We've been TAGGED!!

First off - need to post funny picture(s) - Here's me when I just wake up in morning.








And here's me all ready for my FIRST birthday party - designer dress and all. It's a "Matco" original.







And here's me ready for the beach in my haute couture beach hat and glasses, designed by "Shelly"


And I TAG YOUUUUUUU! Sophie Brador, Loki, Jemma, Carbi, Peanut and Flash, The Fleas Gang, and Ivy

Here what you have to do:

Each player starts with eight random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged, need to post in their Diary or Blog the rules & their 8 pawsome facts. Then choose 8 dogs to tag and list their names. Don't forget to bark them a note that they have been tagged and to read your Blog or Diary!

Here are 8 fun facts about MEEEE, Mary-Margaret:

1. I was RESCUED from a pet store, but it took me two hours to convince my mom that I belonged to her, and for her to quit looking at other pups.
2. I enjoy chasing cats. But mostly we just chat over the back fence.
3. I can talk and carry on a very long conversation, stopping while you talk to me, and then I'll start talking again. I do "English" pretty well, actually.
4. You have to say "Please!" to get me to do something. REALLY, you do!
5. I've been working as a receptionist and assistant mail clerk in my mom's office since I was 9 weeks old.
6. I am bi-coastal and have a house in California and in Pennsylvania. I prefer Pennsylvania because of the neat smells and squirrels.
7. While I seem to be object of attention for many male dogs, I like the single life and don't plan on any serious relationships...at least not for now. My Mom is my very best friend and that's just fine with me.
8. I hate paparazzi!! But you probably already know that.

Now...if I've tagged you, just copy these instructions, change the name to yours, and fill in EIGHT facts about you.

Love, Mary-Margaret

How I Spent My Day Off!

You know....I have a lot of sympathy with people who are constantly hounded by paparazzi. Like...the minute you let your guard down, KABLOOEY....a camera goes off. So I moved over to the warm concrete on the patio.
Yeah...you guessed it. Hiding behind the screen door this time. I heard a rustle and looked up just in time to hear the shutter click. So much for relaxation in the sunshine. I moved back into the house and on to my usual spot on the back of the big leather chair. Not as nice as being outside, but certainly more peaceful.

Hope you all had a happy, relaxing day free from bugs - CAMERA bugs, I mean.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

My Slide Show

(If you can't see the pictures, click on "View All Images" - problem is something with a pop-up blocker thingy)

Mom was foolin' around on the computer and did this slide show up for me. What do you think? I tell you, it all started when she was checking up on GirlGirl Hamster and she found out it was Oscar's birthday, so I asked her to go to Oscar's blog and he had this nifty slide show thingy up. So NATURALLY she couldn't just leave it alone. She had to figure out how to make one. Tsk. My Mom....makes me crazy at times, but I love her. I tell YOUUUU, if I only had thumbs I'd check my OWN email. I'd still dictate my blog, though. I like being able to kick back, put my feet up, and just say whatever pops into my mind without worrying about spelling. Mom's a pretty good speller, I think.

Love, Mary-Margaret

A Sunday visit

This afternoon, my mom's friend Margie came over and we all drove over to Mr and Mrs Graff's house. They live on the top of a hill and I tell YOUUUU! There are some amazing smells wafting in with the breeze. I personally liked the back yard where the pool is, and I did as much sniffing as I could being attached to the end of a leash being held by a particular person who shall remain unnamed who just doesn't GET sniffing and what it's all about. I left just a hint of my fragrance over by a palm tree so their dogs, Buddy and Deacon, wouldn't forget me.

The whole house was everly so interesting. They even have a movie theater. They said that me and Mom could come over and watch movies with them any time. Mom told her that I like Benji type movies, and that I get all caught up in stuff like "Meercat Manor" on the Animal Planet. I really DO like anything with pups in it. If Mom's watching TV and a dog comes on (or a cat), she'll say "DOGGIE!!" or "KITTY!" out loud and I come running from wherever I am. Hey...I'm just a small town Yorkette and I have my dreams, you know?

I could maybe fill a gap in the entertainment industry, like maybe for Britney Spears? "Oops, I did it again!" sure fit me today. Mom should KNOW better than to lock the slider over my personal door when I've just had a bath. I couldn't hold it...but I sure tried. It was a whopper of a puddle....a two thirsty paper towel piddle spot. I felt awful, so I didn't get yelled at much. OK OK...maybe a little guilt was laid on me, but that's what Mom's do, ya know? Anyway..that'll teach her. Fortunately, she was planning on shampooing the carpet anyway. Whew!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day.

Love, Mary-Margaret "Oops" O'Brien

Here, kitty kitty!

He was right there...honest! I could see him but he wouldn't come back up the hill so Mom could take a picture. I called and I called. No luck.

MMOB

Clancy's Winning Team 2007 Champs

Ohhh...I am EVERLY so proud of my cousin Clancy. My Auntie C sent me a picture of his team. They WON!! They are the League CHAMPS. (League should be spelled "LEEG", if you ask me, but Mom says L-E-A-G-U-E is how I have to spell it). Anyway....afterwards, they had pizza. I had some pizza last night but no pepperoni for me. Mom says it would make me thirsty. And her point is what? Hmmmmmm????

Love...

Mary-Margaret

No cats for you!

No cats for me, either. Mom even took the camera downstairs just in case...and it was WORKING, but nope. Nobody came by. I spent a lot of time outside, too. Jess, the irrigation man, cleared a lot off the slope so tonight I came back in the house with only one burr on my butt. Mom picks them off me very gently and tosses them into the trash can.

Sooo....she says she's too tired to take dictation tonight. That's why no diary entry for today.

I do want to thank all my friends for their comments the past few days. It's really nice to know you're out there. Especially I want to thank GirlGirl Hamster, FuFu's little sister. She has valiantly carried on his tradition of entertaining photo essays about life as a hamster.

Love you guys...

Mary-Margaret O'Brien

The Cat on the Fence

Mom tried to get a picture. Her flash disk or camera card or whatever they call it was acting up and kept saying "corrupt data". So she stomped upstairs and put the card into the computer and deleted everything. Now she's back to Picture #1 and here it is. Oh, lucky MEEEEE! Her camera is working again. And yes, that's a feather on my nose. I was BUSY snuffling.

Back to the cat on the fence. So I'm outside just diddling around, sniffing and stuff, and I look up. [gasp] A CAT!! ON MY FENCE. Right on the very top of it half hidden by the oleander tree. But it's tail was hanging down, swinging back and forth...back and forth...back and forth...zzzzz..huh? Like maybe it was going to HYP-NO-TIZE me? Uh uh, I said. So I frittered around and pretty soon it put it's tail up. I'm not falling for that one. Then I trotted back in the house just in time to find Mom had fixed the camera. And the dumb old cat can just fall off the fence for all I care.

Joyous Day!

Mary-Margaret

My VERRRRY good friend, Franklin

Franklin lives in Hawaii. His mom and my mom are really good friends. His mom, Allie, sent my mom a picture of Franklin for me. Isn't he handsome? He just got a new haircut from his sister-in-law Candice. She's very good at haircutting, I think.
I wonder if I'll EVER get to Hawaii in this lifetime? My mom has been, but not me. There are no squirrels in Hawaii but there are Mongooses...er...Mongeese? Well, anyway, sounds like I'd have some fun over there. (sigh)

Wishfully yours,

MMOB

Sunday is the day of "rest"!

First off, I wake up really early just after the light comes on outside. Mom calls it "sunrise". Then I go stomp on her back. Not hard, but enough to get her attention. She snorts and rolls over. I get out the big guns....my tongue. I start licking her face and finally she says "OK...Must be time to get up!". Well, yeahhhhh?? Like I've been ready for a long time. Sheesh.

We snuggle for a bit and I get my tummy kissed. Downstairs, she opens the slider and I hop through my personal door. She washes out the coffee pot, grinds up some beans, and gets that really nifty morning smell going. And then we start with the "rest" part.

Some people think Sunday is the "Day of Rest", but my mom says it's the day where "you do the REST of the stuff you didn't have time for all week long". Either way, I'm fine. Doesn't matter if I'm napping on the back of the chair, in my kennel or in my office bed. A nap is a nap wherever you are.

Cheers!

Mary-Margaret

DogBlogTV.com

My everly most favorite show is "DogBlogTV.com"

I really tried to get the screen to show up here so all you'd have to do is click on it but failed miserably. I guess some things I'm just not good at, so you'll have to settle for the link.

Have a great day.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

My Trip to the Dentist

It was my trip but Mom's dentist. She had her teeth cleaned, fluorided, and polished. She says every time she's gone for the past 40 years the dentists always tell her she needs more work. She tries to take good care of her teeth just because she likes to have that nice smile for her clients. Her teeth look fine to me, too.

I sat on her lap and made sure that Cindy, the hygienist, didn't hurt her. When she had her xrays done I was all snuggled under the "blanket" with just my nose sticking out. Trust me, I was fine, but one of the other ladies wanted to hang with me for a bit so I let her, while I kept one eye on my mom. There's an ultrasonic water pick type of thingy they use on her. High pitched whiney sound, but I kept my cool.

One of the other ladies at the dentist's is a Yorkie mom, too. She and I got on really well, and she showed me pictures on her camera phone of her baby, Zoe, who only weighs maybe 2.5 pounds. She's teensy. I gave her some of my stuff that I outgrew last year. Between you and me, I'd rather NOT wear clothes and only do so for a short time to please Mom.

That's it for now..

Love, Mary-Margaret

A black ribbon is on my collar...

...as a tribute to my good friend FuFu, the hamster from Singapore that was an honorary dog. He passed suddenly and unexpectedly last weekend, a sad loss for us all.

He proudly called himself a hamsterrier. He was our mascot, and he became an inspiration to every one of us. He was so enthusiastic about life, and he was always there for his friends. We loved to read FuFu's blog, especially when he told about making doofus faces, or driving his FuFu-mobile, or getting his sand bath. He made ordinary life happenings seems magical with his excitement.

Just last Thursday he sent me a note in response to my Yorkie collage: " Fu Fu said... Woh, that's alot of yorkies. But I bet you're the cutest Mary-Margaret.~ fufu (Thursday, May 10, 2007 6:01:00 AM )". I shall treasure it always.

My good friend Lorena from Mexico was the one who informed me of our beloved FuFu's passing. In honor of his memory I am wearing a black ribbon on my collar. I would encourage all of his friends to do the same.

Good bye, FuFu. We will meet again at the bridge.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

Happy Mother's Day!

I went card shopping on the internet. Like...where else can I afford a Mother's Day card? Hmmmmm? I looked and looked and this one was the nicest I saw, so I got it for Mom. You think she'll like it? Gosh, I hope so.

You know, I was thinking last night about all the stuff she does for me, and how she always gives me kisses and cuddles no matter what even if I had an accident (which I NEVER hardly EVER have), and ...oh...like last week when she sat in her big leather chair and I accidently went "YIKES!" because I was sleeping on the back, and it scared me, and I jumped really hard onto her face and neck. Well, she still loved me. So even if I can't afford to buy her anything, or if I can't actually say the words out loud, I can post my card to her someplace where she'll see it. (Er...not like those chocolate eggs I left her on Easter a couple of years ago. Hey, they looked chocolate to me.) But on my blog, which she reads faithfully, every day. YUP! That's where I'd like to say to her and to all of the other mothers who understand what unconditional love is....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Unconditional love back to you from me, the one who knows all your secrets and will never tell, and the one who will always be there by your side no matter what. From MEEEEEEE.....Mary-Margaret O'Brien

My Cow Head

You can kind of see my Cow Head in this picture. I promised I'd send it to you. This was the best we could get because of some camera memory card problem. Sorry. But you get the idea. It's everly so much fun because it "Growls" at me. Auntie Leslie told Mom that wasn't a "growl", it's a "Moo", but honestly. Even I can tell the difference between a growl and a moo. I think she's pulling my leg, don't you?

Mary-Margaret

Ghost Dog and the Sailor Dress

My very good friend Abbey Mia from Brighton, NY got a new sailor dress. My very good friend P-Nut from Lake Isabella got a new sailor dress. How does a puppy explain that they want to be like the rest of the girls? I'm more of a tom-boy type, but when I saw how cute my friends looked, I really REALLY wanted a sailor dress, too. My Aunt Shelly, who knows me and understands me, sent me a surprise!
TA DAAAAA! Today is the very first day I got to wear it. And wouldn't you just KNOW it? Mom comes to work carrying a camera. There should be a law. Do you see her? Is she coming?
OOOOOPS! Darn it. Just when I thought I was safe. But you have to admit, it's MEEEE! Red, white and blue! Everly so patriotic, dontcha think? HMMMMMM????
Mom happened to be fussing with the camera trying to figure out what was wrong as I happened to be zipping around and I stopped for a split second to see what she was up to. Again, like I said once before, her most interesting pictures happen quite by accident.

Dear Aunt Shelly and P-Nut: Thank you everly so much for my absolutely perfectly fit gorgeous sailor dress. I got so many compliments today I'm afraid I got a bit puffed up about myself, but I'm ok now. Every one should feel good about how they look once in a while, don't you think? I DO love you!!

Niters for now...

Mary-Margaret "Anchors Away" O'Brien

I LOVE pressies!

The pouch came last night and I didn't even get up. The bag sat on the floor by Mom's desk and I didn't move. I mean, why bother? No one ever sends MEEEEE stuff anymore.

But as soon as Mom picked up the bag I heard a "grrrr" sound. What? Again, please? "GRRRRRRR", the pouch said. Mom started to grin. "Oh, look, Mary-Margaret.....something for YOUUUUU!".
"Huh?", I asked. "For MEEEEEE?", and I whooshed right on over. "GIMMMEEE", I said. (shred shred rip shred) Confetti all over the place and, wouldn't you know it? Double-wrapped. "Ugh", I said. And I started to shred the inner wrap.
"Would you like some help, Mary-Margaret?"
Well, yes, as a matter of fact I would...thank you for asking. And so my mom fished this COW'S HEAD out of the bag that sorta mooed/growled and handed it to me.

Oh "For JOY! For JOY!", I said, and danced all over the office with it. I'll see if I can get my mom to send you a picture of it. It's the neatest thing ever. I asked Mom to call my Auntie Leslie right away and tell her "Thank you everly so much". REALLY!! (sigh) I needed a boost and that made my day.

Love, Mary-Margaret

PS - Auntie Leslie said she was glad Homeland Security didn't think my growling cow was a national security threat. It was still "moo-ing" when she slipped it into the courier bag. :o)

Aunt Shelly's Favorite Yorkies

I think that's me second row, fourth from the left, but I'm not sure. I think I have a lot of look-alike relatives, don't you?

MMOB

The Roof and the Downspout

About 10 years ago, the Roof Company fixed a little problem under our entry way celestory window. (I asked Mom how to spell that, btw!) The Roof man nailed another piece of "flashing" and the problem stopped. Then, a couple of years ago the Gutter Man put a downspot right over the place where the flashing went. There is a leak because the Roof Man put a big old nail hole in our roof, and the Gutter Man made the downspout pour right over the hole. So Mom wants to know who should fix it? I think the Roof man because he put a hole in our roof. He says he only guarantees for two years and it wouldn't have leaked except the Gutter Man put the downspout over his hole. AAAAARRRRGGHHH...too confusing for me! Opinions appreciated.

I got a shower yesterday, and got cream rinse, too! I AM soft, silky, gorgeous. Everybody wanted to rub my tummy yesterday. It was a very good day. Also I met the landscapers who keep MY groundcover at the office all neat and trimmed. Very nice people, I tell YOUUU! I went out there to do my business and they all stopped still, like statues, watching me as I checked out their work. They absolutely froze. Er....well....gosh...how embarrassing. I couldn't ...wouldn't.....shouldn't.....! Not in FRONT of them. So I didn't. They all whistled at me and called me "Perrito" and made kissy noises. I think I like them. I asked Mom to take me out later when there was more privacy.



When we got home I had a serious talk with my mother about my sensitivities. I DO have feelings, you know.

Have a nice day.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Is it Friday yet?

Where did the weekend go? I swear it was over before I even knew it was here. Whoosh here....whoosh there. Busy busy busy.

About the camera...the compact flash card works in the computer now, but not in the camera. Go figure. So maybe Mom did fix the slot with her nail file? Horrors...I hate to think what she'll "fix" next. But why won't it work in the camera, now? Another puzzle to solve. Anyway, that's why no pictures tonight.

The kitty came to visit last night. I stayed out really late talking over the back fence. The kitty is nice to me but runs away when it sees my mom. Mom says it's a feral cat, which means wild. Which also means to me that it doesn't have to answer to anyone at all and it can stay up as long as it wants, and nobody tells it what to do. Does that sound bad? But......what about dinner time? And bed time? And watching "The Bachelor" time? I don't think I'd like having all that freedom. I like being warm and cozy and having a full tummy.

Some man was asking Mom about me being a service dog. Like....er....that's any of his business? He was kind of making fun, I think. Saying stuff like "What's she do...lead the blind?". Jerk. Mom was nice to him though, except she took a really long time in putting my vest on and he was too stubborn to walk around her. So Mom took even longer than usual. She didn't say so, but I think she was tweaking his chain a bit because he was so rude.

The pouch man brought me a package today. It didn't say "Mary-Margaret" on it, but I could tell it was mine. My hat was inside. I guess I must have left it at Uncle Jason's house. Too bad they found it. I know Mom likes me to wear it, but I wish it would stay permanently lost. REALLY, I do.

Four more days until Friday. Oh, I can't wait. Maybe THIS weekend we can relax a bit, ya think??

Love, Mary-Margaret

My Uncle and Auntie

See how much I love my Uncle Jason?








Here's me and my Auntie C (Colleen) and my Uncle Rudy.

You know, if you ask MEEEE, I don't get to see them nearly as much as I want to. I sure wish they lived closer to us. Just like I wish we'd live closer to Grandma and Grandpa. Maybe Mom can move closer to them someday. Family is the foundation for every living being, Mom says. Without a good foundation, it's hard to build a life (she says). What do I know? I have a pack, and my pack is my family. And Mom is my pack. It even says so on my diploma from Cool Dogs, which is on my blog back in 2006 someplace.

Yup! Family is what's kewl.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Here's where I work

This is where I work. If you ever need a really good investigator or process server in Temecula, you can come see me. I'm the receptionist and package opener.

MMOB

The Piano Recital

Clancy and Cailin, my cousins, are waiting for their turn to perform. All of the piano students sat on a sofa. When it was time for them to play, the teacher called their name and they went up and stood facing the audience. They said their name, their age, and what grade they were in. Then they went and sat on the piano bench and played their performance piece. Clancy played first, and then Cailin. Everybody clapped and Mom says they had a very good time.

After the recital, Mom, Uncle Jason and Auntie C, and my cousins went out to Ruby's for hamburgers and malteds. All this is being told to me since I wasn't INVITED!! Nope! I have to live vicariously through these precious moments because of a simple birth defect. I was born a DOG! Not that it's a bad thing, mind you. I am treated very well and some folks say I'm spoiled. Really, the only things I miss out on are piano recitals and restaurants mostly, although I suppose if Mom really wanted to support my cause, I could have gone. Probably. But I'll never know, will I? Nope.

Still...like I said....I got to spend some private one-on-one time with my Uncle Rudy. That was a good thing.

Huh? Oh, Mom says I should quit griping and get on with my life. OK. Moving on here.

Um.......(thinking).......OH YESSS! Clancy has braces and he really looks everly so kewl. And.....(thinking some more)....The new washer and dryer work pretty well so far. Mom had to buy some new detergent, though. Some High Concentrate stuff, because her new washer only uses 13 gallons of water compared to 35-40. She says, anyway. Two whole loads and everything came out clean and fresh. I know because I stomped on Mom's undies the first chance I got just before she folded them. I like to leave footprints wherever I can, you know. :o)

Love, Mary-Margaret

Nothing for MEEE in the pouch

I haven't gotten anything to open in everly so long. But today, Pam the UPS lady came late and there was a package. I grabbed it. "NO! That's MINE!", said Mom. "Er...I don't THEEENK so", I said, and hopped up on her desk. I grabbed it again. "MINE MINE MINE!", I told her.

"You get OFFA there, Mary-Margaret", Mom said. "GET DOWN", so I did. But "It's MINE", I insisted. I guess I must have looked really sad and disappointed because she said, finally, after I had stomped on her keyboard and made funny characters on her screen, "OK..you can open it.."(the adding very quietly).. ".....But it's mine!".

I haven't had so much fun in ages. (hee HEEEEEEE!) After a bit, Mary-Ann from Down The Hall came in and started to laugh. "Does she do this often?", she wondered. I was having a great time until the vacuum cleaner came out and I was told "That's enough, Mary-Margaret!". Uh oh. We do NOT like vacuum cleaners. Nope, we do NOT! We hid behind the chair until it got put back.

We got our new washer and dryer this morning. Good thing, too. I think somebody was running out of clothes to wear. And it wasn't MEEE. Oh, and Mike the Gutter man came by to see if maybe the gutter wasn't working right. Now Dave the Roof Man is coming on Tuesday. It's always something, Mom tells me. I don't mind in the least. I get to make new friends.

Well, good night for now. Tomorrow, I get a professional tummy rub from my pawdicurist, Miss Cathleen. I can't wait.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Nap Time Pals

There are so many toys in my bed that there's hardly any room for me. I said "hardly", but see? I manage to squeeze in there anyway. These are almost all my friends. Aunt Sonia took this picture of me to share with you. You can probably tell I was sound asleep. I trusted her, too. She's never snuck up on me before with a camera, but I guess all ladies are like that. Going "oooh oohh ...that's is SOOO cute. Let me have a picture!" (click-flash) and I'm blind for an hour. Well, so it goes.

Oh yes. Also. I went to my Uncle Rudy's on Sunday. My cousins, Cailin and Clancy, were having a piano recital. I couldn't go. Don't ask MEEE why, but it's ok. I stayed with Uncle Rudy and we had lots to catch up on. He's such a neat guy. And very wise. He lives with TWO cats, too. He had some pointers for me that will be verrrrrrrry helpful, like cats are bi-polar (whatever that means). They tend to act all calm and cool, and then they weird out on you.

Mom says to tell you she'll post a picture or two of my cousins at the recital later if they came out. She has to hook the camera up to the computer with a cable because one of the prongs is bent in the card reader, and her sorry attempt at fixing it with her nail file bombed on her. One of these days she'll learn. But will she listen to MEEEEE? Nope.

Love, Mary-Margaret