Home Life

Posts about home life.

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Mexican Train Dominoes or How to Pick a Mate

Hello everyone:

As I was playing Mexican Train Dominoes last night, I thought how it would be a great way to pick a potential mate. Stay with me on this for a minute- I know it sounds weird.

How does the person playing against you handle victory? Defeat? Are the other players Type A or Type B personalities? It makes a huge difference in how they play a competitive game, you know.

How does the other person handle losing hand after hand? Does he or she become sullen? Moody? Keep in mind that this is only a game but does he or she take it so seriously that it is impossible to have fun?

How is this person when he or she wins? Does the individual brag or is the person gracious? When talking about the game, does the person congratulate others on a game well-played?

Think about this for a minute or two. How would you like this person as a potential spouse? You will, obviously, have to observe more than one game, but how does the individual treat you? Like your head is full of rocks or as if you are a complete incompetent? Or is the other person’s approach one of condescension, as if someone with your IQ couldn’t win if you were spotted a boatload of points?

On the other hand, is the other one’s attitude that you are a fully capable person who just got a lousy hand?

It makes a HUGE difference, you know. While playing Mexican Train Dominoes might not seem like a good way to pick one’s future spouse, I think this idea has merit. What do you think?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Banana Bread Dreams

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hi everyone:

My mother passed along a fantastic banana bread recipe to me and I would love to share it with you today. Here goes:

Two large, overripe bananas (with lots of brown spots on the skin)

1 stick of margarine or butter, softened

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans (if desired)

1/2 cup of sugar

I egg

I teaspoon of baking soda

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Mash the bananas and set them aside. Cream the butter and add sugar. Beat in the egg. Add the bananas. Add the baking soda and add the flour a little at a time as you mix these ingredients. Mix the ingredients until the flour disappears.

Pour the mixture into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake 50 minutes.

I hope you enjoy it!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Twelve Commandments for a Miserable Marriage

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

I knew a fellow who followed these commandments to a “T.” I hope you don’t know anyone like this, but I would advise not following these ideas if you want to be happy:

Always belittle your wife; point out her every flaw so that she is aware of them.

Show no interest in anything she likes to do; open hostility towards her interests is even better.

When she has a deadline, increase her stress levels as much as possible.

Remind your wife constantly that you are her first, and should be her only, priority.

Show no interest in her life before you; her life began when she met you.

When she is not around and others praise her, be sure not to tell her; praising your wife gives her a big head.

Point out the superior traits of other women. If she’s old, praise younger women.

Invade her privacy whenever you can but ignore her as much as possible.

Humiliate her as often as you can.

Only buy expensive flowers for her when the largest number of people will see them and praise you.

Contradict her whenever possible.

Explain everything; remind her that she’s really very stupid.  

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Happy Father’s Day

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Parents are frequently our unsung heroes. I thought of this as we were celebrating Father’s Day today. Happily, my father is still alive. I am excited for the opportunity to spend time with him in the autumn of his life.

I share memories that he no longer has, like how we used to drive our car on Cocoa Beach and take a picnic dinner onto the sand dunes. We would pick Dad up from his job at the Kennedy Space Center and swim in the waves until Mom had dinner ready. We would eat the meal sitting on the dropped-down tailgate of our station wagon. Sure, dinner sometimes got a little sandy but that was part of the fun.

One thing I have been doing for my grandchildren is to send them letters about their father’s growing up days. I share memories that I have and am creating a written history of his life. Many of the memories I have were of years when he was so young that he doesn’t remember them.

What did you do when you were a child? Do you remember special traditions? These are all things worth the time to write down, whether you are creating memories for your grandchildren, re-visiting your own childhood, or introducing yourself to your new spouse or significant other.

It is fun to think back on earlier years, even as we are moving forward. Do you remember times when there weren’t any cellphones (or even answerphones) and, if you weren’t home, folks simply had to wait to talk to you? Do you go back to the days of party lines, where noisy neighbors would listen in to your conversations? (I think we still have them in some ways, as people chat loudly on their cellphones as they walk in public places. We only hear their half of the conversation but can usually piece together what’s happening. They are our modern version of party lines!)

What special memories do you have of growing up on this Father’s Day Sunday?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Don’t Depend on the Professor to Bail You Out

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

This term has been an interesting one. I have a couple of online students who depended on my grace to get them through the semester.

One claimed he didn’t know we had a semester-end project due. Apparently, he never read the syllabus, the course schedule, any of my announcements, or any of the emails I sent him. He submitted a half-effort the last day of class and then wanted a second chance after the term ended to right his wrongs. I was going to destroy his future if I didn’t give him a B for the class.

Another student refused to concede that she hadn’t turned in three small assignments that added up to enough points to fail her in the class. She argued with me back and forth for several emails until I finally gave up and failed her.

What gives? What are these students thinking? Here’s the scope on success in online courses:

First, don’t sign up for a boatload of classes thinking that you will be able to work full time, go to every one of the games every one of your children has, and be able to have an active social life while you are taking three or four graduate courses at the same time. You won’t make it, unless you never need to sleep.

Next, things have to give a little. It’s better to take your classes one at a time and pass them all but take a little longer to complete your degree than to load up on classes with homework you cannot possibly complete on time and then beg the professor for mercy.

Finally, focus on one class at a time, and cut down on as many activities as you can. This won’t last forever and you want to do your best. You can do this, but please have some common sense.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Light Bulbs Going Off

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Sometimes, it takes a little while before the light bulbs go off. What I mean by this is that some students don’t get themselves together academically for a while. For some, it takes longer than for others.

I once knew a man who had 120 credits (enough for a bachelor’s degree) but he didn’t even have an associate’s degree (60 credits). His wife had even more credits than he did, yet she only had an associate’s degree.

I met a very special lady at the reception before the Baccalaureate service that we had this past Friday. She had taken a class with me three years before. It was a lower level core class, a communication course that everyone had to take. She had been a struggling student, returning to school after about 20 years.

It appeared at first that she might not make it. Happily, she took one of my classes and was willing to accept my critique of her writing. We spent several hours on the phone during that semester, talking twice for extended periods of time. And she made it. She had been an online student and was finally, after three years, graduating with her associate’s degree.

She came over to me at the reception, to introduce herself. It was a real blessing to see this dear woman, having never met her before that moment.

What can we take away from her story? Just that, when you are offered help, take it. Learn from it. Don’t reject your instructor’s offer with the attitude that you don’t need help, Instead, embrace it and you may end up like that gal did- as a college graduate. She’s on her way, beginning work this fall on getting her bachelor’s degree and thinking about a master’s degree. Congratulations, Angie. I’m so very proud of you.

Her light bulb is brightly burning. How about yours?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

This Weekend’s Radio and Television Appearances

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hi Everyone:

I will be on the Andre Whitehead shows this weekend. Here is a list of those appearances. I hope you can tune in. I also hope I didn’t embarrass myself!

This weekend we’ll introduce you to an author, educator and blogger discussing becoming “Suddenly Single!” You just have to meet Sheri Dean Parmelee on TV Sat 7am WGNT/27 in Tidewater, Sun 9am on CW Central VA. Sheri will also be on our Radio show Sun 8am atWLNI.com.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

P.S. Sorry, wrong picture…. I was going for a microphone…such is life.

Dress for the Job You Want, not the Job you Have

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

The title of this blog posting is the best advice I ever got when entering the work force. Sure, there are times when you can’t, such as when you are forced to wear a uniform (or a “costume,” as they told us at WDW), but I have followed my own advice for 12 1/2 years.

When I was teaching at a small community college, I always wore a suit jacket and skirt or dress pants. My colleagues frequently attired themselves in shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers. I now teach for a major university, while they are still employed at the community college. I always dressed up; this lead to my not having any behavior problems with my students, in comparison to my co-workers, who did. I called my students “ladies” and “gentlemen” and expected them to behave that way. They did.

So, how do you get ready for that all-important first job after college? Buy quality clothing that will last for years (instead of the cheap stuff that will wear out quickly). It’s better to own two really good, high-quality blazers (black and navy, never brown) and some mix and match pants or skirts with quality shirts. You may not have a very big wardrobe, but it should be good quality.

For jewelry, keep it simple. A nice watch, maybe a bracelet (if you are female), tasteful stud earrings (save your glitz for after-hours), and a nice necklace and pair of leather shoes (shine them). Do not go fancy, unless you are in the clothing industry.

Fingernails should be tastefully polished, if you are a nail polish person. (Sorry folks- this is not the time to have all of the Dwarfs painted on your nails, with Snow White on your thumbs!) Remember, you may be taking an entry-level job, but that doesn’t mean you want to stay there!

Study and learn from everyone and keep yourself looking like you belong in the board room, instead of the food court.

Do you have any specific questions about dressing for the job you want? If so, just post a comment and I will answer.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Getting Home from the Airport Successfully

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Traveling has become a recent occurrence in my life ever since my mother died. About once a month, I go from Point A to Point B to visit my elderly father.

One thing I learned pretty quickly was that it is very easy to lose your car in a 9-story parking garage at the airport. Covered parking is only one of the options available at the airport, so how do you know where you left your car when you get back? I have run into folks who were clueless, telling me, “Oh, I left my car in the garage. Won’t the bus take me back to it?”

Well, yes, in a manner of speaking. The bus, if you hop on the right one, will take you to the garage. Keep in mind that there are a boatload of parking options at larger airports, so which bus will you get on? Daily? Long term A? Long term B? Amtrak? Metro? You get the idea.

Let’s say you get on the right bus. Now, at which stop do you get off? With the Daily Parking Garage, you have four more choices. Then you have to decide which floor to go to. There are nine options with this decision.

“Whoa,” you might say. “Slow down here.”

Let’s work through this backwards, to figure out how to find your vehicle. You arrive at the airport and decide on the Daily garage. Superb. If this is the first time you parked there, write it down. Next, pull into the parking space, making note of which floor, which aisle, and which space you are in. For example, 7H 42. Write it down and put the piece of paper somewhere you can find it easily. Do not leave it in your car. Do, on the other hand, leave your parking ticket in the car (see the next paragraph).

Make sure you put enough cash in your car, along with the parking lot entrance ticket, to pay for your parking expenses when you get back. You may return from your trip penniless. (My record is 25 cents.) That way, you can get your car out of hock without having to go to a strange ATM with your suitcases in tow.

Do not lose the parking ticket or you will have to fill out forms galore and prove when you took off and landed, in order to get out of the garage. I will be the poor, in-a-hurry slob behind you in the cash payment line who has to wait for you to fill out the form, pay through the nose for your parking, and chat with the employee about how unfair it is….I’ve been behind plenty of those folks and had some unkind thoughts about them during the ten minutes it took them to pay their way out of the garage. Help me keep my Baptist, folks. Don’t lose that ticket!

So, you are on the right bus. Take a minute and locate your piece of paper that has your floor, aisle, and parking space written on it. Get off the bus when you get to the garage, take all of your baggage (and small children) with you, take the elevator to the right floor, and there’s your space!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

The Fast Track to New Glasses

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Have you ever gone to get new glasses and found the process long, complicated, and boring? I have a fast way to get glasses that will look great and will be everything you’d hoped for.

First, make sure your hair and makeup are exactly how you usually wear them. You want to give the salesperson your usual look, not something you just tried for the first time this morning.

Second, go to an eye glasses shop that you trust (this is key).
Do not pick up any glasses and do not go into the shop with any preconceived ideas of what you want. You may be surprised, like the ladies sometimes are on “Say Yes to the Dress.” (They pick a dress they never thought they’d want but their consultant or Randy begged them to “just try it.” The professionals know what they’re doing.)

Ask for an experienced eye glasses salesperson and ask, “How long have you been selling glasses here?” Run for the hills if the person has only been there since breakfast (or ask for someone else), but stick around if he or she says it’s been a few years. [The idea here is that you want someone who knows the stock.]

The next question to ask is, “You see the shape and size of my face. This is how I always wear my hair. Which glasses do you think will look the best on me?” And then shut your mouth. Wait silently for the individual to look you over. Answer any questions he or she has but don’t monopolize the conversation. You are not there to chat: you are there to buy the best glasses for your face.

Take the pair of glasses the person offers and ask if these are the best for you, in his or her humble opinion. Try them on. If they look good, buy them.

I did this the last time I got new glasses and I get more compliments with this pair of glasses than I have ever gotten before. The gal knew her stock, knew her faces, and knew her business.

When we sat down to go over the options, there was only about $50 difference between all the bells and whistles for those glasses and the cheapest version I could buy. Since I plan on having the glasses for five years or so, that worked out to be ten dollars a year or less than one dollar per month. I got all the bells and whistles.

This entire transaction took about fifteen minutes, including placing the order and paying. I could see the shock on the saleswoman’s face, but I love the glasses she knew would be best for me and have enjoyed them immensely. Not bad for about fifteen minutes of my time.

Best,

Dr. Sheri