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October 7, 1983, 6:19 am - The Day the Earth Did Not Stand Still. 
Life as a newlywed was great. Wen and I had been married for less than a month and we were already living in our fantastic second-floor, two-bedroom apartment, with a back patio no less. And pop open the champagne because the results were in. Yes, she was pregnant! Life was good and all was calm with the world. I was now Mr. Puffed-Up Chest who was ready to take on the world. I would do anything to protect my home and family.
Little did I know, there were events going on underground, about 250 miles to the north, in Blue Mountain, New York, that would spoil my beauty nap. It seems that a 5.3 earthquake was about to start there, which would involve two provinces in Canada and twelve states in the USA. Not to mention little old Bronx, New York.
Before this time, I had never experienced a quake before. I'd seen them in the movies but I'd always heard that New York City was built on solid bedrock. No need to worry about natural disasters when you're a native New Yorker. We don't have time for such things. I guess Mother Nature was not impressed with our New York way of doing things. At 6:19 am, it began as a slight rumbling which was shaking the bed just enough to wake me up. I felt as if I was standing on the subway platform and a train was passing through but no worse. A few seconds later, the bed was moving from side to side really hard and there was a far away noise which sounded much louder than the number 5 IRT express. Shake
Rhymes With Earthquake
I jumped out of the bed, landed on my feet and realized that the floor was also shaking violently. I stood there for a second trying to ascertain what would be my best course of action to protect the woman I loved. By now, Wen was looking in my direction and was just as bewildered as I was. The noise seemed to increase and all I could imagine was that there was a problem with the boiler in the basement and it was about to blow up. Within another two seconds, I decided to take the bravest course of action possible. With no thought of danger to my personal safety, I jumped back into the bed and used my body to shield my wife from harm.
After a few more seconds, there was silence. Wen and I looked at each other and waited a while. We glanced out the window and saw no commotion, so we then turned on the television and the radio. We found out what the rest of the area was also experiencing. There were no aftershocks. At least none that affected our area. 
Some may say that I bolted back into the bed out of fear. I say that I carefully calculated the odds and proceeded to save the life of my new wife, my unborn child and also the entire city of New York. At least that's the way I'd like to remember it.
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4 out of 5 Stars
Mom Me : E-mail 2 Heaven
by Valerie Auguste'-Partin
Book Review -
To Valerie. I applaud you on another warm and heart-felt book. You not only delivered on your promise to continue your journey towards understanding this difficult part of your life but you have given a positive direction on how others who have a similar need might begin to heal. I would have preferred that the book was longer but I was happy to find that you included the letters from those that love you and your mother. Without love and support, none of us can make it through the day-to-day craziness that the world throws at us.
Mom Me . . . Soaring Through The Pain: Cancer and Diabetes:
The 10-Year Journey by Valerie Auguste'-Partin 
4 out of 5 Stars
Through The Pain
Book Review -
Dear Valerie. Your struggle through this difficult time of your life grabbed me from the very beginning. I moved painfully with you through your need to understand why innocence is never enough. Our only hope is to become creatures who give love and are loved. Take solace in the knowledge that you have been successful in this. As you remember the painful times, just imagine a world without the opportunity to possess so many beautiful memories. Those good times shine brightly between the lines of your wonderful work. Writing these pages release some of the sorry but they also prove that you were deeply loved.
Kindle Books for FreeNot My FaultSeptember 1993 - I thought that it was a good idea to take the kids to school and drop the wife off to work but a few other people had a different idea about how I should spend my day.  Funny how one thinks that the car you fall in love with at first site will always be your one and only. I guess that guys are fickle that way (at least when it comes to cars). This dazzling maroon 1993 Honda Civic LX was all that I had wanted in a car. Besides power windows, it didn't have anything special but it looked smooth, ran great and that's all that mattered.  We were following our usual route and were now on the stretch of Baychester Avenue, which would lead us to Wilder Avenue, where we would pick up my niece. Poor thing was going to be left out. My dear niece (photo on top, cutie on the left) was not able to participate in the fun we were about to have. I was in the pilot's seat and Wen (the co-pilot) was sitting next to me. (For those who are curious, that's a picture of Wen, on the right, next to the chariot). The wife had made it a habit of backseat driving from the front seat but I guess that's the job of the co-pilot. Regardless, you can only make comments on another person's driving, when there is time too. This particular occasion, all judgment calls were on me. I could see the yellow Dodge Shadow approaching and there was nothing unusual to see. That is, until the white Acura, parked in the opposing lane, decided that he was coming out of his parking space. He did this regardless of who was already in the flow of traffic and had the right of way. The yellow Dodge honked but it was too late to slow down. He was forced to swerve to his left in order to avoid the white car, which he successfully did. But to accomplish this, he also had to cross the double line and move into my lane. I quickly moved to the right to avoid a head-on collision and I was relieved for a second when this didn't happen. Unfortunately, it seemed more important for the Dodge not to hit the Acura than to maybe hit me. The front of his car rammed the rear left side of mine, causing us to spin a bit. I was able to straighten the car out but for reasons that I couldn't understand, I seemed to no longer have control of the car. The front right side of my Accord struck/scraped the nearby Plymouth causing a lot of damage and the only reason we came to a stop was because we then smashed into the an older model Civic. This video should make clear the events that I just described. Just before I turned around to see if everyone was okay (which they all were), I glanced in my left side view mirror. I could see the Dodge sitting at an angle, across both lanes. I felt relieved that me and my family were alright and then sorry for the guy in the Dodge who had done his best to avoid all this. My emotions then turned to anger because also in my mirror, much further away, I could see the white Acura. He had driven away from the accident that he had caused and he hadn't sustained a scratch. I watched as he moved onto the highway entrance and away from the scene.
When I finally got out and walked around the car, I found that the front right and left rear tires were both totally flat. Wow! No wonder I finally lost control of the steering. Thank God the accident wasn't much worst. My two girls and the wife were not uninjured so I couldn't complain. In the long run, the not so stream-lined Honda Civic LX was damaged beyond repair so it was considered totaled. It was replaced with a bigger, safer car because by this time it had become obvious that no matter how expert a driver I am, we all needed protection from the crazies out there. Happy and safe driving, everyone.
For the time being, seeing properly is still an important part of driving.
March 1989 - Many people complain about their mothers-in-laws. Seemed like I must have lucked out because I have one that I really got along with. I liked her so much in fact that dropping her off every morning didn't seem like a chore at all. I looked forward to our conversations and this particular morning was no exception. In retrospect, if we had had a terrible relationship, I probably would not have been able to speak about the upcoming events.
I had just dropped off the grand lady and waved good-bye, as I pulled away from the curb in my sleek golden 1987 Honda Accord. It had the hidden flip-up headlights, which reminded me of the Aston Martin car in the James Bond movies. Tres cool.
I took great care to check my blind spot to ensure that that there would be no sudden surprises. Over the past decade I had learned to become a very careful driver. I'd learned my lesson about driving defensively, At the age of thirty-five I'd discovered that the being speed-racer and driving with my ego on my sleeve would probably get me killed. Crazy Maybe
But Not Blind
I had gotten to the point of my fifteen-minute return drive where there was a three-block stretch of road, which had no intersections or turns. This trek had me driving downhill for about halfway there and then coasting uphill to the light the rest of the way. As I started down the slope, I'd given the car a bit of extra gas knowing that inertia would move me along to the end of the block. In the distance, in the opposing lane, there was this light grey Grand Mercury Marquis which was doing thirty-five down his slope of the hill, the same as me.
As I got to the midpoint, just before the hill would slope upwards, the Marquis begins to turn left in my direction. I knew there was no intersection but I quickly glanced over to my right and saw that there was a driveway. If that was where the guy was headed it didn't make any sense. Couldn't he see that I was in the way! I was in the furthest right lane, which would put me next to this driveway that he was headed for. I looked back at him and he was definitely heading for the driver's side of my car and there was no avoiding him. I began to speed up hoping to pass him and I was able to get my driver's side further forward but other than that it was too late. I couldn't avoid the accident. The front of his car hit the side of mine. 
Miraculously myself and the elderly male driver and his wife were able to walk out of our vehicles. I'd seen car crashes before but the rear left side of my car looked pretty much like a lost cause. We exchanged information and since this occurred in the days before cell phones, my intention was to walk up the hill to the pay phone and call the cops. I had only gotten a few steps away when I finally heard the explanation for our dilemma. I heard the wife angrily but quietly say to her spouse:
"I told you that you should have worn your glasses." I was stunned but I kept on walking as if I hadn't heard. As bad as it sounds, the old gentleman had driven towards the driveway as if he couldn't see me because he hadn't. The police arrived soon after I made the call. I quietly mentioned to the officer and then later on, loudly told my insurance representative what I had heard. On the positive side, it was deemed that I was not a fault. On the other hand, my car was totaled so how great was it to really be in the right. At least I was able to buy a shiny new maroon 1989 Accord. Made me feel a little better, anyway. To be continued...
Much like the sub-dermal transponder of Castle on the Hill: Secrets, which enables its users to speak to one another without cell phones, wearable technology has now been invented that can translate languages.
Translate Languages
The thrill of having your own car is filled with temptations. My Second Car September 1979 - What a beautiful fall day. Not a cloud in the sky. It was about nine in the morning and I was on my was home from work. I was feeling particularly good because I was driving my wife's new 1980 Toyota Corona. Actually, it belonged to both of us but we figured that it was only safer for the wifey to drive the newer car. This meant I got the '74 Corolla which was a bit run down but it was paid for. When I prepared to go to work the night before, I knew that she didn't have to get up in the morning. As I walked towards the parking spaces where our two cars were parked, I could vaguely hear the Corona calling my name. "Lloyd. Don't you want to take a smooth ride tonight and ride home in style in the morning?" The Corona and I looked over at the sad little white Corolla. I accepted the gold Corona's invitation and proudly held my head high all the way to work. I know this probably doesn't happen to most guys (yeah, right) but when a man is twenty-six years old and driving a fancy new car, it's difficult not to feel a bit pumped. The sun had climbed halfway up the eastern skies and I was feeling great. I'd been driving legally for the pass year and a half with no problems to speak of. As I drove, the leather of the dark brown steering wheel felt very increasingly comfortable in my hands. I inhaled deeply and that new-car smell filled my lungs with pride. Every man should experience that smell at least once in his life.  Was it my imagination or did that good looking girl just take a second look at me. I had basically noticed her reaction in my peripheral vision but I had to make sure. I quickly turned my head just for a brief second. Yes, she was definitely smiling back and the glance was in my direction. Now that my ego was properly inflated, I returned my eyes to the road ahead and back to my expert driving. It just wouldn't be worth it to get into an accident with this new car. At the top of the hill ahead of me was the last intersection which, after making a left, would lead me into the apartment complex. As I approached the left turning lane, there was a dark blue vehicle in the opposing left turning lane ahead of me. A more experienced driver would have known to slowly proceed with caution. There might be another car that can't be seen on the other side of that vehicle that would soon be passing that car on its right. Unfortunately, I didn't know to think that far ahead. All I understood was that the car ahead was signaling left and I could see nothing else coming. I began my turn and as my right side passed the blue car, I could now see that there was a red car approaching me at about thirty-five miles an hour. My last thought before he hit the passengerside of my car was that he had the right of way. His light was green. OH NO!!! The video speaks for itself. Except for my left pinkie finger being sore, I was not hurt. Fortunately, the other guy was okay too. As I stood there, learning how to exchange information and patiently waiting for the police, I didn't feel like such an experienced driver anymore.
Finally, I found that the car was drivable but it moved from side to side a bit. As I sat there, I tried not to look at how caved in the passenger area was and how much closer it was to me. As I pulled into the apartment parking lot, I dreaded facing the wifey. She would not be happy about what happened to her new car. The next calamity would not be a car crash but probably just as bad. Obviously, I had a lot more to learn. To be continued.......
A simple lunchtime cruise can turns t terror when you shouldn't be driving. Car Crashes I Have Known
Give Me A Brake
September 1976 - Most people might think that women are the emotional sex. When it comes to driving this might be true, as long as they are not compared to men. From the minute a guy sees a car that he likes (and begins to drool), to the moment he presses his foot on the accelerator, it's all about ego and emotions. Statistics show that males between the ages of 16 and 25 are twice as likely to be involved in a traffic accident as compared to their female counterparts. Attribute it to hormonal differences or alcohol consumption, but the numbers are pretty clear. Since auto-time began, men have been the definite winners (or should I say losers) in this particular contest.
Let me start my story by saying, if you have not properly been trained and licensed, you should not be behind the wheel. By the time I was twenty-two, having a partner who knew how to drive (and I didn't), made me feel like it couldn't be that difficult. Within the coming months, I was forced to change my mind. 
Having my now ex-wife teach me how to drive, should have made me very knowledgeable in the ways of the wheel but even with her expert tutor-ledge, I had failed the road test twice. Being the male that I was, I was feeling more and more comfortable while driving and growing steadily impatient. After all, I had been practicing for months and the wealth of knowledge that I had amassed, had made me feel like a real driver. Of course, knowledge does not give you wisdom, which I was about to learn. Men. Do not do what I am about to tell you if you happen to work on the same job site as your wife. It could cause marital discord. 
It was lunchtime and I knew that I wasn't supposed to be in a vehicle without a licensed driver but what could be the harm of a quick spin. Our Volkswagen Bug was eagerly waiting to be driven and was sitting in the adjoining parking lot. I took my before-mentioned amassed knowledge and carefully moved the car out of the parking lot. I drove around the block and was feeling very proud of myself as I saw the approaching fence opening of the lot which I had just drove out of a few minutes prior. I was making the right as I was driving up the curb but there was a car parked just outside the fence parked at an odd angle. Not having the experience to judge the distance of the surrounding parked cars, I wound up sticking my front bumper under the rear bumper of this big, ugly 1975 Chevy Laguna.
I got out of the Bug to inspect the situation and realized that that I did not know what to do next. Should I reverse my car and take the chance of ripping off his (or my) bumper? As I stood there, I began to sweat bullets. The few people passing did not seem to recognize that there was a dilemma but what if a policeman came by. I had no license and nothing on me to prove that the car was mine. I bounced on the hood of the VW but the two cars just moved up and down together. I found it hard to nonchalantly dislodge two cars and now one or two people passing were slowing to take a look. I tried not to pay attention to them and got back into my car. As I twice attempted to move backwards, my bug wasn't budging. The Laguna made a loud creaking noise, each time I tried the maneuver. It's like the thing was trying to hold me there, while it mockingly laughed at me. The people that were just walking around me were now slowing to take a second look. I said a prayer, hit the clutch, put the stick shift in reverse and the slowly gave it gas. To my amazement, we dislodged. With what felt like a nerve-wrenching inch at a time, I carefully backed up the Bug, drove into the lot and then placed my car back in the original parking space that was still vacant. I hadn't even thought about how it would be explained to my mate that the car had been moved a few parking spaces if the Bug wasn't in the same spot. 
I shakily locked the car and then found my way into the job. As I calmed down, I felt as if no harm had been done and I swore that that something similar would never happen again. What I didn't realize was that as minor as the occurrence was, that had been my first automobile accident. I didn't even know that I was leaving the scene of a crime. Nor did it understand how this event would have interfered with my chances of getting a driver's license. For the first time (in terms of driving anyway), my male ego had led me down the wrong path and it wouldn't be the last. Big ego, Little brains.
To be continued....... car crashes
April 1994 - I Want To Hold Your Hand
Being blessed with two wonderful and healthy daughters helped me to appreciate how fragile and precious life is. Being blessed with two daughters that actually listened to what I had to say is where the second miracle occurred. They were growing up with no problems (well, few anyway) and were always respectful of adults. It was hard to hear stories of how many issues occurred between other parents and their children. Sometimes, a bit of love and understanding can make a world of difference in the child's future. This is my simple story of how I found that to be true.
To The Museum
When my youngest daughter was about six years old, she and I went on a trip to the Museum of Natural History with a few of the classes from her school. Myself and the other parents were the extra staffs who were watching over the little darlings. The bus ride to the museum was happy and conversational and I felt like the world's greatest dad being able to participate in this part of my child's life. Little did I know that the party would be a bit different than expected.
Soon after we arrived at the museum, we broke up into groups of five kids, a parent and a teacher. In addition to my lovely daughter and three other adorable children, I had been selected to watch over a five-year old boy who had more energy than all the other children combined. For the sake of clarity, let’s call the little guy Charlie.
As my group walked pass the bull elephants of North America, Charlie made it clear that his curiosity was more important to him than his safety. I was helping my daughter to read the nearby plague when I realized that he was trying to see if the pachyderms were real. I lifted him back over to our side of the guardrail and explained to him why his actions were not appropriate. He looked up at me with a huge grin, shook his head and gave me a big "Okay." It was obvious that he was not taking me seriously. I was glad that he was safe and we walked on. 
The well-informed teacher in our group recited amazing details about the 94-foot long, 21,000 lb. female blue whale, as we walked underneath. All of the kids were attentively listening, that is, except for Charlie who thought it would be more entertaining to run around in circles, as he made airplane noises. I found myself chasing him instead of assisting with the other kids. This time, I let him know that ice cream would be waiting for him if he settled down. The thought of it did calm him for a short while but my reminding him soon made little difference. 
We made our way up to the second floor, to the South African section. My attempts to slow him down by holding his hand only made him quickly pull away in order to get loose. My smooth talking and bribery were not working. Frustration was rising. I'd hardly said two words to my own daughter. She seemed to be having fun with the other kids but this was not how I had planned to spend the day.
As we grew closer to the assortment of antelopes that seemed to raise their heads as we approached, the devil's spawn (sorry, Charlie) announced that he was going back downstairs to see the whale. I was by now fed up and I resorted to a tactic that I never had to use with my kids. I told him that I was going to hold his hand and that he was going to stay with me, like it or not. He laughed as I took his hand but stopped laughing when he realized that I wasn't letting go. For the first five minutes, he squirmed and complained but I would not release my grip. As we continued to walk with group, he slowly calmed.
After a half-hour of peace and quiet, I was feeling stunned but tried not to show it. I even let his hand go as a test and he actually took it back. This shocked the crap out of me but I was happy that my reasoning had worked. Seemed like he just needed someone to do what they said they would, meaning stricter rules, promises being kept and all that. For the rest of the afternoon, he stayed at my side and followed my directions. Charlie turned out to be a nice kid (at least, as long as he was with me, anyway).
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