Last night (due to 100-degree heat) I started working on the decking.  We chose cedar as we plan on some fencing and a gazebo using the same wood and the maintenance isn’t that difficult for our deck design.  I worked late in the night until nearly 1AM and then needed sleep for my workday, but managed to get the flashing down, almost half the decking installed and stained the top of the joists and outer rim boards.

Beneath the slider I installed L-shaped flashing to allow water to run over the ledger and prevent any rotting or water collection behind the trim (when I install some).

My shipment of cedar decking arrived late in the afternoon and I stacked the pieces and prepared for installation that evening.

A trick I learned was to run some stain on top of all the joists to protect them from water damage over time.  Water can collect under the decking on top of the joists and this will prevent rotting and improve wear.  Also, if you apply the decking before completely drying, it acts as a partial glue and may help prevent creaking.  Another trick is to gap the boards about 1/8 inch apart to allow for adequate air flow and a place to sweep off debris.  Using a speed square, it makes it convenient as it will rest on the boards and you just slide it along for a nice consistent gap.

I managed to secure almost 1/2 of the decking the first night but it was getting late.  I’ll secure the rest tonight and trim and stain tomorrow mid-morning (when no bugs are out) and the deck should be ready to use by Sunday.

In parallel, I hired a Bobcat operator to clear out the dirt and prepare the adjacent area for a concrete patio, extending our outdoor area another 30 feet.  We’re also installing a new path and sidewalk from the garage and it all should be done by Tuesday.

July 8-9

The deck is stained and the patio is prepared for pouring the slabs.

Prior to completing the decking installation, we layed down some 4mil plastic (and doubled it) to provide barrier and prevent things from growing under the deck.

I had to remove/re-install some boards and adjust the gap to make sure the last board reached the end of the deck.  After completing the installation, Jamie and I stained the deck.

Now the deck is stained and we continue work on the patio.

The patio area ground is prepared and fill dirt brought in and packed down.

Forms are in place and ready to pour concrete the next day.

Please visit: www.montanaworker.com and spread the word.  I’m getting feedback that more businesses are using the service and benefitting.  Many applicants have been called in for interviews and now word is spreading throughout the state.  The service is free.

We wanted a simple yet effective way to centralize our online recruiting as we begin to grow our team at Goomzee and decided to share the technology with all businesses.  The way I see it, the more businesses using it, the more qualified applicants we can also attract so it’s a win-win.  We have no plans to solicit donations nor sell advertising, just free jobs posting service for Montana businesses and online resume storage for all.  Enjoy and tell others!

Recently a friend and advisor turned me onto a site I had not yet heard of called TheFunded.com.  It includes contacts and reviews for thousands of investment funds aimed and providing fuel for entrepreneurs who have or are seeking funding.  There’s some very insightful reviews and you have to take everything on a case-by-case basis but I’d recommend checking it out if you are seeking outside capital and have or are lining up meetings with investment firms.

Although we are still ramping up for our local pilot before mass marketing, after only 1 week of publishing our new website, we are already #1 in Google’s natural search for

Real Estate Text Message Marketing

I was amazed at the rapid climb up the search engine “ladder” but given we’ve been in business for over 3 years and ranking high in search engines already, it further proves that when our e-commerce (stores) customers choose Goomzee, just by our linking to their site gives them a better chance of being found online.

Click the Google link above and be sure to click Goomzee’s link and learn about this exciting new service that will be available nationwide after the holidays.

http://www.goomzee.com has enhanced it’s online presence in preparation for our new product launch. More content and exciting announcements will appear both here and on the site real soon.

For over 2 years, the dream of “bringing the light of wireless broadband to shadowed communities” has loomed over my buddy’s head. Well I’m proud to announce that EcliptixNet Broadband received a little light itself in the form of a $529,340.00 check. I’ve been assisting Jeff as time allows (alongside growing Goomzee) to try and help realize his dream, a wireless (wi-fi/wi-max) broadband Internet Service Provider (WISP) that offers connectivity to rural communities from Eastern Washington to Western Montana. Jeff was relentless in his pursuit, at times almost sick to his stomach knowing the opportunity but running into roadblocks along the way. I can relate.

Well as you see from the photo above, the federal grant that provides seed capital to “light up” Springdale Washington is a great first step towards realizing the dream. Jeff is a native Montanan, born and raised in Alberton Montana (30 miles west of Missoula) so he knows very well the challenges many smaller communities face, especially in this technology-driven era. Congratulations Jeff and you see persistance and true passion does come with rewards in due time.

Hello race fans… Just a quick note announcing that our Short Code is ready for testing/certifications with all carriers except Cingular. They should be ready later this week or early next week. Assuming our certification goes well, we’re on track to offer the service as early as mid-November but likely after the 3rd week. Stay tuned!

My cousin, Shane Bemis, is doing very well in the last stretch of his mayoral campaign and has attended four very successful debates. During my prior update to the website we added the endorsement of the local paper, The Gresham Outlook. Recently, The Oregonian also followed suit and supports electing Shane as Mayor of Gresham. I just updated the site recognizing this newest supporter.

Working with his campaign manager, Karylinn Echols of The Tugman Group, I built and published his online campaign site, shanebemisformayor.com. Feel free to check it out and wish Shane “good luck”.

How many times have you been away from your computer and wanted access to a copy of your resume? Montana Worker allows users to post their resume and profiles anonymously, meaning employers cannot view your profile unless you apply for a position. You can use this free service to store and keep an up-to-date resume that will be accessible from any computer connected to the Internet.

Create A Free Account And Optional Private Profile Today!

Business Owners - post your jobs for FREE on MontanaWorker.com. You receive automatic alerts of applicant inquiries, browse all public resumes and can outsource your online recruiting function to MontanaWorker for free. Start posting job positions on the site and simply refer your other ads to the site for applicants to apply. To help cover costs of providing this free service, we have an optional premium listing for $10, however that is purely optional.

Google search for Montana Jobs - see the add

Please visit: www.montanaworker.com and spread the word. I’ve decided to sponsor a comprehensive career website for Montana employers and jobseekers. This service will be sponsored by Goomzee and provide this service free of charge for all. Anyone can post and have a place to centralize their resume and profile - they can choose if it’s visible by employers or not so not just for people looking for jobs.

There is an optional Premium job posting that receives priority listing and color highlights for any employers who would like a little extra notice. The fee is only $10 and helps cover costs of providing this free service. That is purely optional but I aim to help folks statewide by connecting employers and jobseekers.

Other services available at local Universities and also Julie Foster’s great work with Montana Jobs Network (montana-jobs.net) are also available. Thanks for spreading the word and if people like this new service, I will invest some more into making it known throughout the state.

My cousin Shane is running for Mayor of Gresham Oregon. Gresham is a suburb of Portland and Oregon’s 4th largest city. I agreed to contribute to the campaign by designing and building/publishing his campaign website: shanebemisformayor.com.

If you are a resident of Gresham, or interested in following the campaign for the November 7 election, please take a moment to visit the site.

Thanks for your support!

The new Goomzee service, LeadsByCell, will be launching sooner than expected. We have been approved by 5 of the top 10 US wireless carriers already and only await the remaining 5 before fully testing our short code and system. Furthermore, we worked out some issues with our billing system and will be leveraging the same for both services (hosted e-commerce stores and leadsbycell subscriptions).

When we launch, we’ll support text messaging with the following carriers:

• Cingular (orange)
• Cingular (blue)
• Verizon
• Sprint
• Alltel
• T-Mobile
• Virgin Mobile
• US Cellular
• Boost Mobile
• Nextel
• Dobson

I was a little concerned that smaller towns that dont have these carriers would not be able to benefit from our services but have ran tests with some rural providers and it looks like they leverage the national providers’ networks. When we launch, we should have true nationwide reach .

To learn more, feel free to visit our site as we continue to develop the design, content and integrate all our systems in preparation for launch. Feedback is always welcome.

The garage in back is already a 1-1/2 car detached garage with a carport. I decided to enclose the whole thing and will knock out the wall so we’ll have a small workshop and park both vehicles inside. As I aim to finish the sprinkler system tomorrow (Monday), I decided to frame in the east wall so we could mount the sprinker system control box inside.

It is always best to install the control box in a place where you can view the yard. This way you can test zones and be sure they turn on or off. Here are some photos of my progress. I still have to cut a remaining sheet and then add some screws in some areas to really secure all the sheets to the studs.

I took measurements and planned out my “shopping list” before visiting the local Home Depot. As they were open on Sunday and I got the urge for this project just around lunch time, we didn’t shop around and just bought everything there.

The sheets were only $12-13 each and the studs (8-footers) were only $1.99 each. The treated 2×4s were just under $5 each and boxes of nails were $3 and $5 respectively. We bought 24 studs, 5 treated 8-foot 2×4s and 6 sheets of 5/8″ sheeting for just over $150.

I pre-cut all the lumber before clearing an area to assemble the walls before putting them in place.

Rather than trying to build the walls in place, it’s best to assemble them on the ground and then put them in place. As you can see, I used pressure treated lumber for the section that touches the concrete and ground and standard lumber for the rest.

My professional photographer, Jamie, caught this “action-packed” photo while I was raising the first wall section. I should have placed some thin foam strips on the ground first under the treated lumber for moisture and bug barrier but instead I will simply use caulking and glue to seal the floor.

Fitting the wall into place before making it plumb with a level, then tacking it into place with nails. After I finish the job I will rent a hammer drill and use a special bolt called “Red Heads” to anchor the bottom plate to the concrete.

Installing the 2nd wall section

New wall with all studs in place. Now I prepare for installing the sheeting.

Installing the first sheet is very important. You must make sure it is square so all the other sheets you install and butt up against it will all fit.

View from the inside. Now I did not take into account the 4×4 posts that existed so you can see that the sheet does not end on a stud. I will correct this by screwing in 2×4s between the studs that I can nail the sheets against to ensure they have a good hold before siding the garage.

I simply need to cut the remaining sheet and finish fastening the walls. As I have not purchased the garage doors, I am unsure on the rough opening specs so I cannot build the front and back walls yet. Depending on how busy I am this week with all my work projects and meetings, I will try to get those measurements and purchase the materials to finish the garage.

Inside view of new wall. Soon the entire garage will be enclosed and then I will install a beam in the center of the roof so I can knock out the existing wall, opening up the entire garage for 2 cars and a small workshop.

More to come…

When I landscaped the front and side-yards last year, I pre-plumbed the main line and drip tubing for an underground sprinkler system. I felt ambitious 2 weekends ago and borrowed by grandfather’s backhoe and pulled out the old fence. I hired a dump truck and loaded up all the dirt from the landscaping job to be hauled away. Thereafter, my buddy Jamy and I pulled the pipe and installed the sprinkler system - I have to finish the back yard and hook up plumbing and control box (Monday). Here are some pics:

Digging the holes for the sprinkler heads

Sprinkler head hold and poly line

Assembling the sprinkler heads

Plumbing the valves for the 4 front (and side) zones. The white PVC pipe is always pressurized with water and the black valves are what allow water the to various zones supplied by the green poly lines.

Setting the sprinkler heads in the ground, splicing into the poly line for that zone.

Burying the head. First you scrape back in the dirt and then re-use the sod that you cut away, making sure the the heads are packed in very tight and flush with the level of the ground.

I have actually ran the front and size zones manually while I wait to finish the system. The grass is greener already and starting to repair from the pipe pulling and digging. It should be repaired before winter and will come back very healthy and green next year.

My cousin, Shane Bemis, is running for Mayor of Gresham Oregon. I offered to design/build a website for his campaign which should be going live real soon. If you are a registered voter in the Portland/Gresham area, choose Shane!

Elect Shane Bemis for Mayor of Gresham Oregon

I thought I had lost my photos from living in London and finally found them on an unmarked recordable CD. I thought I would post some missing team photos for my buddies back at BT to enjoy.

I am top-left, along with my client counterpart, Julian. We managed the delivery and migration of a major portal. It’s so great to find this photo because even though I don’t remember all the names, I remember the personalities of every single one - what a great bunch of people.

The onshore delivery team after a long night - Steve and I sponsored dinner and we celebrated a successful launch. I managed the overall delivery of the project, overseeing nearly 70 people from 6 companies on 2 continents - we had plenty of reason to celbrate as it was an uphill battle all the way.

I enjoyed getting in the trenches and working with the delivery teams out at Stockley Park (near Heathrow). It was the one place I didn’t have to wear a suit. I spent at least 3 days per week out there while development was underway then spent the rest with the business or at Accenture’s Old Bailey office near St. Paul’s. The commutes were crazy, 2 trains, a bus and walk 1/4 mile (each way) so often I didn’t return home until after midnight. Unfortunately my diet many evenings were a diet coke and twix bar I picked up at the train station.

Some of the Accenture UK office folk out at our dodgy Irish pub next to the Old Bailey office.

Here are some more of the Accenture UK crew, along with who else, Darin Archer. I’m proud to say that his first ever stamp in the old passport was joining me on my return trip from London, staying a week and hitting the town.

In 2005, I actually contracted some of the offshore resources to work on one of my own projects. It was great to work with such a dedicated bunch of folks and I now continue to source work both in India and Europe, usually managing 2-3 projects simultaneously at any given time.

Since mid last year I’ve been designing, clearing roadblocks and managing internal, onshore, nearshore and offshore builds of Goomzee’s multimodal interaction framework (MMI Framework) which allows for rapid scripting of voice, mobile, email and instant messaging - based applications or services. At first we were going to pitch the framework but recently switched gears and identified a few use-cases that could leverage the technology internally to build out new businesses.

One will be a service call management system, self service portal and communications gateway. In the short term, I decided to capitalize on another opportunity that I can bring to market very quickly and provide the most value to both customers and end users. That will be a text-message, voice and email based lead generation service called LeadsByCell.com.. This service will place buyers and sellers in touch, leveraging today’s mobile, Internet and voice technology.

Be on the lookout for the launch of this new service. Not only will we offer this to sellers (and/or agents), we hope to leverage this in our own marketing campaigns as well.

A free online search tool that allows users to enter in a drug name and identify whether alternatives exist is now live!

Late 2005 I kicked off a small project to create a program that automatically downloads the US Food & Drug Administration database files each week after they update them. This program loads the information into a database. I then built a web service that exposes queries to retrieve information from the database that may be useful for whomever leverages that information. The first operation is getGenerics which returns generic alternatives for a specified drug. To demonstrate how one could leverage this information, I published:

http://www.genericdrugfinder.com

Through Google AdSense and future affiliate relationships, the site can actually earn money leveraging a free web service. Goomzee will be publishing more services and showing people how to earn money by using them real soon. Stay tuned!

Almost there. I have lighting, mirror and towel bars and it’s complete. Here are photos of assembling vanity, toilet and current progress:

Dry-fitting fixtures before setting/sealing.

The new g-max flush system from Toto. No swirl and very quiet yet you could flush a dozen golf balls without any issue. I’ll save them for the course though!

Cut-outs for water and trap lines.

Faucet and drain installation.

Vanity, toilet and faucet installed.

New bathroom with fixtures installed.

Some accessories were left by friend Jeff Northcutt to our surprise upon returning home after our wedding night. Thanks Jeff!