Andrea's musings

Well, it's another COLD and snowy day here in Salem, MA. To most New Englanders, this is no big deal. But I however am NOT most New Englanders!! I am a California transplant who is used to warmth and sunshine!! I moved out here in October after living my entire life in the desert communities of Southern California. So I have a tendency to freak out when it starts to snow because this is not a condition that am I used to driving in!! And since I have still have California plates on my minivan (along with Tinkerbell stickers which is another story)I tend to get harassed quite a bit. Like drivers in Massachusetts are better than California drivers. NOT!! I didn't know that by moving out here that I was technically going to need a race car drivers license along with my motor vehicle license!! What is the deal with these Rotaries? And not driving in the right lane because it's for passing? Oh and my personal favorite....let's pull out in the middle of the road so that we can get across it therefore causing gridlock, honking horns and very unkind hand gestures!!!!

But aside from the cold (I don't think I've been warm since I moved here) and the rain, and the snow, Massachusetts is a nice place to live. I can't wait for the springtime so that we can go out to the marinas, maybe take a boat ride and see the museums and different points of interest that close in the winter time.

I have a particularly hard time with the cold due to the medical condition I have called Sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is an auto-immune disorder that attacks various organs in the body. We don't know what causes it so there is really no cure for it. Leave it to me to end up with some weird illness!!!! I always was a hyperchondriac as a child but I really don't think I deserve this as payback for all those times I faked sick to get out of school!!! I have sarc in my lungs, stomach, lymph nodes, joints, and skin and I also have heart involvement and suspected brain involvement. I take lots of pain meds that don't work so now get to retrain the pain management people on what is best for ME!! So as part of my blog postings, you all will get to read my ramblings, rants and raves about being sick and the state of health care in the united states!!!

Hope you all stay warm and dry. I think I'm going to go make some hot tea!!!!!