[gjbingham]

Wayne, it sound workable.

I reread the plans today. It calls for cutting down the size of the bricks to 2X2X4.5 inches. This makes the bricks stick much better because the weight is so much less.

I found the first brick in the row the hardest to keep in place. I used Dave's stick method, then gave it a few minutes to solidify, then alternated ends of the row that I put the next brick. The previous row seems to suck the excess moisture out of the mortar and after a few minutes, you don't have to worry about them anymore.
George