Snow

The Sasebo River. Taken from our back balcony.
This is what we woke up to. Half way through the storm this is what all of the houses in the neighborhood looked like.

Yesterday we drove to the base to get a few things at the store. While we shopped a blizzard began. When we came out of the store we were wondering how we would get home in our tiny little car.

Our friends and next door neighbors just moved in. They have no vehicle and had coincidentally gone to the store the same time that we did. They took the train and walked to the base. It's quite the jaunt actually. But in the snow we knew that there was no way that they would make it all that way carrying all of their shopping bags. Brandon offered to walk and take the train with Tom. So that Stephanie and their son Dylan could ride home with me in the nice warm car. It sounded like a good idea at the time.

The men began their hike across the frozen tundra. And us women folk started up the car and headed for home. Our car is super light. Think moped with 4 wheels. I was thanking God that I grew up in Washington and wasn't afraid to drive in the snow.We left the base and knew right away it was going to take forever to get there. No one was even paying attention to lights. People were just driving right through them. Bumper to bumper. Snow and ice covering the road. Accidents occurring left and right. The Japanese have a hard enough time driving in the rain, snow was more than they could handle. Some of them stopped their cars right in the traffic, put on their four ways, locked up and abandoned their cars. Right in the middle of the road. Some even left their car doors open and scurried away as if a bomb had gone off. Jackson was ticked. Sitting in the backseat crying. Dylan had to use the restroom and told us so every 30 seconds. It took us 2 hours just to get half way home.

It wasn't long before we got a call from the husbands. Neither one of them had house keys to get into their houses. They were stuck outside of the building in the freezing cold with snow dumping on their heads. They eventually made their way to the other side of the street where there is a coffee shop. Or so they thought. It was actually a little bar. Drunk Japanese men filled the small room. They charged the guys 5 bucks for a cup of coffee. We called to tell them that we had made it half way home and were near a little restaurant that we frequent. We told the guys to walk and meet us. Eventually we all met up for some dinner, a much needed bathroom break and some rest from being in the car. After dinner we all managed to pile in our tiny car for the drive home. Poor Brandon had to sit in the trunk. By then traffic had cleared and we made it home in 5 minutes. By the time we walked in the house it was 9:30 pm. It was a pretty hectic day considering that we just meant to pick up a few things. We shall see how much more snow we get. Hopefully we don't get snowed in.