Sharon Denise Allison-Ottey
Hot Topics
Top 10 Countdown of What Love is Not 4:21 PM, Feb 13 2008
 Dr. Sharon's Top 10 Countdown
of What Love is NOT!
www.drsharononline.com

10. Love is not DESPARATION and accepting anybody so that you will have somebody.

9. Love is not SETTLING for a piece of a man/woman when you desire a fulfilling relationship.
My Mother in Law is really a “MONSTER in Law” 3:24 PM, Feb 13 2008
Dear Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey,

I’m a 37 year old woman, have been married for 6 years and we have two children. I love my husband but we have one area that is a major issue for us that has gotten worse. My mother in law is 67 years old and spent about 3 weeks with us during the holidays. It was been pure hell dealing with her; she the real “Monster in Law”. She’s a nice lady to everyone else but I can never do enough, or do anything right. She criticizes my cooking, my weight, how I handle my children and on top of all of that –she bought everyone in the house Christmas gifts except for me. She even bought my best friend’s daughter a gift. This is the longest that she’s ever stayed with us but even when she’s come for a few days it has caused problems with my husband and me. She visits about three times a year and we go to see her maybe once or twice. However, last year I was fortunate to be able to come up with an excuse so that I did not have to go to her house.

 Dr. Sharon, I’m not exaggerating—this relationship is toxic. A few things have happened during her last visit in addition to the gift issue:

 1. I cooked breakfast for everyone one morning before I went to work. I came home to find most of it in the refrigerator. My seven year old told me that his “Nana” had told them that whiles she was here they’d have good food because she’d cook.  

2. She refused to let me wash her clothes with the rest of the family’s clothes. She told me that she didn’t like “dingy” clothes and that she’d wash her clothes and my husband’s while she was in town. She then asked my husband why he didn’t teach me how to wash clothes.

3. She sent my husband’s ex-girlfriend a Christmas card and talked about her in front of me. She emphasized how well she was doing, how they seemed like the perfect couple, and kept talking about her perfect figure and beauty.

How Clean is that Warm and Comfy Hotel Room? 9:57 PM, Dec 17 2007

Hotel Tips from Dr. Sharon
www.sharondeniseallisonottey.com

I’ve been blessed to travel both nationally and internationally and have literally spent hundreds of days/nights in hotel rooms. Fortunately, most hotel stays have been uneventful and in many cases pleasant. However, I do have some REAL stories of hotel nightmares. I’ve used my personal experiences, those of other experts and friends to come up with “Dr. Sharon’s Travel Tips”. My travel tips focus on hotel cleanliness, health concerns and to a lesser degree hotel security. I’m committed to updating and revising these tips and will be specifically identifying hotels that are the worst offenders as well as acknowledging those hotels that go the extra mile. Please send your suggestions and comments to drsharon@sharondeniseallisonottey.com.

Examples of my personal hotel nightmares


  • I checked into an upscale hotel that’s part of a national chain which caters to “young, hip, techies” located in Manhattan, New York. Within five minutes of entering my room, I requested a manager and demanded to be moved. The reason? There was a white/cream colored thick stain in the middle of the comforter. I’m convinced, as was the manager of housekeeping, that this was a sperm stain. The manager said that it was a milk or lotion stain; however I disagreed due to the location of the stain, inability to simply wipe off and the scent. While I didn’t perform any scientific tests, the manager of housekeeping agreed that this was not milk or lotion.
  • As I climbed into bed at an upscale resort hotel in Destin, Florida, I was horrified to see a blood stain about the size of a small donut on the top sheet. I’ve found several hotel sheets with fecal matter and urine stains on them over the years at different locations.
  • The roaches roam free at a leading resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. I was sitting in the bar area meeting with a colleague when a large roach crawled across our table. When we notified the waitress, she called the manager. The manager wasn’t the least bit surprised by the roaming roach. He calmly walked over, killed it and walked away with only a slight nod in our direction. If a roach is bold enough to walk across the table in the daylight, you can only imagine that is happening in the kitchen and other rooms when the lights go out.
  • A large hotel in Dallas, Texas had a major issue with bathroom cleanliness. There was mold growing in the corners and up the walls of the bathroom as well as a nasty odor that was not hidden at all by the air freshener. While I was repulsed by the mold, I was even more shocked to see a used condom next to the toilet in this “newly cleaned” room.