This is hard work! Part One of Three or Four.

When I was a freshman in college, the guys I lived with in ramp J of T.O. Walton Hall played this game, "Generals: Command and Conquer". You were supposed to try to build an army and defeat the enemy. You could build runways for jets, underground tunnels for troops, and bunkers for artillery. I was never any good, but I watched them play a lot. Your construction guys were basically slave labor and when they had been building for a while they always said, "This is hard work!" It was very robotic-esque and sounded like, "Thees es haurd wurk!" Now, whenever I'm hot, tired, and completely worn out, I say that to myself like the little slaves from Generals: This is hard work!

I tell you that because I said that to myself today. It's a Saturday. I shouldn't be saying things like that! I know, but it's Valentine's Day. In an effort to woo my bride I took it upon myself to try to extend my talents by offering to re-stain our coffee table as a gift. This morning, after Becky made me some excellent bacon and eggs and blueberry muffins, sipping my coffee, and after reading up on Ralph and Nadine McCampbell of Island City, Missouri, we went to Lowe's, yes Lowe's, to pick out our stain and buy the necessary supplies.

Becky picked out a great stain, while I found some 80 grit sandpaper to remove the old stain and some semigloss polyurethane to finish up with. After stopping by Becky's parents to borrow their sander again, we came home and I got to work. I don't have the most ideal working conditions. I do not have an enclosed garage or saw horses. I only have a covered car port, a nickel in my pocket, and a dream. Maybe that's too dramatic.

I got started sanding. It took me about an hour and half to get it where it needed to be to stain. I took a quick break, had Becky give her approval, and started staining the top. I put a coat on, sanding it with some 220, then applied another coat of stain. As of now, it's in our living room with the top stained and the rest sanded down. It looks very cottage-like, so I thought I'd show Becky and give her the option of taking it as is or having me finish staining it.

I think I will finish staining it tomorrow and give it a good sanding. Small group was canceled tomorrow evening, so I may even be able to put on a coat of polyurethane.

Check out some of the pictures below: