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Category: Everyday Life

  • Stricken Japan nuclear plant rocked by 2nd blast

    By ERIC TALMADGE and SHINO YUASA, Associated Press Eric Talmadge And Shino Yuasa, Associated Press – VIA Yahoo.News.com

    SOMA, Japan – The second hydrogen explosion in three days rocked a stricken Japanese nuclear plant Monday, sending a massive cloud of smoke into the air and injuring 11 workers. Hours later, the U.S. said it had shifted its offshore forces away from the plant after detecting low levels of radiation.

    The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was about 100 miles (160 kilometers) offshore when it detected the radiation, which U.S. officials said was about the same as one month’s normal exposure to natural background radiation in the environment.

    It was not clear if the leak happened during Monday’s explosion. That blast was felt 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, but the plant’s operator said radiation levels at the reactor were still within legal limits.

    The explosion at the plant’s Unit 3, which authorities have been trying to cool with sea water after a system failure in the wake of Friday’s massive earthquake and tsunami, triggered an order for hundreds of people to stay indoors, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. The two disasters left at least 10,000 people dead.

    Operators knew the sea water flooding would cause a pressure buildup in the reactor containment vessel — and potentially lead to an explosion — but felt they had no choice if they wanted to avoid a complete meltdown. In the end, the hydrogen in the released steam mixed with oxygen in the atmosphere and set off the blast.

    The inner containment shell surrounding the Unit 3 reactor was intact, Edano said, allaying some fears of the risk to the environment and public. But the outer building around the reactor appeared to have been devastated, with only a skeletal frame remaining.

    Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the plant, said radiation levels at Unit 3 were well under the levels where a nuclear operator must file a report to the government.

    A similar explosion occurred Saturday at the plant’s Unit 1, injuring four workers, causing mass evacuations and destroying much of the outer building.

    Shortly after Monday’s explosion, Tokyo Electric warned it had lost the ability to cool another reactor, the plant’s Unit 2. Takako Kitajima, a company official, said plant workers were preparing to inject sea water into the unit to cool the reactor, a move that could lead to an explosion there as well.

    More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area in recent days, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation — pouring misery onto those already devastated by the twin disasters.

    While Japan has aggressively prepared for years for major earthquakes, reinforcing buildings and running drills, the impact of the tsunami — which came so quickly that not many people managed to flee to higher ground — was immense.

    By Monday, officials were clearly overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis, with millions of people having spent three nights without electricity, water, food or heat in near-freezing temperatures.

    Officials in one devastated town said they were running out of body bags.

    Officials have declared states of emergency at six Fukushima reactors, where Friday’s twin disasters knocked out the main cooling systems and backup generators. Three are at Dai-ichi and three at the nearby Fukushima Daini complex.

    Most attention, though, has been focused on Dai-ichi units 1 and 3, where operators have been funneling in sea water in a last-ditch measure to cool the reactors. A complete meltdown — the melting of the radioactive core — could release radioactive contaminants into the environment and pose major, widespread health risks.

    Edano said no Fukushima reactor was near that point, and he was confident of escaping the worst scenarios.

    International scientists say there are serious dangers but little risk of a Chernobyl-style catastrophe. Chernobyl, they note, had no containment shell around the reactor.

    “The likelihood there will be a huge fire like at Chernobyl or a major environmental release like at Chernobyl, I think that’s basically impossible,” said James F. Stubbins, a nuclear energy professor at the University of Illinois.

    And, some analysts noted, the length of time since the nuclear crisis began indicates that the chemical reactions inside the reactor were not moving quickly toward a complete meltdown.

    “We’re now into the fourth day. Whatever is happening in that core is taking a long time to unfold,” said Mark Hibbs, a senior associate at the nuclear policy program for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “They’ve succeeded in prolonging the timeline of the accident sequence.”

    But despite official assurances, many residents expressed fear over the situation.

    “First I was worried about the quake,” said Kenji Koshiba, a construction worker who lives near the plant. “Now I’m worried about radiation.” He spoke at an emergency center in Koriyama, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the most troubled reactors.

    Overall, more than 1,500 people had been scanned for radiation exposure in the area, officials said.

    The U.N. nuclear agency said a state of emergency was also declared Sunday at another complex, the Onagawa power plant, after higher-than-permitted levels of radiation were measured there. It said Japan informed it that all three of those reactors there were under control.

    Four nuclear complexes in northeastern Japan have reported some damage from the quake or the tsunami.

    ___

    Yuasa reported from Tokyo.

    My thoughts:

    This is a devastating disaster and I think we all need to get together in times like this to realize the things we have, and what others are going through. As I sat eating dinner on Saturday night with my boyfriend, I looked around the room, realizing all we had. The smiles and talks on people faces (without a worry in mind) while people in Japan where suffering, it just makes you think…it makes you realize to be truly thankful for things we have, the things people wish they had. A small prayer goes a long way, I will pray for the people of Japan to recover from this, and any little bit that you can to help I am sure is greatly appreciated. Donate to the Red Cross and other organizations that are helping. If every person in the world or just the United States donated $1 dollar – Imagine how much money and help that can do?!

    My prayers are with everyone in Japan and the families who have lost loved ones.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Is it normal to…

    The Question:

    Dear kristin nicole;

    Is it normal to see something so beautiful or fragile that you just want to ruin it or break it?

    My Response:

    Dear fragile;

    I don’t know that it is not normal but it isn’t all that normal either. Am I making sense here? I mean why would you want to break or ruin something beautiful or fragile looking. If you were a child I can understand it more. I have nephews and sometimes they think it’s funny to just break something nice (like a flower), but they really don’t know that what they are doing is not nice. As an adult we know better, having thoughts about doing it is one thing, but proceeding to act on your thoughts is another. So to answer your question, I guess the answer would be No, it’s not normal to want to ruin or break something beautiful or fragile, but are you the only one that thinks this way? I’m sure you are not….

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Happy Valentine’s Day

    Another year gone by, and another Valentine’s is here. Not everyone is blessed to be in a relationship. Valentine’s day is said to bring a lot of depression and suicide rates up. People need to realize that Valentine’s day is just a holiday invented by people to celebrate your love, but you shouldn’t just celebrate it one day out of the year, you should celebrate your love 365 days out of the year. Okay well not exactly celebrate since you can’t buy gifts and go out to dinner every single day of the year, but you can celebrate it by loving each other, respecting each other, making memories that will last a life time.

    If you are couple go out, be romantic but don’t just do this special thing on Valentine’s day, go all out on a regular day, I think it would mean so much more than just because it’s Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, flowers and a gift is nice on Valentine’s day too…

    For those who don’t have someone to celebrate Valentine’s day with, why not go out with a friend, have some drinks, watch a movie. If you feel sad don’t fret, there is always next year.

    Happy Valentine’s All – hope you have a wonderful day!

    Here’s a poem I found:

    It’s More Than Saying I Love You

    We give on this day candy and flowers,
    But we never stop to say thank you for the many hours.
    You have stood by my side and gave a smile,
    As if to tell our hearts it’s been worth every mile.
    No need to buy a teddy bear or even a card,
    It’s pretty simple and not at all hard.
    Just put your arms around me and hold me tight,
    And say without words that in your heart all is right.
    You may say I Love You throughout the year,
    But on this day you need to make sure.
    The words so sweet and straight from your heart,
    That your life would be lonely without my part.
    So put forth the effort and take the time,
    Look me in the eye and say I’m glad you’re mine.
    ~By Marai

    xo,
    kristin nicole

    ~Happy Valentine’s Day~

  • What does it feel like to be schizophrenic?

    My boyfriend linked me to this website Quora.com, it’s a website that helps guide you with questions on similar cases like schizophrenia and more (tech, everyday life, random questions, pretty much like an ask yahoo questions).

    This article really gave me another perspective on life, go ahead read it:

    What does it feel like to be schizophrenic?

    Of course, I can only talk about my personal experiences. Other schizophrenics I’ve talked to have very, very different stories.

    I’m luckier than many. Most days I live, work, and function just as well as you. I’m very lucky because my symptoms are mild compared to many, and are well controlled by medication. If you met me on the street and we chatted for a bit, you probably wouldn’t think there was anything particularly odd about me.

    If you worked with me or saw me every day, you’d probably think I was just a little eccentric — but you may not think I was mentally ill. You’d notice that sometimes I have an odd way of saying things. And sometimes I get quiet. And sometimes I have bad days when I’m a bit upset and it’s better to leave me alone.

    I told my boss and a few close coworkers that I am bipolar — because it gives me a bit of leeway with some of my slightly off behavior and needing to call out sick, on occasion — without bringing up the S-Word. I never, ever tell people that I am schizophrenic, because they assume this means (1) that I have multiple personalities or (2) that some day I will snap and try to attack them with a broken bottle. Both of which are completely ridiculous.

    I think and process information very differently than you do.
    Sometimes, this is actually a benefit. In my office, I am highly valued for my creative approaches to problems and situations, and for my ability to detect patterns across large sets of data.

    My brain is used to holding and dealing with much more information than the average brain, and it is constantly at work seeking out and forming connections that the average person would never consider. I can often easily spot new approaches, interpretations and analysis that others miss. Often, though, this different-processing backfires:

    Some days, it feels like the universe is just jerking you around and messing with you.
    It feels like someone changed the rules of reality, but you are the only one who noticed.

    Some days you have important information about people/events/rules that other people aren’t aware of. Sometimes it is extremely vital that you sit in a certain spot on the train — or that you have to avoid milk because its part of a an attempt to control our minds. These are rules that you know for a fact are true, yet other people don’t seem to know about it, and just don’t understand if you try to explain.

    Some days you see/hear/believe things that no one else does.

    Some days every single thought in your head is broadcast to the people around you – so you have to be extra careful about what you think about, because you can’t let the people sitting nearby in the coffee shop find out your secrets.

    Some days, you pick up extra information about people and situations – you might be able to hear voices that explain what the lady behind you in line at the grocery store is really thinking about you.

    For me, most days this mis/additional perception just buzzes quietly in the back of my brain as I go through my day. Intense episodes happen to me only infrequently.

    But I have to constantly live with the fact/fear that the universe that I see and hear and experience may or may not be the same as the universe that you and I are actually interacting in.

    It sucks, because you have to learn to mistrust your own judgment and perceptions. I started developing symptoms when I was 19. Since then, I’ve had to teach myself to always be the last person to react to things. Unique situations have to be run through a real/not-real test. Example: A while ago I was in a large meeting at work and a bunch of lightning bugs/fireflies began to fly around the room. Check 1: Is this possible? — Answer: implausible, but not impossible, right? Check 2: Is anyone else in the room reacting/commenting on the situation? Answer: No? Then let’s assume it’s not real until you have evidence to the contrary.

    I’ve also had to implement a three-day waiting period when I experience strong, unexpected emotions. Example: One day, I was suddenly and utterly convinced that my boss absolutely hated me and was about to fire me. I felt absolutely horrible – and every time he looked at me, I was convinced that he was completely disgusted with me. Check: Find external evidence about why I had cause to think this. Answer: I checked through my email and meeting notes, and could not find any events that would have caused this. And no coworker volunteered any independent verification that there were problems. Response: I had to force myself to put these beliefs in the back-burner and re-examine this emotion in three days time. By the end of the waiting period, I was able to recognize that there was no problem and everything was fine.

    I’m also very lucky to live with a remarkable (highly patient) partner who can tell me when I’ve gone out of bounds in my social behavior or personal appearance.

    Trying to reconcile two conflicting worlds is draining and exhausting.
    Thankfully, I have above average intelligence and am more self-aware than the average person. This helps me recognize when hallucinations/delusions aren’t real, and analyze what the correct reaction should be in most situations. But knowing this doesn’t make them go away.

    Paying attention in an important meeting is very difficult when you are trying to ignore a cloud of fireflies (and subtly check to see if anyone else has seen them). Having to constantly second guess yourself is mentally exhausting as well.

    Try turning on five television sets, full volume, to five different channels, and tell me how easy it is to follow the thread of just one show. Imagine that in this one show (“Reality”) there is a serious dramatic situation playing out. Maybe one of the other TVs is playing a hilarious sitcom. Now try paying attention just to the drama — while keeping in mind that you absolutely must not laugh or react to any of the jokes in the sitcom. As you might imagine, on off days, I have trouble paying attention and I get easily distracted.

    On my worst days, I have trouble understanding people when they talk to me, and I have trouble responding. I hear the words that people say — but they just don’t make any sense, and I can’t get my brain to interpret them. If I’m feeling particularly overloaded, I just shut down and will barely talk to or respond to others.

    Side Note: Taking anti-psychotic medication sucks.
    If your condition is controlled by medication, and you stop taking meds for more than a couple of days, it can lead to very bad consequences. Anti-psychotics are expensive, and can slow me down: I can’t think through complex problems as quickly as I once could. I also sleep several hours more each day. And I gained 50 pounds from the meds – despite eating very well and working out more.
    – Author Unknown

    My Thoughts:

    If that doesn’t give you another perspective on life, I don’t know what will. You see most of us live normal lives, yeah we have problems here and there but do they really compare to a person who has to live their lives always in fear and always living on an edge because they cannot help themselves? Sometimes we just like to complain that we are tired and we don’t like our jobs, be grateful for what you have and if you don’t like it, you know you can change it right? A person with this disease cannot change themselves, they can’t just stop and decide to not think like they do, but most of us can.

    Stop for a moment in life, smell the so called flowers and decide to change your life because you can, but don’t complain about it and do nothing about it. Live, Love, Laugh….that’s what I always say….

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • My husband wanted a baby, now I’m pregnant and he wants a divorce…

    The Question:

    I can remember back just a few weeks ago, we were fine. Although I noticed he was staying out a lot more often, I asked him if everything was okay and if it was me, he said no and that he was still very in love with me. We started talking about baby-making just a few weeks ago, and he said he wouldn’t mind if we got pregnant right now, he said he would be happy about it. So, I let him know I was ovulating, we did it, and now I’m pregnant. As soon as I told him I was pregnant, he takes his wedding ring off and tells me he wants a divorce, that he isn’t ready for all of this. We’ve been married for four years. We’ve got one child at home already. So, I am really confused now. He told me he was serious about getting divorce papers.

    But that was all he has said about it, it’s been a week, and he hasn’t mentioned it anymore. He is still coming home at night, but not telling me that he loves me anymore. For example, when he leaves to go somewhere, I always say, “bye sweetie, I love you”, He just started saying “yep” and nods his head and walks out the door, even before he goes to work in the morning. He is still sleeping in the same bed with me, and all of that, but we’re not having sex right now since he found out about the preg.

    One of his buds that he works with that I am also pretty good friends with says he has been talking about divorcing me for over a month now! Why would he do all of this to me? I am so confused. I don’t know what he wants bc he hasn’t brought it up anymore. He’s only known about the preg. for one week, which is when he brought up the divorce. He has no reason, he just says he’s not in love with me anymore and he’s not happy. Just last week we were normal! He has seemed distant, and I’m almost 7 wks preg, so yes, I have been emotional, so maybe that’s why he feels this way? I was crying a lot over the passed few weeks and didn’t even know I was pregnant.

    What should I do? Should I bring up the divorce subject again or just let him sort himself out? I love him, I’m willing to wait on him, but I’m not willing to live in the same house with the man I love while he walks all over me and doesn’t show consideration for my feelings. I’ve been trying not to be emotional around him lately and hope that he will come back around. I don’t want to push this because it is too stressful and I’m still in the vulnerable part of my pregnancy.

    He is still talking to me, but not about personal things, just about things on the news, what happened at work, etc. He even brought a sub home for me last night after he got finished fourwheeling with his buds. He doesn’t really stay home a lot anymore, and he said that it was bc he wasn’t in love with me. I don’t know what to believe. Just the other day he said it was bc he got a new “toy” (his fourwheeler) and wanted to have fun with it (that was before the preg.). … he is sending me too many mixed signals and messages.

    I’m so hurt, and confused. I don’t know what is going to happen to us. I’ve been praying a lot. I love him so much, he is my world. I still feel the connection between us and for some reason I feel like he is not being sincere when he says he don’t love me. I don’t know what to do. I cant’ believe he has been talking to his friends about this for over a month and keeping me in the dark and leading me on. He’s acting like we’ve never been married.

    My response:

    Dear prego;

    Wow I am completely shocked by your story. I don’t understand, you have been married for 4 years which means you probably have been together for even longer. He tells you he is in love with you and wants to have a baby, so you make a baby and he just flips the script and says he wants a divorce he’s NOT in love with you anymore? Am I getting all this right?? Don’t you dare sit back and wait for him to come around, you have a child already in the house you have to think about and one on the way. I know this is painful but do you want to be with a man that doesn’t love you the way you love him? You need to sit down with him right away and talk to him, ask him what he truly wants and why did he just tell you a month ago that he loved you and wanted to have a baby only to tell you after you were pregnant that he doesn’t love you and wants a divorce? This is going to be hard, and you are going to have to be strong, but if he wants a divorce then he needs to get out of the house, there is no reason for him to be sleeping in the same bed next to you acting as if he was your roommate and not your husband. This is unacceptable and you need to see this. You need to love yourself and respect yourself enough to know that what he is doing to you and your children isn’t right and neither of you deserve this kind of treatment. He may be going through some stuff at work or some emotional confusion, but what confuses me is that this isn’t his first child, the two of you already have a child together so I don’t think he’s getting scared because of the baby that’s on the way, it has to be something else and you need to find answers. This is hard because you are already 7 weeks pregnant and I don’t know if you believe in abortion, if you don’t then ignore what I’m about to say, but if you do it is something you definitely need to think about. Do you want to bring another baby into the world with all the problems you are having with your husband right now. It is a possibility that you will get divorced and that you’ll then have to raise your two kids alone. It is also a possibility that he’s going through some type of emotional confusion and the two of you can try going to a marriage counselor, you have to at least try so that you know you tried to make it work for your family, but don’t lower yourself and take him living there as if nothing is wrong when you know there is something definitely wrong. Good luck and keep me updated.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

    I found this question on Answers.Yahoo.com

  • The ‘SEX’ Talk…

    The Question:

    Imagine that you are a parent and you find out your teenager is sexually active. How might you handle this situation? Would you prefer to know or not know?

    My Response:

    If I were a parent and found out my teenager was sexually active I would first take a breather, contain my thoughts and find a way to bring up the subject with out lashing out or pushing the teenager away. Teenagers are very sensitive and they tend to get shy around the subject of sex, especially with a parent. I would start talking to them at a young age so that I did not need to find out my teenager is having sex after the fact. I would be honest with them and I would tell them the consequences and actions sex has between a man a women, and I would ask them that when they were ready to have sexual intercourse to come to me and we would talk about protection. If I found out after the fact, I prefer to know about it so that I can talk to them and either buy my son condoms and talk to him about it, or if it was a girl, get her on birth control pills and also talk with her, because birth control pills only prevents pregnancy not sexually transmitted diseases, it is important to talk about all aspects of sex.

    In today’s society we forget that teenagers learn a lot at a young age, not only in school but in the media, blogs, magazines and more, but are they learning the right things? We need to be open about sex, it’s natural and there is nothing to be scared of, but if you rush into things and you aren’t careful, your life can change forever.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

    ~I got this question from my Human Sexuality Course I’m currently taking~

    Love to hear your thoughts. xo

  • How do I get out of the “FRIEND ZONE”?!?

    The letter

    Dear Kristin Nicole,

    I discovered this blog because I’ve been exploring ways to become more confident with dating. Not too long ago I got dumped by my girlfriend and I’m a bit nervous about returning to the whole “singles scene”. Unfortunately my “skills” with flirting are out of practice, to say the least! Also, can your readers send in topics they want to personally ask you about? Right now I have a specific question on this subject because I am going through a frustrating situation with a girl I like and I’m just not sure how to move forward. I guess you could say I’m stuck in the “friend zone.” I’d really like to ask for your advice…or maybe someone can recommend a book that I ought to read? I would really like to get some advice on how to stay out of the friend zone with girls I like.

    Please help,
    Friends Zone

    My Response:

    Dear Friends Zone,

    I know it’s hard to be dumped by your girlfriend but you have to move on from that, don’t let that interfere with your confidence. If you like this new girl and you want to get out of the “friend zone” then tell her how you feel. Ask her out on a date, the worst thing that could happen is that she says no, but at least you are finally back in the “single scene”. Use this has practice, and don’t stress too much on your flirting skills, just let it come to you naturally, if she’s flirting back with you it’s more then likely she likes you too, and she’s just waiting for you to finally ask her out.

    If any readers have specific questions and want my advice they are more then welcome to leave a comment or even better for privacy they can email me at soapnights@gmail.com

    I don’t know of any books that are good on how to stay out of the ‘friends zone’ but if any readers know of any please feel free to leave any books you think would help on this subject.

    Remember confidence is always the key to any situation, when you know and feel you own the situation you will, and after that it will only come naturally to you.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • Feeling Alone in the World.

    Feeling Alone in the World.

    Ever feel like you just really didn’t belong;
    Like something is different inside you than most?
    Ever feel lost and completely alone?

    You aren’t the only one, you are not the only one who has felt like this and I guarantee that more than 90% of people (statistics made by my opinion – not true statistics), feel this way at least once in their life time, and if you are that other 10% that has never felt this way (I take my hat off to you) and I would love to know your secret to always feeling secure and as if you truly belong, I would love to share your story with those of us who aren’t so lucky to feel that way. (It can be a true inspiration to know how strong some people are and how secure they are with themselves and the world around them).

    Those of us who know what it feels like to feel different, to feel like you just don’t belong knows about the tears and the confusion you feel inside. Do I belong here or there or anywhere? Sometimes in life we just settle, we decide to give in to give up on trying to fit in and feel accepted, and although we have love from family and friends there is always that little piece of hope that maybe one day that feeling of emptiness will just disappear.

    In life comes the ups and the downs and sometimes we just sit back and look at what has happened through out our lives, we look at it as if it was an open book, reading page by page and wondering what will happen when I get to the end of this book? I try not to regret things in life, because you can never turn back time, you can never change the things that have happened and you can never change what was supposed to happen so why regret it, but sometimes I cannot help but wonder if I hadn’t made those mistakes, if I would have just kept moving forward, if my mind thought differently when I was 19 like I do now, or even if those decisions you know you made would have changed your course in life, would it be a better route, or would I have ended up in the same place I see myself now? Decisions that you want to make sometimes are changed by families influence and thoughts of what you would do if they weren’t near, or what they would think or say if you decided to do what you truly wanted to do. Sometimes in life we have other things holding us back, school, jobs, partners, family or friends and at the end of the day we choose what we think will make most people happy, we choose not for ourselves but for others. At the end of the day we need to start choosing for ourselves, we need to see if those who love us will encourage us, if those who love us will comfort us and support us because at the end of the day as time keep moving forward, I have realized more than ever how short life really is, how living in the NOW is so important than living in what can be, or maybe one day, or perhaps in the future…because doing what we really want to do now is our chance to see if what we really want is right in front of us.

    No one is stopping us from feeling accepted, no one is stopping us from being happy and finding love and moving on to bigger and better things, we use our family and friends as excuses but the only one person stopping you from doing what you truly want to do is YOU. Make a change in your life today to choose something that will make you happy. Start with something small, like your family doesn’t like for you to eat chocolate, take a small piece of chocolate and savor it. Start small and move up from there, but remember life is too short to keep waiting, if you love someone tell them, don’t keep waiting and putting off something just because you feel you aren’t completely ready, go for the goal, the light at the end of the tunnel, do what you want for you and live life to the fullest, because at the end of the day we all die, at the end of the day tomorrow is never promised….Live, Love, Laugh…

    xo,
    kristin nicole

  • My Mom is cheating on my Dad.

    The Question:

    I am in my 20’s and my parents have been married for over 30 years. We recently found out that my Mom has been seeing her high school sweetheart. We were all in shock and are trying to work through this. I invite my Dad over my house twice a week and make sure I talk to him everyday b/c he is very depressed. My Mom keeps seeing this guy and will not stop. The guy is a loser and even her parents said this guy is trouble. She is not the same person I knew my whole life. I have not talked to her since Christmas because she makes me so mad. But I need help in helping my Dad. I want to make sure that he lives a happy life and make sure that he knows everything will be ok no matter what. Does anyone have any advice on what to do in this situation? I know he just wants his wife back. Please help. Thanks!

    My Response:

    Dear Stuck in the Middle;

    I know it must be hard and you are stuck in a hard situation, the truth is all you can do is keep inviting your dad over, calling him everyday and being there for him. Give him encouraging words and although it’s your mom, he deserves to know that he deserves better than what she is doing to him. I would say to stay out of it, your father is a grown man and he needs to confront your mom and talk to her about what is going on, leave her if that is what he must do. It is never easy especially after being with someone for so many years, but he deserves more from her. If you absolutely feel you have to get involved than sit down with your mom, find out what is going on in her mind that she would do such a thing, maybe this is a mid-life crisis thing or maybe she just wasn’t happy in the marriage (it might be hard to hear but be prepared to find out that perhaps your parents weren’t always happy together). Our parents always try to make it look like everything is okay (for our sake) but things can be going wrong deep down under the surface we never knew about. Talk to your dad too and tell him that you are there for him, tell him that he needs to stand up for himself and he needs to either get his wife back or move on because he deserves only the best.

    xo,
    kristin nicole

    I found this question on Answers.Yahoo.com

  • America’s Best Coastal Hotels

    I found America’s BEST Coastal Hotels on Travel.Yahoo.com, but what’s the catch.

    Yes they are beautiful, Yes the views are amazing and YES they probably are the best coastal hotels you can find in America, BUT if you are a regular person like me, working hard for that money, more than likely we won’t get a chance to stay in a place like this any time soon. I didn’t look at all of them, but I looked at 2 of them and the rates, well let’s just say they start around $500+ to about $5,000 + A NIGHT! That’s right, a night…. Lovely if we can afford it, right?

    I’m all for looking at what are the best things in life, but don’t you think that Yahoo, or any of these other magazines, websites, should maybe just sometimes list things us normal folks can afford? How about America’s Best Coastal Hotels on a Budget. 😉

    I’m just saying… it would be nice to actually see something like that, click to see how much the rates are and book a trip. Perhaps one day when I own my column I can afford something like that, until then, Holiday Inn anyone?

    xo,
    kristin nicole