Services

I have opened myself up to hire for several services. I am currently doing odd jobs for people. I have not established a business plan for this yet but am taking on small tasks at least for this summer (2026).

For all but the last one I charge or base my bidding on $30 an hour.

I’m located in Westport and cover that area as well as being in the Lacey area regularly and cover that area as well. Can make special arrangements for other places. For software work I work virtually so you can be from anywhere.

Lawn care and yard work

I have some lawn care equipment and can do mowing, weed eating, hedge trimming (though I should not be used for pruning or for anything that needs plant expertise), brush removal, etc…

I do not have a trailer to cart remains away so rely on your bins for this. If the job requires removal we’ll have to talk about renting or another option.

I use manual labor and battery powered equipment. Have a Ryobi lawn mower and recently invested in an EGO multihead with hedge and string trimmer heads. Also have a chainsaw in storage (gas).

Handyman services

I am far from a carpenter or expert in any of the trades but I am capable with the basics in many. I have some of the basic tools and might be able to perform the task you need. Some of the things I can do are:

• basic framing and box like structures
• drywall (though if you want a nice finish you should get a drywall proffessional)
• sheds and lean to
• basic plumbing
• basic electronics
• hang TVs and other
• might be able to work on your deck.

Linux and other computer stuff

If you are interested in switching to Linux I can help with this. I can install the system, help you learn it, and help you maintain it. I’ve been using the system pretty exclusively since the 90’s.

I also know enough about networking and general computing to help with most small business and home users. I have some experience with Windows systems but none with little with Mac.

If you:

• are having home network issues
• want to try Linux
• want to set up a home server
• want to look into home automation or theater systems
• are considering Steam on Linux for gaming

I can probably help.

Custom ROM installs

If LineageOS comes pre-built for your device and there’s an easy hack or the bootloader is open I can install it for you. I can leave it de-googled or add the necessary stuff to make the play apps work. I can help you navigate the open source, de-googled ecosystem. I can look up the info to tell you if your phone can be done.

Couple things to keep in mind about this service:

• I’ve yet to brick a device but it happens.
• You may not like the result: de-googled android is different and most corporate apps don’t work–replacements can be less polished, lack features, or be simply unavailable.
• I’m still learning to live like this and don’t on a regular yet.
• Upcoming age verification and ID stuff may be especially problematic for custom rom users going forward.

Why might you want it?

• You don’t like the big tech solution and want to have choices (google is locking it all down).
• You are uncomfortable with the amount of snooping standard android does
• You want to choose what apps are on your phone
• You may get performance improvements and improved battery life, but can also get the opposite especially with newer devices.
• You just want full control of your device and this gets you as close as you can get.

Websites

I make simple websites like this one using static site generators and hand coding. I don’t use AI. I try to keep things simple and direct. I’m still learning a lot about it because it’s not been my focus. This website is an example and another is coming soon.

I can also work on themes for various platforms if you wish to customize something.

This includes infrastructure as code for small setups if you desire it. I can set up your server using technologies like docker and terraform (though I use open source stuff exclusively so use tofu here) on cloud services like Digital Ocean. I am not set up to monitor your servers at this time though so that you would have to do on your own though I can be called in for issues. I can also help set up that monitoring.

However, this is just basic setups. For more complex setups that require configuration engineering we’d have to discuss a software engineering contract. This would be for anything needing single-sign on or really is more than one or two services that can be readily configured.

I am not yet hosting websites or handling DNS. I can help you select a host and walk you through the process of pointing your custom domain at it. I myself just use gitlab pages.

3d printing and prototyping

I have a 3d printer (Artilery Sidewinder X2) that does reasonably accurate prints and have had some success creating simple models using OpenSCAD. You might want this service if you:

• are making something new and need to prototype some parts.
• need to replace something that is no longer made
• want to hack something in where it doesn’t belong (example: cup holder where cigarette butts go)
• need a custom lego bit – though this may be beyond my printer’s tolerance, those can be tight.

Arduino programming

This inches into the software engineering territory, but for simple sketches like custom light controllers or something I can throw something together at a reduced rate. You might be interested in this service if you:

• want to build a custom sign with lights (can mimic neon with 3d print also)
• want to integrate electronics into an art piece/toy/tool (stepper/brushless motors, lights, etc…)

Networking and infrastructure

I can pull and wire CAT5/6 cable. Can learn the others. Use me for a spare grunt.

Software Engineering

I have a couple decades of experience in software engineering and development. Most of this work is on back end components and/or desktop systems. I have done work in a multitude of domains including telephony, gaming, and brain computer interfacing. I have specific expertise in C++ and Python as well as in software design in general and agile methodologies.

I don’t AI and don’t have any intention to.

I can be considered as a solo engineer for smaller projects, a lead engineer for smaller teams and non-enterprise systems, and a major contributor for heavier lifting scenarios but you might want someone with more management experience to lead big projects.

I can also be considered for consulting services to help you improve your development process and/or train developers. I don’t have any set materials so for this it would be best to check with me, we can discuss where you are at, and I can see if I have any suggestions or think you could benefit from anything I know–most likely the subject would be in build/test automation (CI/CD), agile process improvement, unit testing and system design, development lifecycles, or C++ specifically.

Hiring me for this usually goes through my Strange Crew LLC business. My rate for starting discussion is $100/hr.