A bit better, atleast everything is where it should be, albeit a blotchy mess of burnt solder flux there from all the work. The IC took a bit of work to get right. One or two pins weren't well-connected to their pads, so a bit of flux and a touch of solder were needed to get a good connection. Good thing is that continuity checks all around can easily reveal such things. It's worth the time and the patience. Same thing with checks for shorts.