I will confess that more paste came out of the tube than I intended but I spread it out evenly to correct that, but if I did put too much on, do you have any techniques that are safe to clean some of it off? Right now I have the processor laying upside down so the paste is on a newspaper.
Once I have an idea on how to clean it (if possible) I'm going to rebuild, check to see that the heatsink is secured properly, and hope that it cools down. If not then my plan of attack is to order a new fan...or maybe attempt water cooling since my case supports it. Sound good to you guys?