New Ceiling - Well just a part

Today we are getting a "new" ceiling in the dining room area.  I say area, cause the dining room is really just an area between the kitchen and living room.  Why new, because somebody decided a fun way to section off the dining room area would be with a different texture on the ceiling.  Different from the kitchen and living room. 

Stupid as that is, the texture is really just a big bunch of extra mud, it looks like stalactites.  They did it in our bedroom too, but because that is a separate room, I can deal with it.  Here's a close up....

We (me mostly) obsessed about it and came up with the grand idea to remove all of the ceiling drywall in the "room" and have new installed.  We (mostly Bill) knew we couldn't put up the drywall, but we (all me) knew we could remove it.  Unfortunately we have blown in insulation and just had the roof replaced, so the junk that would have fell on our head (me and Bill!!!) would have been gross.

So I call a drywall guy (how do you find a drywall guy in a new community...just look at the trucks as they drive by...so the Drywall Dr got my call) and ask him to provide a quote on how much it would cost to put up new.

He says don't do that, let us scrap and remud.  We (mostly Bill) bought it, so I went along.  He (Rick, the Drywall Dr. )insured us it would be cheaper than replacing the drywall.  So here is the before.....

And then here is the middle.  This poor soul (not Rick, the Drywall Dr, but the guy who works for him, Scott) hand scraped the high points or tips.  and then Rick came in and put up one coat of mud.  I am already happy.