partner and I, and we both got lots of good info when we spoke with the Scottish accent person.
Good luck.
-Eric