More expensive than a weekend at the Ritz Carlton.

I just returned from the dentist. I'm having a crown put on one of my back teeth - number 16 I think. They're so weak and full of fillings that they spontaneously snap in half like a busted Pinata. It's always a surprise to be munching on lunch and wonder why my yogurt has nuts in it. Those aren't nuts. They're parts of my former teeth.

I think this is my fourth crown. The hard part is keeping the temporary in place while they build the steel one. This one has to remain stuck until March 11. Meanwhile, my crappy dental insurance is picking up $1,000 of the cost but still leaving me with nearly $700 to pay. Next time, I might just deal with the broken teeth. It isn't like anyone can see them.

On another medical-related note, I received a copy of the invoice for my hospital stay last month. Just so you can guess, here are the details...

• Emergency room visit at 10:00pm Friday night.
• IV bag, 3 X-rays and IV pain medication.
• Check-in to the room at 4:00am Saturday morning, another IV bag.
• 4 meals.
• 1 sleeping pill.
• Three more IV bags, for a total of 5.
• Check-out at 11:00am Sunday.
• A prescription for pain medication and antibiotic.

Guess the cost. Kudos to the commenter who can get closest to the actual retail price.