Today, it snowed for the first time this year in Date. When I say "this year" I of course don't mean 2003 because it snowed all the way up til mid May. Yo, mid-May snow is "nooooo-good." But anyway, it snowed today, and when compared to last year, this year is a bit late. Last year is snowed in the beginning of November. That's right, snow from November to mid-May. A little over 6 months of winter. Blah! Some Hokkaido people were having some fun with me in saying that Hokkaido has only 3 seasons... winter, spring, and fall. They may very well be correct.

So, with snow, come changes. Clothes get more numerous and puffy. The space heater gets turned on all the time. The tires on the car have to get changed... and so do the windshield wipers. I can't wear a pair of shoes I own... and regardless of the shoes I'm wearing, I have to do the "walking on ice and snow shuffle." I can't hang my clothes out to dry anymore (although I think I should try it with an old T-shirt just to see if I really freezes). Hot chocolate suddenly tastes really really good. Ditto for microwaved smores, well, until the marshmallow cools and gets all hard and sticky.