Third time's a charm?

Do you love mudding and sanding drywall as much as I do? If you have even a passing interest, then yes you do. But hey, you've gotta do what you've gotta do, right? Such is the glamorous life of a handyman - accidental or otherwise.

This afternoon, I'll be sanding down a thick layer of mud I put around a door frame last Friday. This will be the third time for this particular door frame, and the first in more than three years. See, we had the huge bedroom space in our loft split into two rooms just before our daughter was born. When all was said and done, the doorway to her room was about about three inches higher than the one to ours, which wouldn't have been a big deal if they weren't so close together. As an added bonus, the opening was too tall for the reclaimed school doors we'd bought.

With time running short, I needed to get the walls painted and the tracks and doors hung, so rather than wait for someone to come and lower, drywall and sand it, I took on the task myself. I know, it's still slightly higher than the other. But the cork floor in our daughter's room is slightly higher than the bare concrete in ours, so it works. Plus, the door fits, so I can live with that small detail.

Getting the edges as sharp as the other (professionally-done) frame has been a different story. After two tries, the edges and wall above the door were still a little rough but good enough, so we painted.

Three-plus years later, "good enough" isn't good enough anymore. That door frame mocks me every time I pass by (even in the dark). Last week, I tackled the interior side - which wasn't nearly as rough to begin with. And while it still needs a good painting, it's smooth and the edges are pretty sharp, and I'm happy with it.

Bolstered by that success, part of me is looking forward to this afternoon. Part of me is dreading it. One more unsuccessful attempt just might put me over the edge.

Stay tuned for the results, and wish me luck. I'll probably need it. Badly.