Hi Folks - well sorry about not blogging for a while its called work you know!!

I have been working at a new Volvo dealership for about a month now working some days 0830 - 8pm so it was no suprise that on my first day I saw a monkey. No not the other sales guys but a real miny monkey. A lady had brought her Mercedes in for a service....there are 3 dealerships in one, VW being the third.....and had a pet monkey on a leash walking it around work, I sent a few e mails to people to confirm my story. It had a nappy on and this woman rears these monkeysas a kind of step mum.

I was tempted to ask her. " Do you have a licence for that Monkey?", but didnt.

Avid readers will know that I recently had my Green card which is White in clour, can anyone tell me why it was called a green card, no one knows over here too.

Anyway my last stop was to go to the social security office downtown and get my number. We waited after getting a ticket and i went to a booth and spoke to a nice lady who went to the UK a few years ago, went to England and Scotland but never Wales.....no one here knows Wales, maybe the Tourist Board should pay me to spread the word cos they are not !! I digress......She saw my green card, put my details into the system and told me that they were unable to give me a number because the Homeland Security or God team as they are known here had not entered my details. It would take them 4-6 weeks to get the number if God team got their act together. Her words not mine I might add!! Very un PC these Yanks can be!!

I waited 3 weeks and thought that I would call them....this is the converstion in brief...

" Hullo this is Gareth White, I am waiting for my social security number so my employer can tax me correctly and my wife can file me on her tax returns, my ID number is #############?"

" Let me check, ok Mr White we are still waiting for them to put you in the system"

"I am in the system cos i got me bleeding Green card"

" Nothing we can do but you could call the IRS Tax People and they might give you a temp number to use for those 2 purposes"

" Great I ll do that"

I then called the IRS....waiting listening to rap music....14 mins.

"Hullo this is Mr ### Agent number ### hiw can I help you Sir"

Told them the same conversation..........

" I need to ask you Mr White some qualifying questions....if you answer correctly each one in turn I will issue a number. First question is ,...Have you or are you applying for your 1st Social security number?

" Yes thats why I am calling cos those little buggers told me to."

" Sorry Sir then you do not qualify for a Temp ID Tax Number..Good Day"

I was livid....the next day I went into work and Carla the HR woman said to me.." Gareth, any luck yet on your social number"

There is now a vacancy in HR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dont anyone of you lucky people complain anymore about the snow...over the last 3 weeks we have had snow every day, I have dug ourselves out every other day, had to clean snow off 20 Volvos every day. Drive to work in sub zero temps every day and the schools have only been close TWICE!! They are allowed 3 snow days throughout the year and then if they go over that then the school stays open to catch those days up in the summer hols.

Sold 2 new cars so far, for the car freaks amongst us, a new XC90 and the S80, the last car is an awesome machine.

Denise is in work and I have to use the snow rake again to get the snow off the bungalows roof. Her Dad came down today and ploughed the drive for us.Still it could be worse they have had over 10 feeet in up state New York.

Where in the Virgin Islands are you Gareth2 cos I am after you !!

Bye all and I will keep ploughing...Good news the Weather man said that we should see no snow after April 11th.

Its St Davids Day soon, can someone send me a small leak or Daff in the post to wear cos I forgot mine !!!

Bill Fitz where are you, still waiting for you and Terry Evans , Phil Jones to e mail!!!!!!!!!!