Month: October 2025

Not everything requires teamwork

~ SA Otey

The phrases “Teamwork makes the dream work” and “There’s no ‘I’ in team” certainly have their time and place. However, not every challenge requires a team-based approach. When a problem needs to be solved, it’s important to recognize that not everyone brings the same level of expertise or understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

If a ditch needs to be dug, why not use the most efficient tool available? For example, not everyone knows how to operate a backhoe—but if someone does, it makes sense to let that person take the lead. The job gets done quickly and effectively, and everyone benefits. Just because everyone can use a shovel doesn’t mean everyone should. Nor is it the responsibility of the person with the specialized skill to train everyone else before the work can begin. The team’s lack of familiarity with a tool shouldn’t prevent it from being used to achieve the best result.

On the other hand, if the task is to plant a small shrub, a shovel will do just fine. But again, not every member of the team needs to take a turn digging the hole. Some tasks are better handled by individuals with the right tools or experience, rather than by the entire team working in unison.

Why are there teal pumpkins?

~ SA Otey

Teal pumpkins exist so that kids know which homes to skip during trick or treat. It’s great that people want to include kids who can’t eat candy, but it also gives a heads-up to those who don’t want to waste their time. There are better things to do and more full-size candy bars to find. If my child were allergic to candy, then we wouldn’t participate at all. It would be a relief that we didn’t have to walk the neighborhood filled with displays of Wanton violence and Satanism.

Punishing people with Healthcare Prices

~ SA Otey
ambulance architecture building business
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

For as long as I’ve been employed I’ve had healthcare coverage. However, I worked for a company that doesn’t provide those benefits, I was on my own to purchase. First of all, it shouldn’t be called Healthcare, it’s really more like catastrophic sick care. The only reason you need it is if you wind up in the hospital, so that you don’t ruin your life financially.

Why punish people who make more money? I get the same coverage as my neighbor, but I’m paying twice as much because I make more money. That makes no sense. It’s like paying twice as much for gasoline and groceries just because I bring home more green. Sure, I could shop at Whole Foods or Earth Fare, but I shop at Aldi and Walmart because Blue Cross and Blue Shield are bleeding you dry. I guess this is what we call paying our fair share?

Tax reform doesn’t seem to matter. Whatever minimal break I get on the taxes won’t begin to cover the heaping piles of cash my healthcare provider is raking in. I’ll get the same (or worse) coverage for an exponential rate increase.

Are you a cat person?

~ SA Otey
IMG_1015
Found at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa

You really don’t own a cat, they own you. Here’s why cats are better than dogs.

  • They clean themselves, which makes them…
    • Smell better (minus the litter box part)
  • They feed themselves by catching critters, which reduces the need for pest control
  • They are quiet
  • They provide a calming effect when they sit on your lap and purr.
  • You can travel without them, no more than three days without a house sitter. They do get lonely and then upset and take a dump on your mattress

Accoutrements Crazy Cat Lady Action Figure Multicolored, 8″

Halloween Decorating Ideas

~ SA Otey

Since everyone is now decorating their yard for the Holiday, I thought I’d mention the best Halloween setup I’ve seen so far.

  • Police Tape – roped off area around the driveway
  • Police Car – lights flashing with an officer taking notes
  • Murdered Body – bloody sheet covering a body
  • CSI Agents – placing items in bags with precision
  • Body Removal – hauled away in a vehicle
  • Crying Family

Hmm, Maybe that wasn’t a Halloween setup.

How to fail at running an AirBNB

~ SA Otey
IMG_0210
Shower head repair

I’ve never stayed at an Airbnb aka “Murder Bed and Breakfast”, and hope never to. I’ve compiled a list of everything you need to do to be a terrible host and make sure no one comes back.

Don’t be Home / Don’t Answer the Door

If you are expecting company, simply don’t be there to greet them. This will cause an unsettling feeling in your guests that they’re at the wrong house or have the dates mixed up. You can also invite them to stay and not tell them you are inviting others, and work out a deal with your neighbor so they can sleep there.

Don’t clean your house

Dirt piles in corners, dust bunnies hovering, and diarrhea backsplash in the toilet are just a few things that show you don’t care about yourself or your guests. Broken fixtures in the guest bathroom will also build a growing angst in your guests. If you have pets make sure that when they take a dump or pee on the floor you ignore it. Be sure to store all of your dirty clothes in the guest bathroom too. Dirty dishes piled up that are attracting subterranean creatures will discourage the use of the kitchen.

Don’t have any food

Especially food your guest might like. Don’t plan ahead and stockpile the fridge with their favorites. Turn your place into a bed and make your own breakfast. Keep old cereal and just enough milk to cover the bottom of the bowl. Hide your good coffee and only offer Keurig.

Hide and Go Seek

Make it hard to find towels and washcloths. Keep the good towels in your bathroom so that your half-naked guest has to rummage around your hallway linen closet and dry off with discolored hand towels. Keep the toilet paper anywhere but in the guest bathroom so that you cause the current hand towel to become discolored.

Stay up Late

Long after your guests have turned in, keep up your loud antics of yelling at sporting events. Random bursts of laughter from the poker or board game will surely inspire insomnia for the next few hours.

Sleep in

There is nothing quite as awkward as waking up in someone else’s home while they’re still sleeping. It’s like you’ve broken into their home and you’re trying not to startle them from sleep. They might forget you’ve spent the night, which leads to you being on the receiving end of a buckshot breakfast.

Conclusion

Hopefully, your guests didn’t pack their bags and sneak out of your house in the middle of the night because they didn’t get a good shower or a hearty meal and are covered in bugs, cat urine, and dog poop.

Getting Started with DTOs

~ SA Otey

A DTO is a plain C# class used to transfer data between layers (e.g., from your API to your Blazor client). It helps decouple your internal models from what you expose externally.

Create DTOs in a Shared Project

To share DTOs between your Blazor WASM and API:

  • Create a Shared project (e.g., MyApp.Shared)
  • Add DTO classes there so both the Blazor client and API can reference them.
// MyApp.Shared/DTOs/ProductDto.cs
public class ProductDto
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; } = string.Empty;
    public decimal Price { get; set; }
}

In your ASP.NET Core Web API:

[ApiController]
[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class ProductsController : ControllerBase
{
    [HttpGet]
    public ActionResult<List<ProductDto>> GetProducts()
    {
        var products = new List<ProductDto>
        {
            new ProductDto { Id = 1, Name = "Widget", Price = 9.99M },
            new ProductDto { Id = 2, Name = "Gadget", Price = 19.99M }
        };
        return Ok(products);
    }

In your Blazor client project:

@inject HttpClient Http

@code {
    private List<ProductDto>? products;

    protected override async Task OnInitializedAsync()
    {
        products = await Http.GetFromJsonAsync<List<ProductDto>>("api/products");
    }
}

Or use a service class:

public class ProductService
{
    private readonly HttpClient _http;

    public ProductService(HttpClient http)
    {
        _http = http;
    }

    public async Task<List<ProductDto>?> GetProductsAsync()
    {
        return await _http.GetFromJsonAsync<List<ProductDto>>("api/products");
    }
}

Tips for DTO Design

  • Keep DTOs flat and simple.
  • Avoid exposing domain entities directly.
  • Use nullable types if fields may be missing.
  • Use records if immutability is preferred:

Fall is the worst season of the year

~ SA Otey
IMG_1322

I used to love the fall season, but now…

  1. Seasonal Affective Disorder is real
  2. All clients at work want everything done so they can relax by Thanksgiving and Christmas.
  3. Crazy busy with sports
  4. Cold air now makes my bones and back hurt
  5. Mold is in the air and makes me sick
  6. Dead leaves are depressing, messy, and moldy
  7. Pumpkin spice is disgusting and should be on the controlled substance list
  8. Make sure you start Christmas shopping early enough to enjoy the Holiday season.
  9. We have to mess with the clocks so it gets dark too early.

How to Perfectly Fry Potatoes Every Time

~ SA Otey
Keep your freezer full of fries

My favorite diet has been the slow carb diet, potatoes have been a staple of the cheat day. In fact, I try to have them at every meal. Crispy rounds for breakfast, waffles fries for lunch, and tater tots for dinner.

I bought a small deep fryer just for potatoes. I use only peanut oil to fry them. First I fry crank up the heat to 375 degrees and I flash fry them for 30 seconds. I pull them out and let the oil reach the maximum temperature once again. I then fry them for another 1 to 2 minutes until they start to float or look golden brown. Double frying them as described produces the coveted, “crispy on the outside, tender on the inside” cliche.

I’m probably eating so many taters because my potassium gets so low because this diet sucks it out of my body. There’s probably a more healthful way to eat taters, but I only got one day to eat them, and one life to live.

Don’t use your turn signal

~ SA Otey
auto tail light

Today I was making a right-hand turn and my light was green. I ignited my turn signal and an 18-wheeler made a left in front of me as I hit the brakes. He waved and thanked me as he passed in front of me and as my life passed before my eyes. What choice did I have? I could have made the choice to not use my turn signal and made my turn safely. To be honest, the turn signal is useless in our modern driving society.

If you use your signal on the interstate, it notifies the driver on the left or right to close the gap and not let you over. Don’t think, don’t blink, just go! They will pretend you ram you anyway, and then throw their hands up in disbelief of your actions.

I don’t trust anyone who uses their turn signal before they enter my subdivision. I wait until they commit to the turn before they go. One time, they started their turn changed their mind, and kept going forward. I don’t know if I want to drive anymore.