The smell of goats filled the air

Things went swimmingly at the social security office with the sole exception that Cate could not get a number.

Apparently – when we applied for our visas in the US consulate in Vienna – someone input her birth date incorrectly.

This means that in her immigration records the date is not the same as her passport and birth certificate – an error which the keen eyed assistant at the social security office pounced on within a nanosecond.

He hesitated mid keystroke and said ‘Aha!’

The smell of goats immediately filled our nostrils.

Shaking his head sadly he said that he would have to send the paper work on to a higher authority and that she would not get a card for maybe four weeks. This would not have been a problem except that the people lending us the money had said they would not close without a social security number – and (shriek) our purchase agreement expires today.

We threw ourselves on the mercy of the lender and after a tense day they came back at 4:30 to say they would close without the number – and we hope to do this tomorrow.

My name is also wrong in the immigration records – they have repeated my second name – but he let this go so we would not both be disappointed.

I should be able to get my number tomorrow and some of my problems will be solved. Of course I have quite a few people to tell.

In other news – to distract the cats from their tiny apartment I bought them some cat toys (actually one of them is a dog toy but they won’t know). So far they have shown no interest but I am hopeful.

I hope in the next day or so to show you some pictures of our fabulous apartment complex and – with luck – some pictures of ducks in the swimming pool.