The upstairs project is coming along swimmingly. I'm about two days behind where I'd like to be but I think I'll be able to catch up. Cleaning off the walls was rather grotesque. But I'm finished applying putty into the holes in the floor. Tomorrow I'll paint. The next day, I'll pour a self-leveling concrete underlayment to provide a nice even surface for the tile I'll be putting down. It's starting to not look like an admixture of lark's vomit and feline diarrhea.

Even with the progress, though, the clock keeps ticking down. The new cabinetry will get delivered this Friday. The installers arrive shortly after the two weeks we spend in DC trying to find an apartment so it is imperative that the kitchens are ready before we leave.

We're starting to get serious about scoping out apartments. Right now the focus on finding the most affordable 2 bedroom unit we can find in the Woodrow Wilson HS school district. (As a rule of thumb, this is west of 16th and north of the river.) Failing that, we'll branch out to Maryland. But both me and my wife would rather live in the city proper.

Observation: running for president of the United States is very stressful and is probably the most stressful endeavor John McCain has undertaken in decades. Prediction: he's going to crack and start making major missteps before the end of campaign including at least one major temper tantrum that gets caught on video.

I'm tired. Over and out.