Today I had my first real experience working with drywall. My 1925 vintage house came complete with an old coal-converted-to-oil burning furnace. Early on we had that old octopus removed and replaced with a new, more efficient oil furnace. Of course, we also got smaller, more efficient ductwork which left us with a gap in the wall of the basement bedroom. Patching that sucker has been on my to-do list for years. Like I tell my wife, eventually some items on my to-do list do get done, and today was the day.

The difficulties I encountered weren't all that memorable and I'm too lazy to embellish them. Suffice it to say, I live too much in the electronic world. It's real easy to type in the proper coordinates to build a box layout, or even (I would imagine) an architectural drawing. A real world ruler, on the other hand, requires one to pay attention not only what numbers you measure, but how the thing is lined up. I ended up whittling the last piece of drywall to get it to fit into the space. (I somehow doubt that one's in the Home Depot do-it-yourself guide.)

Of course, now I have to tape up the gaps and paint it all. Noodles will have to help there. If she doesn't talk me out of delegating the task to Poodlepums, we'll end up with a mural in the basement.