I'm back on the bus after a year's absence. The price of gas has done me in. It's costing me at least $25/wk to drive to work and a monthly Local CD bus pass is $60. I'm out of the house for 13.5 hours a day in stead of 11, but I'm saving a good bit of money.

At $3.92, what I've paid in the last week for mid-grade, it's just too expensive to drive. I do everything I can to wring out every last mile from my car. I accelerate slowly up-shifting quickly in the sub 3K RPM range. I stay in the far right lane on the highway. I coast as much as possible and break as little as possible to maximize my momentum. Doing all this my 1990 Acura Integra GS sedan manages to get between 34 and 37 MPG. That's as much as 60% better than the EPA estimate of 23 MPG.

There are some benefits to the bus over driving besides the monetary savings. For starters, we are entering the hot season and I the AC in my car doesn't work. Meanwhile, the buses and trains all have very good AC. Next, I have time to read books and magazines or watch videos on my iPod. That's good because I finished up 'Pillars of the Earth' yesterday morning and I'm catching up on my TED conference videos. I highly recommend the TED videos if you want to learn some amazing things about technology, design and the world. It's life changing stuff.

Oh, and I get some extra exercise walking to/from/between the buses and trains. I needs me some exercise.

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Well, the home repair monster has reared its ugly head at my house again. Luckily it seems as if it's just a baby monster this time.

Back in January of '07 we replaced the carpet in our family room. Since we were doing that room we went up the stairs to the living room and again up the stairs to the landing outside the bedrooms. This was all for continuity's sake. We had to do this because of water leaking under the wall behind the toilet in the downstairs bathroom. It went into the family room and ruined the carpet. We caulked the bottom of the wall to the floor to keep the water in and all seemed good.

Then, a few months back we noticed the same on the other side of the bathroom. Water was seeping under the wall from the bathroom into the computer room. So, we replaced the carpet in there with Pergo laminate flooring and caulked the wall there too. Of course while we were replacing the flooring we decided to paint the room and put in new Elfa shelving in the closet and on the wall.

Now, we are finding a little moisture is still coming back into the family room, but farther down the wall than before. When we investigated we found the bottom of the vanity cabinet in the bathroom was damp and rotting. We were afraid we maybe had a leak in the wall behind the vanity because there's no water damage IN the vanity and all the plumbing to the sink is tight and dry. So, we had to tear out the sink, counter and vanity.

What do we find under the counter? Dryness. The only dampness is where the wood footing of the vanity meets the concrete flooring and the tile floor butts right up to the cabinet. We can't find any evidence of leaking anywhere.

Now, our thought now is that it's just a case of water from the shower, the cause of all the other problems, got under the cabinet after we caulked the wall behind the toilet. The caulking just served to channel the water under the cabinet.

We have to replace the cabinet since the old one was two rotted to put back in and we tore out the banjo counter top so that needs to be replaced too. Not a big loss because Bonnie never liked the countertop anyway. The problem here is that our cookie-cutter suburban track-house, while being like all the others in the neighborhood, is non-standard.

The vanity cabinet is 27 inches wide, the standard sizes of replacement cabinets are 24 and 30 inches wide. We can't go with a 30 inch wide cabinet because of the code that says you must have 15 inches from the center of the toilet to the closest fixture. We have exactly that on both sides of the toilet. This means we need a 24 inch cabinet. Next, the only 24 inch wide cabinets we can find at Home Depot or Lowe's are 18 inches deep. Our existing cabinet is 21 inches deep. So, as a result our new cabinet will be 3 inches narrower and 3 inches more shallow.

We aren't opposed to a smaller cabinet because it will help open up the room a little bit. This is good since the floor space in the room is only 58 inches square, including where the vanity and toilet sit. It's a small bathroom.

Where this problem really hits home is that the tile floor butted up to the old cabinet and the new cabinet will be off the floor. So, we will have to either fill in the hole or replace the floor. We have three spare tiles for the floor that we found in the crawl space. We really need four to do a full job. The second option is to tear out the floor and put in new flooring. We found some very nice looking vinyl flooring that goes in similar to the Pergo laminate we put in the computer room, except that it is self adhesive and can be cut with a knife. Of course, the new flooring would require us to pull the toilet. Not a big deal, but extra work nonetheless.

The fortunate part of this project is that it won't be as expensive as we had feared. The vanity is $150 and comes with a molded counter/sink made out of "cultured marble". That's a fiberglass resin with limestone and calcium carbonate for us laymen. I will transfer the fixtures from the old sink to the new one. If we just fill in the gap in the floor it will be very inexpensive for leveler, adhesive, and grout. If we put in the new floor it will be $40 for the flooring and a little more for leveler and a new wax ring for the toilet. Either way we will be putting new wall trim down because the current stuff is crap.

We also need to patch holes in the wall behind the counter and cabinet and paint. As we have found in a variety of other places in the house they builders used the stud finding method of punch holes in the wall in a row until you hit wood. Then, just let the thing you are affixing to the wall cover the holes. Morons!

Overall I think the project will come in for under $250 either way. That?s a bargain compared to the two other rooms.

For now we are going to give the room a few days to make sure that there isn't another source of the water that we have missed while we decide on our flooring options and get the supplies we need.

Ah, the joys of home ownership!

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I really need a death ray on my car. It would be reserved for people like the woman I encountered today.

I'm traveling south on I-25, the speed limit is 65MPH. I am in the right-hand lane. There are three lanes to my left and the shoulder is to my right. I am doing 55-60MPH because, well, that's what the car in front of me is doing.

I look in my rear-view mirror and see a green suburban riding up on my rear. She's too close for my comfort. I notice that she's waving her hand at me and saying something. The clear message is speed up, you're holding me up. Unreal. Then she flashes her headlights at me like she's on the Autobahn and wants me to let her pass. Did I mention the three lanes to my left?

So, I tap my breaks to let her know that she needs to back off my rear. She gets the picture and puts on her turn signal and passes me. As she goes by I see she's got at least two children in the car. I can only hope that someday they realize how profoundly stupid she is.

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I looked up Delusional Disorder on Wikipedia and it really seems to fit Hillary.

Just look at the indicators:

1. The patient expresses an idea or belief with unusual persistence or force.
2. That idea appears to exert an undue influence on his or her life, and the way of life is often altered to an inexplicable extent.
3. Despite his/her profound conviction, there is often a quality of secretiveness or suspicion when the patient is questioned about it.
4. The individual tends to be humorless and oversensitive, especially about the belief.
5. There is a quality of centrality: no matter how unlikely it is that these strange things are happening to him, the patient accepts them relatively unquestioningly.
6. An attempt to contradict the belief is likely to arouse an inappropriately strong emotional reaction, often with irritability and hostility.
7. The belief is, at the least, unlikely.
8. The patient is emotionally over-invested in the idea and it overwhelms other elements of his psyche.
9. delusion, if acted out, often leads to behaviors which are abnormal and/or out of character, although perhaps understandable in the light of the delusional beliefs.
10. Individuals who know the patient will observe that his belief and behavior are uncharacteristic and alien.

Of course, seeing this truth she has resumed her call to count the disallowed delegates from Florida and Michigan. She's quick to ignore that everyone involved agreed that they wouldn't count. In order for her to maintain her delusion and convince other to believe it she is willing to suspend reality and ignore any rule that impedes her. Something that further shows she should not be president because she has an absolute lack of respect for rules. I think the last eight years has shown us that we need a president that respects rules.

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this blog post are not those of a psychotherapist, psychologist, or any other mental health professional. They are just my observations of what I see.

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Well, I learned a lot at the 6th Congressional District Assembly and Convention.

For starters, there were three lines to get into the building. On the left there was an Obama alternate line. Immediately to the right of that was a Hillary alternate line. Then, way over to the right was a combined delegate line. While waiting in line I found even more reasons not to vote for Hillary. Those people are petty, desperate, and scared. By luck I wound up in the right line despite there not being anyone telling us which line to get in. I was standing behind two Hillary supporters. After about 30 minutes someone in the Hillary line mentioned to these two perfectly nice women I had been talking to that they were in the wrong line. She was really bitchy but in a badly subtle way. She gave the not so subtle impression that word had gone through the Hillary camp that they shouldn't be talking to the Obama people. Even the two ladies in our line were upset at the idea of this divisive BS. There was even insinuation that Obama people had intentionally mislead Hillary people.

I mentioned that the Hillary signs seemed a bit sad and desperate. Some of the Hillary people of course got offended but had no defense for the rule in the letter sent to all of us that said no yard signs would be allowed at the event. More proof that Hillary and her supporters have no respect for rules and have a feeling of entitlement about the election. It continues to bolster the impression that they feel it's here right and they will do anything, inside or outside of the rules to win. The desperation and arrogance are just disgusting. It also lends credence to the conspiracy theory that she's prepared to poison the Democratic party and let John McCain win if she can't be the Democratic nominee. I don't like to give to much service to such theories, but it's hard not to think it's true when you see the dirty tricks and skulduggery her campaign in using.

Eventually they started to let people in and the Hillary alternate line went in first. That was followed by someone coming out to say that the Hillary camp had a lawyer who got them in first. I don't know if this was true or not but it was sure ridiculous.

Once we were in the check-in went smoothly, they had computers with bar code scanners to scan our credentials. Next, we were sent to the auditorium to wait for alternate seating. In the auditorium we were directed to sit on stage left for Hillary and stage right for Obama because it would "make it easier later". I don't know that this is true but, whatever. It's just more harmful divisiveness among people in the same party.

Now, here's where the event's organization really fell apart. We sat in this room for about an hour and were informed by the CD6 Chair that they were going to start seating people soon and that they hoped to get started with the Assembly, which she was running, at 10am. It was 9:45 at the time. She also said she expected it to take an hour and a half, then there would be a break followed by the Convention. This was good news since I had a soccer game to go to at 2:30. However, it didn't go that way. At 11:45 they still hadn't seated the Assembly and the alternates were getting antsy. We were told once again that they were going to get us seated shortly, there were some glitches but they had them worked out. Meanwhile word was circulating that a lot of alternates would be needed, likely all of us. This was good news, except for the realization that at this rate it the Convention wasn't going to be over before 4pm.

At this point I made the decision to bail on the Assembly and Convention. I had been under the impression before the Assembly and Convention that I would be out of there in time for Victor's soccer game and promised I would make it. Being that family is important I had to go. I wasn't the only one turning in my credentials to leave, there were at least two other people immediately in front of me who did the same.

Now, don't think that the day was a total loss. In the two hours we waited in the auditorium I got the opportunity to see and hear from all the various candidates and elected officials in the 6th CD. This was very informative and I really appreciated it. So often you vote for the person based on a commercial, a name on a sign or flier, or even just because there's a 'D' or 'R' next to their name on the ballot. I got to hear from these candidates and elected officials for Ken Carl Water Board, Douglas, Arapahoe, and Jefferson County Commissioner, Colorado State Legislature, and US House of  Representatives to name a few. I got to hear who they were, where they were coming from and what they wanted to do. I heard so much hope from these Democrats as they spoke about how they were the first Democrat elected to said position in 14 years, 24 years, recent memory. It was inspiring to hear about successful Democratic inroads in such a Republican state. It gave me so much hope to know that I wasn't alone as a Democrat in Colorado.

Finally, I got the experience of seeing how our local political machine works and to see that I need to become more involved in it at some level to help it work better. Oh, and I got an Obama button and and Obama sign, cool.

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I'm standing in the cold waiting to get into the school. On the way here there were a hundred Hillary signs lining the median. Then in the school parking lot they have a motorhome with giant Hillary signs. I didn't see hardly any other signs.

Considering the fact that the votes at the lower level are just being tallied up and Obama already won at that level, it a little sad. I really don't think any of the Obama delegates are going to change their minds at this point.

It all just smacks of the desperation of someone who knows they are involved in a lost cause.

6th Congressional District Assembly & Convention

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The movie was awesome. It's the best Marvel Comics movie ever.

You must see this movie, seriously, go see it, now!

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In discussing the price of gas on another site I just came up with a though. I don't know if it's a prediction of the future or what, but I'm putting it out there.

Grief counselors at gas stations. They would help ease the blow of paying those $4 to $10 per gallon prices in the coming months and years.

Of course, I don't know if this would be included in the price of gas or if it would be an optional service paid by the customer. It's still in the idea stages.

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Well, it's been about two weeks since my panicked post about the Continental 6. Time for an update.

The Regency Stadium 10 Big Screen is undergoing the renovations that have been talked about for a long time. They put up a red "Regency Stadium 10 Big Screen" sign on the top half of the Marquis where it used to say "United Artists" a few days ago. It's ugly, boring and it suuuuucks! Still, it's good news that the Continental isn't going away, just changing again.

Then, yesterday I saw that they are putting a digital marquis up in the place of the old one that was removed, prompting my initial panic. I guess that's a good idea. When you think about it the fact that they have to get up on a lift to change the letters on a marquis 20+ feet in the air every week is a bit archaic.

I'm going to try to get a picture of the new marquis to show how ugly it is. Bonnie could have designed a much better sign.

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I miss "this" Bill. I voted for him twice and I think his advice is very good. I know it's helps me decide who I vote for.

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