I've nearly finished the drywall work in my dining room and hallway, after taking several days on the project that I might otherwise have used to fish and mow the grass, my usual, and much more enjoyable, springtime activities.

It seems that the grass is taller earlier than I remember it being in years prior, but its not reached the point of alarm for me yet. Then again, I think it nearly reached the windows behind the house last year before I ever really got concerned, so my level of concern is not likely a good gauge of height.

I suppose it is badly in need of a mowing, but I'll get to that sometime over the next week or so. If not, I'll work on it the following week. The garden is also needing some attention, but I've had no time for that either.

My focus has definitely been on remodeling. After getting almost all of the mud and tape work done, finishing up with sanding in the evenings after work, I still lack a few odd pieces of drywall and need to get everything sanded and coated with primer.

For a fellow not all that familiar with taking on the entire process himself, I think the work is going well. Even the corners turned out well, despite the fact that they are definitely a little more tricky. Luckily I only had one outside corner and four inside corners, so most of my joints were on flat walls.

The floor trim and ceiling trim will be more than adequate to cover most of my other problems, but that'll be something that has to be put in place later.

I've been told that the room will be resplendent with wallpaper in the near future. As for me, I'd be perfectly happy just being able to go to the bathroom without needing to take a detour around the jumbled jungle of misplaced furniture, construction tools and drywall scraps. Drywall finishing has been an eye-opening experience for me. It is a job that I never really tried before, since I know a few fellows who excel in that area. It's sometimes easier to pay someone to do a specialist's work than it is to attempt it oneself. However, since my ‘specialist' drinks his breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner from an aluminum can, I opted to forego the drama and take on the job myself. After all, with the cost of gas, just going to get him to do the work would cost quite a bit, let alone financing his many and constant personal beverage needs.

While I had not done much in the way of finishing, I did have a good idea of how that works, what with having seen it done multiple times.

Since I didn't have what I needed to get started, I went out and purchased a new eight-inch drywall knife and a bucket of premixed mud. While I remained slow and inefficient at it, I learned that it is very possible to finish drywall without outside help.

I'm a rather messy sort, and drywall mud will apply just as easily to the carpet as it does to the walls. It also would appear to apply rather well to one's clothes, hair and shoes, to which I can readily attest. And let me tell you, hitting my hair by accident isn't an easy thing to do these days and it's getting more difficult all the time.

A really good finisher can apply the mud in two coats and need very little sanding to be called a finished product. My work, on the other hand, was not that good.

That's really better, since sanding provided me with good exercise. A lot of people pay money to undertake periods of unnecessary exercise, so perhaps I should be glad that I'm getting to do it for free. This is one of those cases in point—just because something is good for you doesn't mean it will be enjoyable.

Adding to the exercise fun is the fact that drywall dust may be the finest substance known to mankind. I think it can penetrate even down to the very corners of the soul. You don't just see the dust, you wear it, breathe it and taste it. By the time I finished the first wall, I was starting to turn pale. By the time I finished, I looked like a woebegone mime after a hard day in the park.

I have sanded more than a little bit of drywall and I never cared much for it. Then again, no construction is entirely pleasant as it moves forward, but the result is worth the effort. My account balance at the builder's supply is getting a bit over-inflated these days, unlike my wallet. Where are those tax rebate checks when you really need one? At least the government won't have to worry whether or not I'll spend mine this year. It's already gone. Does that mean the economy will improve? You definitely couldn't prove it by me as I stand outside the gas station wondering which credit card on which to finance my gas purchase. Who would have thought we might be making payments on gasoline in the future? It may come to that.

With diesel over $4 a gallon, I can't justify driving the truck very much. I've been scampering about in the little car most of the time, but it doesn't do a very good job of hauling drywall. Luckily, I don't need any more.