After the Beauty Parlor

Shot #1 - I'm really NOT in the mood to have my picture taken. Really I'm not. 

Miss Letty Found My Belly Button

Found! One Belly Button! It's right there, about a smidgen below my rib cage. It's not an insey. It's not an outsey. It's a flattie. Can't see it, but you can feel it (if I know you well enough). It's like a little round harder piece of muscle right under my skin, and, if you really look close, you can see a teensy little crescent scar. Mom can't see it, but she needs glasses to see most anything these days.

And speaking of Mom? We had Puppy School today. I reminded her to put the camera in her purse. I waited right by the door starting a little after 3:00PM so she wouldn't forget. We get there and YAHOOO! I'm off and running and she gets the camera out. She gets some really neat pictures of me and Moses, of Sunshine and Bentley, and of Peaches and Layla playing together. She gets a great one of Jaeger, the new baby Rottweiler. Oh, Duh! Guess what!! She left the memory card in the computer at home. I don't know about her. I guess we'll try for Saturday. She was pretty mad at herself so I didn't say much. I mean, what COULD I say without hurting her feelings?

I weigh exactly 5.0 pounds today, including leash!! I am 5 months old, too! All my friends are growing up and Mom keeps saying how big they're getting. Wow! You should see Moses these days. He's really getting huge. And Sara? You wouldn't even recognize her. Sunshine is still the tiniest little Westie ever, and she's so funny when she runs right along with the big dogs. She's awfully brave.

Bentley and Kimo really got into it, and Kimo even got a bit of a bloody nose, but he wasn't really hurt. Toward the end of class, Kimo was stomping in all the water bowls and flipping them. He was absolutely soaked through and through. He's so silly. Dizzle was there, flirting with Jewel, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. She's very quiet and gentle. Her brother, Jake, was all over the place though. He's a handsome dude. Dizzle and I played for a while. He had on a blue shirt and I wore my pink "Rub My Belly" shirt. Otherwise it's a little hard to tell us apart unless you check out the ears.

That's all for now, folks. I have to get up early to get my hair done at Miss Patty's place. See you tomorrow.

Love, Mary-Margaret

After hours we get to par-tayyyy!

I just LOVE my job. I had so much fun today. It was really getting late and I had just absolutely put in the longest day. We went out serving people, greeting clients...you know, all the necessary stuff. Anyway, we get back to the office an Mom keeps saying "Hang in there, Mary Margaret" And "In a sec, Mary Margaret". You know, there's just so much a puppy can take.

First, I hid my dish. Mom went nutsy looking for it. She finally gave up after about 45 minutes. I mean, like it just went "poof". Then I kept glancing over at the rolling cabinet. "Oh, no....that's the one place I didn't look", she says. Hee hee..it's so hard to keep a straight face. So she goes over and rolls it back and sure enough, there it is. Oh my goodness, that was a good one on her. So then I started flipping my water bowl. I get absolutely soaked and the carpet is all speckled with water. "Knock it off, Mary-Margaret", she says. So then, I started having races with myself. Whooosh into the reception room, then Whooooosh, back into my office. Back and forth. I'm really cracking up. Mom caught me between dashes, just laughing up a fit. You can tell that I'm having a good time. I really like working. Every day is diffent. Different clients, different shoe laces, different smells. My life is good.

I am one of the luckiest puppies in the whole wide world!!

Tomorrow, I have Puppy School. I'll have Mom put the camera in her purse so I can get some more pictures of my friends. Then on Friday, I get to see Miss Patty again, and get my hair and nails done. Saturday, we have "deliveries" to make, and billing to do. I absolutely love my life!

Time for bed. Good night, and God Bless...

Love, Mary-Margaret

My Own Private Work Station

This is my own private work space. You can see some of the "tools of my trade". My stuffed baby ferret and tennis ball are alway near by. When people come into the office and I see that they're stressed, I make it a point to snuggle right up to them to take their mind off their troubles.

Today, I was very awfully busy. We even worked late because we are so important to our clients. Well, they think so, but I think they just like the way we take care of them, so they don't worry about things.

This is where I spend most of my day. I just thought maybe you'd like to see it. 

"Gimme some tummy!"

My mom is so weird, but I think I love her even more because of it. I wasn't going to say anything, but (giggle) every morning when we wake up, before we get out of bed, she laughs and says "Gimme some tummy!". So I flip on my back and push my little pink belly up and I get smooched. Right there on my tummy. Right where my belly button would be if I had one. I mean, do all moms do that? Or is it just mine?

That's all for now. Gotta go to work.

Love, Mary-Margaret

The Importance of Micro-Chips

Miss Lynne and Miss Lois and I had lessons today, except something kind of interrupted us. A lady with her two kids asked if we knew who two French Bulldogs belonged to. They'd been following her all the way from the top of the hill on the cul-de-sac. My teachers are so kind and considerate, and they went to catch the two dogs. I absolutely insisted on loaning them two of my leashes to help out. I have quite a wardrobe of leashes, you know.

When they brought those dogs back, they took them to Vineyard Veterinarian to see if they were micro-chipped. And they were NOT. So, that's two un-neutered male bulldogs with no ID and no micro-chip. I'll bet they will be really scared without their parents come dinner time. If they'd been "chipped" then someone could call their mom right away. But now, they are just lost. That really makes me so very sad.

Oh DARN DARN DARN. I forgot to get Mom to take a picture of Miss Lynne and Miss Lois for my blog. Rats! Our next lesson is on February 27th in two weeks. I'll try to remind her then.

So far, I can do sit, down, stay, wait, place, watch, off, high five, low five, gimme five, roll over and I'm kinda learning how to talk. Well, actually I KNOW how, but Mom doesn't get it yet. She just hears "wrrrrrr" and "rrrrrufff" and "squeak" and "squeal". But I'm working on her.

If I want to watch TV, I just go into the family room and sit in the leather chair and she knows to turn it on. If I want water, I go toss my bowl in the air. If I have to go out, I stand by the door. You know, stuff like that. Sort of like sign language, but she's pretty smart. She's catching on.

Later, Gator!

Love, Mary-Margaret
Cool Dog (almost!)

A Simply Summer-like Sunday

It's really nice out. Sunny and warm, probably in the 80's. I love to take walks in my back yard, and then just kick back and watch "Animal Planet". That "Lucky Travels LA" (not "Lucky Does LA", like my mom thought) was on again. Lucky is a cool dog. Her mom shrieks and screams way to much for my tender ears. Poor Lucky. How does she live with that? It would make me crazy.

I felt like taking a dip, but the only thing I could find was my water bowl. I stuck most of myself in it, then took my front paw and casually flipped it over and doused myself with water - TWICE. Mom is getting tired of mopping the kitchen floor. She says she wants to kick back too, but having me around is like having another kid. I'd best watch my step or she'll marry me off, too! Egads! The thought of it gives me chills.

My Uncle Greg called today and told Mom he was sending her a book on the Los Angeles Lifeguards. Seems my Great Uncle Michael (the one whose chair I keep gnawing on) has his picture in the book. It'll be nice to meet some of the family.

"Desperate Housewives" is on again. We watched the East Coast feed, now we can watch the West Coast feed, too, and catch all the parts we missed. We also watched some of "Grey's Anatomy" and the XX Olympics snowboarding. That looks like fun. My cousin Randy who is 15 likes to snowboard, too. He lives in Minnesota.

I'm rambling. Gotta go watch the Housewives.

G'night, y'all. We're closed at work tomorrow, but we're going in anyway to get ready for billing. And I think I have a lesson with Miss Lynne tomorrow, too.

Need my beauty sleep, you know.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Obligatory Diary Entry by Dutiful Puppy

Mom's still getting over her "winter cold", so she hasn't been able to type much for me. I've been really good and loving and stuff to try to do my part. I'll keep this short because I'm so considerate.

Puppy School was absolutely "packed" today (pardon the pun). Seriously, there were more pups there than I'd ever seen in my whole life. Some new ones (Chloe, a Shar-Pei), Peaches (a fox terrier), Kimo (big...brown...not sure what). And my old pals, like Sandy, PeeWee, Godiva and the others. I just had the best of times.

Miss Heather needed some attention so I went over and let her teach me to roll over. I didn't even ask for a treat. I just did it because I love her and I like to learn. Last week, Mom taught me how to "high five". I can't wait to see Miss Lynne again to show her everything. I think she's coming on Monday, but Mom has to call her because she can't remember. Stuff like that happens when you get a "winter cold", she says.

I hope she gets better soon. I'm going to make her go to bed now, and watch the Olympics with me. We both like figure skating events the best.

G'night and God Bless...

Mary-Margaret

The Tooth Fairy - Breaking News

I have now lost TWO teeth, and have two more wiggly ones. There was a whole dollar under my pillow yesterday. Of course, I tried to eat it but Mom took it away. Said I had to put it in my piggy bank. I gently reminded her that I don't HAVE a piggy bank. So I guess that's on our shopping list. Let's see. I have about 20 more teeth to come out, so I guess that's maybe ....oh, I can't count that high. I think I'll leave the Tooth Fairy a note asking for liver snaps instead of money.

Have a great day.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Puppy School Updates

Today, I got there late. I was looking forward to it all day. I even wore my new pink "Wild Thing" shirt and my new spring hat. About 3:00PM, I sat right in front of the door so I'd be ready to go. But Mom had an appointment at 4:00PM who was late, and at 4:10 finally she said, "I'm not waiting. Mary-Margaret has been looking forward to this all day". And she walked right out the door with me.

Garrett Anderson was there and he was really having a good time. Then, he got a bit wild and actually sassed Miss Letty, so she gave him "time out". Except he doesn't take too kindly to being told what to do, so he bit her. She was cool, though. She just put a lead on him, took him inside, had a "heart to heart" talk with him, and when they came back outside, Garrett was wearing a little blue muzzle.

Miss Letty sat down with him and gave him scratches, and rubs and love. She said Garrett needed to learn that he wasn't going to get hurt when people and pups played with him. As soon as Dizzle heard that, he raced over and started loving all over Garrett. Poor Garrett. He will get even with Dizzle for that, but stuff happens when you're on a time out. Garrett will just have to learn how to get along with us other pups and not get put on "time out". Garrett always likes me. I'm probably the only pup he doesn't snap at any more.

Then Cooper came over, and Jake, and Trixie and they all started giving Garrett some loving, too. Finally, when Miss Letty took the muzzle off Garrett, he was pretty calm. Sort of exhausted like, and all the sass went right out of him. Miss Letty sure knows how to teach us pups lessons.

We came home and Mom gave me fresh baked chopped chicken for dinner. Oh, my tummy got absolutely huge. Then we watched "Animal Planet", and the First Annual Miss Dog contest. It was pretty interesting. I don't know how I'd look in an evening gown, but I tell you, some of those pups looked pretty classy. "Susie" from Missouri, a physically challenged French Bull dog, wore a red gown with a bustle, but "Sweet Pea" was the one to win the crown and wear the banner of "Miss Dog USA".

That's pretty much it for today. I work, I go to school, I play, I eat and I watch TV. A lot the same as you people do. Tomorrow, we go to work again, and then we have a three-day holiday. Sometimes it's just nice to kick back and relax, don't you think?

G'night everybody.

Mary-Margaret

Mary-Margaret's New Spring Hat

I just had to have it. See the butterfly on it? And the color is perfect. This is SOOOO me!! I'm usually pretty squirmy except when Mom has the camera. I've decided I want to be a model. What do you think? Do I have what it takes?

And I forgot to tell you. I lost my first tooth last night. From the bottom. One on the top should probably fall out maybe today. I don't know what I'm getting paid for these yet, but I hear that the Tooth Fairy is pretty generous. I can't wait to look under my pillow tomorrow.

This "Animal Planet" problem

Yow! I have this problem. As much as I like watching "Animal Planet", I think I'm going to have to do it on the sly. It's not the type of thing that Mom should be watching. Suffice to say that we are having a little power struggle going on. I AM the center of her world, as I should be. But this morning she got all strange on me. She actually picked me up by the scruff of my neck while repeating "I AM ALPHA DOG". Weird, huh? Hmmmmph! "Alpha dog", my left foot! She's delusional.

Oh. FYI, I find sunflower seeds a rather handy little snack. The birds toss them to me. Not bad once you get the little shells off them.

Have a happy day.

Love, Mary-Margaret

The Wolf Within

Mom and I aren't really that into sports, like football and stuff. So on Sunday I got a really special treat. Mom turned on the "Puppy Bowl" for me. It's on the Animal Planet channel and let me tell YOU. It is really something. I sat bolt upright and watched every minute of it. I even joined into the group barkathons. My mom sure knows what I like.

Last night, we watched "Lucky does L.A.", which is about a little Maltese visiting the big city for her first modeling job. Whew. That's a lot of work, but I did see a puppy day care that I just loved. It actually had a swimming pool. There's even restaurants up there in L.A. (which means Los Angeles for those of you who don't know) that cater to us pups. And hotels with special pup menus, too. It must be the heavy duty lobbyists from the Hollywood crowd or something. They don't have anything like that here in Temecula.

Tonight, Mom turned on "Wolf Within". I found out that I am a distant relative of the wolf and that a lot of what I do has been carefully bred in me for hundreds of years. Funny to think that my great-great (x100) grandfather was maybe an Egyptian temple dog or a European hunter. I know my Uncle Sneakers used to catch mice, and he even found them for the pest control guy when mom lived in the country. I am sooooo impressed. Too bad I can't trace my roots back further than Missouri. At least I know my father and grand-father were of the Spicebush family, Dad being Dandy Agustus Bush, and his father being George W. Spicebush. May be Republicans, but I don't want to assume anything.

Mom says, if I want her to, she'll get out my pedigree. That's like a dog family tree so you can see who you are related to. Mom's got her's back to the 1300's on her fathers side, and probably the early 1800's on her mother's. I wonder how far back mine will go?

Oops. Time to go. I have to watch another show on working dogs, just in case I have to get a job someday. I really like learning.

Love and kisses,

Mary-Margaret

Dinner at the Mantle tonight!

I guess it's going to be one of those days. I just can't seem to keep out of trouble. I got one of Mom's new expensive shoes that she was going to take to Hawaii with her and sort of got carried away. Honest! I just meant to sniff it a bit and the next thing you know the cork heel and the leather insole is just sort of coming off in little pieces. Anyway, it wasn't a happy occasion when I got caught. I don't think I'll be able to sit comfortably for a while.

Maybe if I save my allowance for a gazillion years I can buy her one new shoe? Except then I suppose she'll want to have Uncle Michael's rocker refinished, and new carpet in the dining room, and a new silk ficus tree to replace the one I've been munching on.

Life just isn't fair.

(sniff)

Mary-Margaret

I'm getting too old too fast!

This morning Mom found four loose teeth in my mouth. Two on the top in the middle and two on the bottom in the middle. They're not completely ready to come out yet, but she says not to worry. That the Tooth Fairy or her assistant, Prunella Giddens, will know when they come out and leave something special for me even if I don't put them under my pillow. Still, once I get my big teeth, I don't know what to look forward to any more. Except something called "spaying" but I don't think I really want to know about that too much. I just know that it means I won't be having puppies of my own, which is fine with me. I don't want to share my mom with anyone.

Also, yesterday I went to Puppy School. I'm always real excited to get there but then I sorta get bored. I say hello to all the kids, meet the new ones [like Dolly (a yorkie), Cassie (an Italian Greyhound), Tarzan (a Basenji)], and show them around, but in maybe ten minutes or so, I find myself off in a corner of the yard all by myself sniffing things. I'm actually kind of a loner. Nobody else wants to explore like I do, and nobody wants to play ball or frisbee like me, except maybe Wyatt, Mordecai and Benelli, and they are really BIG HUGE dogs and I don't think they take me very seriously. There was a giant Doberman Pinscher at the vets last week and he kept staring at me, and then his mom just grinned at me and said "LUNCH!". I mean, how RUDE!!

Mom even got me to leave Puppy School early yesterday. Well, I really actually didn't mind. I got to play tag with some of the grown up peoples, but they ganged up on me and somebody's mom just nailed me and passed me over to my mom. To be fair, my mom was really sick and only brought me because she knows how much I love Puppy School. I didn't think that I should mention that I think maybe I'm getting too old for it. Maybe I just won't go all the time. Samantha, Sunny, Bailey, and Sandy hardly ever go anymore, either. I miss them a lot. We'll see. I'll have Mom ask Miss Letty what she thinks.

Depressedly yours, Mary-Margaret aka "Lunch!"

My Absolutely FIRST Favorite Place

I always talk about it, but here you can see for yourself. Only this time I didn't poke my head down Mom's sleeve. I was just taking my morning snooze when BLAM, the flash goes off. Oh well, maybe it's time to stick my head down her sleeve and get some real shut-eye. 

My Favorite Things

Here I am in my favorite place in the whole world. Ok, my second favorite place after Mom's bathrobe sleeve. But this is under my mom's desk at work where she keeps our pouch envelopes. They were in a nice stack but I can't stand it unless they are all over the floor. She caught me just as I was ready to grab that envelope and race into the reception room with it. I like to tear it up into little tiny pieces. It just tastes really good. I can't explain it, but I am so absolutely totally hooked on envelopes. Yum! 

Sunshine and Shopping

This is my new friend Sunshine from Puppy School. She's about 12 weeks old and is a West Highland Terrier. Yesterday was her first class and she was kind of shy. We all are the first time we go, but that's ok. That is her mom's chair she's sitting under while she gets used to all of us.

You should have seen PeeWee his first time. He was so scared and shook so much that we thought he'd come unglued. Yesterday, PeeWee was wearing a new blue sweater and I guess he felt really good about himself because he was all over the place, sniffing and wrestling. I think it was his 3rd or 4th time at school, so he was pretty confident. Sunshine and I played for a while and I told her that Matco in Temecula was the best place to buy sweaters. I hope she tells her mom because, honestly, a new sweater makes all the difference in the world. They also sell shirts and pajamas there.

My mom took me shopping yesterday and we went to the Chapparral Antique Mall in Old Town Temecula. There's a doggie boutique in there which is brand new. There are even back-packs for us puppies to wear, baseball shirts, and tiaras for pups like Samantha who enjoy playing dress-up. There was a Harley-Davidson jacket just my size with the eagle on the back, but my mom didn't think it was "me". I hope she doesn't buy me one of those ooey-gooey pink fluffy fur coats or a diamond studded hair bow. I can tell you right now that is absolutely NOT me, either.

Gotta go now. Mom is feeling under the weather with her annual winter chest cold, but we still have to go to work and take care of our clients. They absolutely depend on us to make things all better.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Poor Colombian Puppies

Hi. It's me, Mary-Margaret. My mom didn't want me to know about what's happening with these poor little guys from Colombia, but I saw the picture and made her tell me. Here's the thing. It's about people and I just don't understand how they are sometimes. I figure humans have it all. They can talk, think, work, drive, they have thumbs, they can walk on two legs, and they are smart. But that's not enough for some of them. Some people have to feel happy all the time, so they take drugs, or drink, or smoke. At least, that's how I understand it. Anyway, bad people put bad stuff inside the puppies so they can sell it to stupid people. Sometimes it makes the puppies so sick they even die.

One of the reasons my mom helps me with my blog (Gosh, I hope you didn't think I typed this all by myself without thumbs, did you?) is because my life is so simple. I eat, sleep, play, try to make people happy, and explore a lot. That's it. I don't take drugs, or drink icky stuff that makes folks sick, or smoke, or be mean. I don't even think about being mean or taking advantage of people, or taking money from them (except sometimes I find some in Mom's purse and I chew it up). I don't know of any self-respecting dog that does. I don't even know any dogs who tell lies. And the only reason a dog will be mean is because his human told him to be or his human was cruel to him. And that's the truth!

Usually, I just tell you about my day and what I know of life. Today, I will tell you what I know of life is this: If people would try to behave more like us pups, they wouldn't need drugs, or drink, or smokes to make them happy. Their life would be so much nicer, and there probably wouldn't be wars, and they'd sleep better, too.

My "Coming of Age" & Mom at the Groomer

I am now a "big dog". I got a rabies shot today and only big dogs get those. Dr. V said I can't do the other stuff yet because I still have all my baby teeth, but I'm still a BIG dog. Sorta. I got weighed again and I'm STILL 4.4 pounds. I have NOT gained even one ounce since last week, but maybe if I just eat a little more, it'll help.

Oh, I had a surprise today. Usually, I get baby-sat if my mom goes someplace special for grown ups only. But today, I got actually INVITED (if you can believe it because of my reputation as heck on wheels), I was IN-VI-TED to go with my mom to her groomer. She calls it a "hairstylist" but anybody with a brush, scissors and a blow dryer is a groomer to me.

Usually, I'm all over the place, but today I just sat in Mom's lap for almost two hours and didn't even try to go anywhere. Miss Laura, who does Mom's hair, is so awfully nice and kept calling me "Cutie Pie" and "Sweet heart" and stuff. How could I NOT be good? Anyway, I guess even Mom noticed because she gave me treats for absolutely no reason at all. My absolutely favorite liver crackers "Just-because-you-are-so-good" treats. I was even nice enough not to laugh at all the tinfoil in Mom's hair, but it looked pretty funny. She looked like a space alien to me. Of course, I don't tell her that.

I think I like Miss Laura and the place with all the funny looking ladies and the weird smells. I hope I get to go next time, too.

PS - I was also absolutely PERFECT today and not even one eensy-weensy accident.

Love to everybody from ME, Mary-Margaret O'Brien, grown up dog!