Thanks for sharing. Agree it's a good idea to be flexible depending on the traffic, day and time.
Re the bus problem, I found that the most accident-prone tiem is when a bus is about to leave a stop, especially if it's a careless driver who doesn't pay enough attention to the mirror. Now I usually let them go and don't rush to pass, since I read about the fatal accident this past January.
In my city, the bus drivers learn they need to be assertive as they pull out into traffic, or else they won't ever be able to pull out. (I'm a bike commuter who also rides the bus in bad weather, so I have some sympathy for the drivers). You almost never see cars slow down or stop when a bus starts to pull into traffic ahead. As many aggressively pass as possible, even fully crossing the double yellow to make their pass. This is something I definitely keep in mind when passing a bus. The driver really has to move when there's a chance, and there may be some terminally impatient drivers coming from behind.
The bus driver is most likely looking in the mirror, but I don't know if they will always "see" a cyclist in the situation.
I second FB's suggestion to look to the right to see how many passengers are waiting to get on.