@Jay

I originally went to Japan on a 90 day business trip - which got extended for another 90 days - and another 90 days -and another 90 days - and then turned into a 2 year assignment - and a 2 year renewal - and a 1 year renewal. And then I came back to the US, married and with a Great Dane. My wife lived in Nagoya (about 200 miles from Tokyo) when we met; she didn't speak English and I didn't speak Japanese and the friends who introduced us did the translating for a couple of years. I was studying Japanese for work so eventually we could actually go out by ourselves. I never in a zillion years thought I'd ever go to Japan, much less get married, and I can guarantee that she never in her wildest dreams thought she'd wind up living in the Arizona desert. Strange how things work out, isn't it?

@Tim

Have to admit the ICU was a fascinating experience - miserable but fascinating all the same. Neat technology, although I would have sort of preferred not to have been the one it had to be used on. My wife was afraid I'd never wake up and then I woke up but was still on the respirator for another day and couldn't communicate at all and she was more worried that there would be brain damage and it wouldn't really be me anymore. She went home and got a couple of photos I'd taken in Sedona and brought them in and held them up and when I winked and nodded she finally figured I'd be OK. Pretty emotional. Photos can be good for more than one might think!