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(one of the hardware stores has an old guy who calls all young women "honey" and is helpful but makes me nervous...)

Aww. He doesn't sound too scary. Joint compound is like a very thick frosting, you apply it with a trowel into and over the top of the hole so that it is flush with the wall. It will shrink as it dries, so on the deeper or larger holes, you may have to do a couple of applications. That's why I said it was a pain in the butt; apply, dry, sand, apply, dry, sand! When it is sufficiently smooth, use a very slightly damp paper towel, or a tack cloth and make sure all the dust is off the wall before you paint. This would work for those pinholes Corin mentioned. If you can find them, use your finger to work the joint compound into the holes and smooth as much a possible. When it's dry, sand like the rest.

The joint compound gets lighter as it dries, so if you see a place that has a light and darker area, it is not fully dry. You don't need THAT much, unless you have lots of nasty places on the wall. If you can find a 1 or 2 lb. bucket, that ought to do it for a small space or not too heavy job.

OK, you guys wanna hear the latest news on my office project?

I went to the hardware store and the paint store yesterday afternoon, and told BOTH places what the situation is and asked their advice. They both said that it didn't sound like I needed to do anything major, but that I SHOULD try getting that last old layer of wallpaper off. I asked the paint store folks how to go about that, and he told me it SHOULD just come off with hot water, and that I could mix in some vinegar for the tough spots. I applied it with just a roller, and it WORKS! Old wall paper scrapes right off, easily. And they said all I have to do after that is spackle and paint. I don't really have any major holes, so I don't think I need the joint compound. The drywall is in pretty good shape, actually...a few scuffs, but nothing major.

I did get some primer, as the paint folks said it's really best to put on a coat of primer especially if you aren't painting over anything but bare drywall. So that should help as well.

I probably won't get around to painting for a few more weeks...I still have two walls to strip, and then I need to go over all the walls again with a sponge to get off old paste before spackling, sanding, and priming.