Andrea's obsession with James Patterson

I am a HUGE James Patterson fan and am absolutely DYING to read his new book, 7th Heaven. I am on the waiting list at the library for it right now and it is taking so long!!!! I am proud to say that I turned Mark into a fan as well (although I am the bigger fan) and it is nice that we are able to share a mutual author. Until recently, I had never seen any of the movies that were made from his books and now that I have I hear the voice of Morgan Freeman every time I read a book with Alex Cross in it!!!

Mark is so well read and will read just about anything. I stick mostly to the best sellers and the tried and true authors that I have been reading for years. My mom was actually the one that got me started on James Patterson and also Debbie Macomber. I started her on Nora Roberts and also Karen Robards. Although Nora Roberts can tend to be a bit too sexy for mom's liking. I don't like books written by JD Robb though. I know that they are really written by Roberts but I just don't like the style. I have also been a VC Andrews fan since I was in the junior high and actually used to work with the niece of the ghost writer that writes for her now. I have to say that the Andrews books have taken on quite a few twists and turns that are very unlike her original writings. But hey, if her family approves, who am I to say anything.

I was a pretty nice day here in Mass. Of course family and friends out west had to rub in how nice and warm it has been there lately!!!This is my first year of living in the snow and with any luck, it will be my last!! I have tried really hard to be a good New England wife but I am just not cut out for the snow, slush, rain, ice, etc!! Give me sunshine, glorious sunshine!!!

Off to pain management in the morning. That should be fun. Not really impressed with the healthcare out here in the Boston area but I also was extremely spoiled by the medical providers in California. It is just so hard to retrain new doctors.

Well I'm off to get the little ones ready to settle in for the night. Thanks for reading.

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!!!!!