I'm Ba-ack!

Okay, I've been back for two weeks and I've just been too busy and lazy to post.

Tokyo Stuff:
Japan was absolutely amazing. As you probably guessed, I also don't have pictures downloaded yet but I got some great ones. Tokyo was so cool, I have never seen so much organized chaos in my life.
We were at one subway station in Shibuya, where one million people travel in and out of every day. And we crossed an intersection there where about 1,500 people cross every time the light changes.
Everything there was so clean and everyone was quiet and very respectful. There weren't even a lot of people chatting on cell phones (really, anywhere) and the subway was almost always really quiet, even when it was packed.
Businesses and people there couldn't have made things any easier for tourists (especially ones that stood out like sore thumbs and only spoke enough Japanese to order basic food and ask for the toilets. And say please and thank you. And excuse me.) Most restaurants had a glass case out front with a huge selection of dishes of food made entirely of plastic, but were all perfect replicas of the dish. So if we didn't know how to say what we wanted they'd just take us outside and have us point to the food we wanted. That worked out well every night except one when I thought I was getting a big plate of rice and chicken. They brought it out and it was jiggly. Turns out it was tofu. Jiggly tofu. I took a big bite of it before I realized. It was not yummy.
The food was so good. We had the best gyoza (little pork-filled, fried dumplings). And when we went to the fish market we had sushi and yakitori for breakfast. And met the nicest Japanese guy who gave us Japanese lessons. We got some hilarious pictures with him.
We got to go to this cool hangout in Harajuku where a lot of high school students get together on Sundays and dress up in these funky, elaborate goth costumes (Kev got some great pictures of that).
One of my favorite places was Kamakura, with the big Buddha statue. It was the coolest place. Got some great pictures there too.
But I won't blabber on and on about it, I'll try to break it up. But I can't wait to share everything.

More TMJ Stuff:
Got back from Tokyo and had a week to catch up at work and recover, then my husband and I went to Dallas weekend before last to see a TMJD surgeon who came highly recommended. I had to jump through a thousand hoops to get in, but he took a lot of time and explained exactly what was wrong and why my jaw wasn't working.
He said we have two options:
1) This artificial ligament called a Mytec Anchor, which they pin to the bone and wrap it around so it holds the disc in place, but he didn't know if the disc would ever be able to function like it should. He said there was about a 60% chance that it would be successful and the cost is about $60,000.
2.) A complete joint replacement on both sides with titanium prosetetics, called TMJ Concepts, which you can see on their website if you scroll down. Freaky looking. The procedure would involve amputating the condyle and removing the disc and the little crook up close to the ear that it all fits into and replacing it all with titanium pieces. He said there was a 90% chance that I would be pain free with almost full function (the joints don't move side to side, other than that they move like normal joints.) Oh, and estimated cost= $90,000.
Holy crap. The shock has worn off, I definitely wasn't thinking they would want to cut off part of my face! Things have been really bad the last two years and for most of the past year I've been on a very soft diet and in a lot of pain.
I meet with my dentist tomorrow and I hope we can discuss it and go from there. I have no clue what insurance will even cover.

Family Stuff:
My little sister is getting married! (Did I say that already?) I'm really excited for her. She's planning an outdoor wedding in August. She and Mom and I went to Dallas this past weekend to pick out a dress. And (this is so her) she liked the second one she tried on. Of two. And it comes with a little matching set with bridesmaid dresses and everything. It was good to spend the weekend with them, we don't get to do that much anymore. Have pics of that too I hope to post soon.

On the hooks:
Still joining the 63 squares ghan. I'm quite possibly the world's slowest joiner. I think people have joined the crochet along and finished since I have been joining squares, I swear. But I finally have a free weekend, after, like, seven weekends crammed full of plans, so I hope to get some work done on it then. I'd love to finish.

Crochetville's new round of Secret Pals started this month, I was so excited I got to join. My secret pal is someone I don't know very well but I'm learning more about her and have exciting things planned for her. And my secret to me pal has been really kind, I've gotten some sweet e-cards and emails from her.

More to come later this week....