Swimming Pool Build
Our family has always enjoyed having a pool. When we bought our current home, the one thing it lacked was a backyard where we could all go and spend time as a family, get cooled off on hot days, and simply relax.
After looking at the cost to have a pool built, we initially didn’t think it was something we could afford, but we discovered that there is a significant cost savings when you build it yourself.
Where a pool contractor makes his money is in walking a homeowner through the process of determining what they want, drawing up plans, coordinating with subcontractors, and making sure everything is finished according to the original design. For doing all that, they earn a well-deserved profit.
Since I could do all of the things a pool contractor does, I decided to build our little oasis myself.
This drone photo shows the finished pool with landscaping nearly completed.
Cabin Remodel
As a family, we love to spend time together. Over the years, we’ve always enjoyed a place to decompress, recharge, and have some fun. “Camp Carlson” was our little slice of land in the mountains where we could go to fish, hike, ride mountain bikes, and just get away from the daily grind that life can often bring.
When we bought this little place in 2005, it was in serious need of some TLC. Originally built in 1961, our home-away-from-home had been remodeled once before by the previous owner in the mid-1980’s, but it was sorely outdated.
My family, with the help of a few close friends, completely gutted the place and hung new sheetrock, moved walls, updated all the trim including doors and windows, and generally brought the place up to date.
Computer Programming
I’ve been fascinated by computers and programming since the early 1980’s. My interest began with software I wrote for various projects in junior high and high school. Even though personal computers were just gaining popularity at the time, I didn’t see myself going full time into a computer-oriented profession because I couldn’t stomach the idea of sitting in an office all day and staring at a computer screen. Little did I know that several future-chapters in my life would involve computers, computer programming, and the Internet.
When I was in the tech industry in the late 1990’s, I wrote and published numerous software applications and web sites. Since focusing on a career in the medical field, programming and web site development have taken a back-seat role to my professional interests. Since the two are so closely intertwined, I’ve managed to keep my skills relatively current and have even managed to develop an application designed for nursing administration. When built properly, Intranet web sites can prove to be a valuable tool to improve an organization’s communications and productivity.
I’ve listed three of my most recent applications and have included highlights regarding their purpose and function. All sites are the property of their respective owners and are password protected.
Staff Switchboard
Collaborating with managers, educators, and charge nurses to develop this project for the hospital unit where I worked, I was able to identify and key in on specific needs. The Switchboard, as we call it, started out as a tool to track over-staffed areas, call-offs, sick calls, and overtime shifts. It underwent extensive updating to eliminate seldom used modules and include new ones to track skills, certifications, and training.
Switchboard Highlights
- All code written in php, CSS, HTML, and driven by a MySQL database.
- Secure, password protected data stored dynamically via a web page
- Shift tracking and reporting
- Skills and patient care tracking and reporting
- Certification management and reporting, including email notifications of expiration
- Skill level and orientation management for the ICU Educator
HQ – Work Order and Time Management Portal
Head Quarters, or HQ, was developed to help a media and graphic design firm manage their work and track time that employees spent on each job. The goal of the project was to improve billing efficiency, productivity, and collaboration, while reducing duplication and office paper. Managers can assign employees various tasks, establish milestone dates, and track the time spent on each project to ensure clients are billed accordingly. Client management tools are also included.
HQ Highlights
- Point and click work order system with status and tracking
- Employee notification of new and modified work orders assigned to them
- Work order reconciliation to billing features
- Extensive time sheet tracking and reporting
- Client contact management
Homeowner (information) Management Database (HMD)
The Arnold Lilac Park Homeowners Association (ALPHA) is located in the quiet town of Arnold, California. Nestled in the pines up above the snow line, this HOA community is home to some 210 full and part time homeowners. Established in 1959, the association board is a diverse group of people with various skills and talents and one common thread between them: a love for their community.
One of the operational changes I made once I was elected president of the board was to how information regarding homeowners was stored. Instead of using a paper address book and ledger, I created a complete tool for managing the day-to-day activities of the association. A web site was created and promoted to all homeowners, many of whom have come to rely on it for information regarding wild fire activity, adverse weather conditions, and HOA / community events that take place in the area.
HMD Highlights
- Complete homeowner contact management
- Vendor information management
- Facilities use tracking and reporting
- Complete POS system with inventory management
- HOA document management tools
- Many HMD functions are integrated with WordPress CMS to allow homeowner access to vital information
- Email broadcast management tools