The Cable Guy!!

First, there was Roberto (who ended up with our bird family). Then, there was Wendell who said there was something wrong with our TV and so he took the HD box and left another one. Today, we got Oscar!
Here's me with Oscar explaining to him about the lousy picture we get. He says that he's really sorry and the other two cable guys should have noticed that there was a very poor signal coming from the street to the house. Sheesh!

Here's me after Oscar fixed the problem. We think so, anyway. Now I can watch Animal Planet in HD instead of "blur", which used to look like a paint by number thingy.

Oscar wanted to use our ladder just like Roberto did. Except for one problem. The ladder is gone. Yup. Disappeared!! Now, Mom's not saying Roberto took it (or his buddy), but we had it before they got here last month, and now we don't. Sure. Anyone coulda snuck into our garage and lifted the ladder. Yeah...it COULD happen, probably! Especially if I was at work and not at home to guard our stuff.

Oscar will mention the loss of our ladder to the Time-Warner folks. And he says he'll suggest a better training program for their hired help so other pups don't have to have three service calls before they can see Animal Planet as it was intended to be seen.

Um....let's see! Oh....yes. I had a few tiny pieces of Oscar Meyer weenie for lunch. Just a tiny bit 'cause Mom says it's not good for me. Well, what I want to know is this: How come it's good for her and not me? Hmmmmmmmmmmm???? And chocolate? And raisins? How COME EVERYTHING I THINK SMELLS HEAVENLY is BAD for me???

Historical note: Mom says when she was my age that her dad used to hide sugar cookies in his shoe drawer or in the bottom of his closet. Maybe he thought they'd be bad for my mom? Maybe he figured he forgot that he ate a few of them when they started disappearing so fast?

I'm a little over 14 in people years. It's my job to question things like about weenies and chocolate....and sugar cookies! After all, I AM a teenager of sorts now.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

Happy Birthday, Clancy and Cailin

This is SEPTEMBER 26th...a very special day for my cousins, Cailin and Clancy. They're TEN YEARS OLD today. My very good friend Lucie from Venezuela taught me how to bark "Happy Birfday" in Spanish. (ahem....mi mi mi mi.....)

Cumpleaños Feliz,
Cumpleaños Feliz,
Cumpleañoooos Cailin y Clancy!
Cumpleaños Felizzzzzzz

Kewl, huh? And Mom says we remember Grandpa Gene today, because it would have been his birfday, too.

Love...er....Amor..

Señorita Maria Margarita Obrienez

Ah'm a STAR, Y'all!

Guess what? Guess what? Huh? huh?

My VIDEO got picked to be FEATURED on YouTube. Seeeeee?? The Life of a Working Pup. My mom put a link to my very own (ta daaaaa) personal channel at YouTube, Channel MMOB. If and when she gets around to taking more videos you can find them there.

Oh....golly gee whiz. I....I.....AAACK...oh, I'm NOT ready for all this. I'm just a small-town Yorkette with no Hollywood-like ambitions or anything. But....on the other hand....You think I need an agent? A manager? Rehab? Should I change my name to "Barkney"? Or maybe get a nickname like "M MO"?

Ow......! Mom's pinching me. Says I need to get real. Says my friends love me for who I am.

Oh well....love ya! Was just kidding anyway.

Mary-Margaret O'Brien

(OK OK, Mom...LEGGO! I'm real! I'm real!)

Almost Hallowe'en - PICTURES

Am I ready or what, I ask? We looked at a lot of stuff but I go for comfort more than "wow" factor. So...I got a T-Shirt, a bat-wing collar (with buggy yellow eyeballs on it), and a witch's hat. Like...uh....do I look scary?
Naw. Not scary at all. I just want to help pass out candy to the kids. Hard to get pets and belly rubs if you look TOOO scary, y'know?

Since I can't have candy, might as well cash in on the belly rubs.

Love ya...

Mary-Margaret

It's almost Hallowe'en

I had two birthday wishes - (one) to go to Puppy School and see all the new kids, and (two) to go shopping at PetCo or PetSmart. I sorta got both my wishes.

Mom actually got up early this morning, wolfed down a bagel and cream cheese, put her wake-up juice (coffee) in her thermal mug and off we went. I tell YOUUUU!! What a buncha wusses. Not ONE kid showed up because it "looked like rain". But Miss Lois (my teacher) did and we hung out for a bit. I got some decent sniffing time in and then even Miss Lois was having trouble keeping dry. Oh...yes, I forgot to mention, it started to rain. Mom just said it was ok, that she was "drip dry" today. But Miss Lois decided to pack it in about half-way through our time. Hmmmph. A little water never hurt anyone.

OK...so then we went to PetCo and sat in the car until it opened. It was raining pretty hard by then. Whew...I tried on a lot of stuff, and I almost ended up with a witch costume. "No no no....! That's not MEEEEE", I said. So, instead I got sort of an "ensemble". A witch hat with an orange bow on the front and elastic to hold it on my head; a bat-wing collar that is stretchy and very comfy; and an orange t-shirt that says "I'm too cute to be scary!", all of which I like very much. I even wore my hat through the check out. I got a couple more t-shirts for fall, since I like to be stylish at work.

Just a suggestion here, but if you guys want some decent costumes, now is the time to go shopping. There were dragons, and witches, scarecrows, skeletons, alligators, lady bugs, and a whole buncha other stuff. And all sizes, too.

I'll send pictures later.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Little Orphan Lily

This is my good friend, Lily. She's called a "Chinese Crested" and she's THREE years old. I don't think she looks Chinese, do you?

Mom's friend Marge's neighbor's mother stopped living a while back so Marge adopted little Lily. Lily has a family again and is very happy. Her brothers and sisters are Yorkies and a Maltese. And her new mom, Marge, just loves her to pieces.

(snort) I wish I had brothers or sisters. Er....Mom? Helloooooo???

Nobody ever listens to MEEEEEEEE. I am doomed to be an only child, I think.

PS - I think Lily should start blogging, don't you?

Singularly yours,

Mary-Margaret

My "birfday"...so far!

My CAKE!! It's all boxed up and I can't get it OPEN!!!

Would SOMEBODY PULEEEZE open that cake??

My "bunny bank" from Auntie Dee and Cousin Shadow. All the way from Blaine, Washington. Auntie Dee boxed it up pretty good. I got some tape out, then I got a mouthful of tissue (blegh!) and ended up asking for some help.
My Auntie Sonia helped celebrate. She gives the everly most best belly rubs. Yup.
Speaking of belly rubs....er....hello? I'm ready? Where'd everybody go??
And then my Auntie Debbie (from across the hall) came in and brought me a t-shirt. I was pretty tuckered out from all that "birfday" stuff and was ready to get comfy and snuggle down for a nap.

This has been the best day ever. I have so many really great friends and I think I'm one of the luckiest pups in the whole wide world.

Love you always,

Mary-Margaret

TODAY!!! Yayyyy!

Wow...so far lotsa people said "Happy Birfday" to MEEEEEE. I figured I could sleep in for a change but not to be. Mom woke me up by giving me tummy tickles and kisses and singing "Happy Birfday" to me.

I know she ordered a cake that says "Happy 2nd Birthday, Mary-Margaret" and we're going to take it to the office for sharing with anyone who wants to come by. It's not a party and nobody has to bring me presents because I have absolutely everything I could want.

Aunt Shelly sent me a birfday dress and I get to wear that today. She picks out the prettiest dresses for us pups. I don't know WHERE she gets them, but I wish my mom would shop there.

Mom says that we're going to go shopping this weekend when we have some time to spend on JUST MEEEEEE! We've been taking really good care of our clients and doing reports and listening to them talk about stuff that we ran out of shopping time. I don't mind. I love going to Matco and PetSmart in Temecula anyway. I can catch up on what's happening by sniffing around a lot.

Gotta run.....love you guys, lots. REALLY I DOOOOOO!!

Love, Mary-Margaret "The Birfday Girl" O'Brien

TWO more days!

Mom keeps asking me what I want for my BIRFDAY. Gosh. I have almost everything. Can't think of a thing except maybe a baby brother or sister. She just lifts an eyebrown and says stuff like "Let's go to Disneyland, instead!". Oh sure. Can you see me on Thunder Mountain? Rrrrrrrright. No thanks.

I think maybe we'll go to Pacific Pets tomorrow and check out their new fall wardrobes. They always have cute stuff. Expensive, but ...hey, I'm worth it. And maybe pick up some bakery goodies while were there. And maybe go order another cake at Albertsons. Mom says for people they are the absolute best.

Dunno yet. I kind of like Pacific Pets. I get to see all the babies in the nursery. I used to hang out there before I adopted my mom. I remember those days pretty well, but I also knew who I belonged to the minute she walked in. Yup.

G'night for now. See you tomorrow.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

Only THREE more days....!!

Only THREE more days until my BIRFDAY! Oh boy. TWO years old. I wonder if I'll get a cake? I already saw my ice cream in the fridge. Frosty Paws. Yum!! I had that at Sukoshi's birthday party and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it.

Auntie Shelly already sent me my pressie early. It came a couple of days ago. See?

I just love my new dress everly so much. I got to wear it for maybe an hour, and then Mom said I had to save it for my BIRFDAY.
(Fine...YOU try to say "birthday" without a palate. Go on!! See? It comes out "birfday", too!)

I have saved most of the goodies she sent for sharing with my friends. Except the rawhide chewies. I've been working on those. Kind of like getting in the mood for the big day, you know?

Thank you, Auntie Shelly, for jump starting my big day. I am SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!

Oh golly! I just LOVE birfdays!!

Mary-Margaret

Well, here it is...BEDTIME

Sheesh. Up with the chickens, and off to work we go. Hi ho..hi ho! Mom...er...it's SATURDAY? Hmmmmmm?

"Billing, Mary-Margaret. We won't be long!". Oh sure. I've heard that one before. We got to the office probably 9:45AM and left probably 7:45PM. Not too long, my left paw. About 4:30 I started reminding her.



That got me no where. Then I hopped onto her desk. I just got yelled at. "You get OFFA there, Mary-Margaret!". Well, what's a puppy to do, I ask?

So I sat in the clients' chair and started telling her off. I mean I REALLY told her off. She kept looking at me and laughing, and next thing you know, the camera comes out.


OK. I warned you. Now I'm mad. So I quit speaking to her absolutely entirely. She told me I was giving her the "cold shoulder". Whateverrrrr!! And wouldn't you know it? She got a video of MEEE ignoring her.

How exciting. Whoopee.

Do I sound maybe a bit miffed? Oh, yeah. You got that one right. Everybody knows that if you eat late, you gain weight. My middle isn't liddle anymore. Mom (trying to be funny) said I could always get a job as a door stop. Hah..hah...hah....(snort).

Maybe tomorrow I'll feel like putting the pictures and video up for you. Right now, I just want this day to be over.

G'night, everyone.

I do love you....yeah, and Mom too. But don't tell her yet. Let her suffer for a bit.

Mary-Margaret

My Revolving Door

That's a metaphor for my life. Denise-from-down-the-hall isn't down-the-hall anymore. Something about not working well with someone and "poof", she's gone just like that. You'd think people would LEARN from us pups. The "Circle-Sniff" routine works really well, and then you flip on your back and don't say a word while the other pup sniffs your belly. Then you play fetch. Why can't people (hoomans) learn that? Well, so much for my goody-bearing buddy, Denise.

To all my dear DEAR friends who are hassling my mom about posting, I gotta tell you. She's totally brain dead by the time she gets home. She says it's like working a real job again. So far so good, and all our clients are really good sports to work with us. But we would do anything in the whole world for them and they know it. They just don't want to wear us out by asking too much.

Life is good. I'm learning to type so maybe I won't have to depend on my mom so much anymore. Ya think?

Well...it's past my bed time and even though I'm the one doing all the work, I just looked over at Mom and she's typing with her eyes closed and starting to snore. I better get her to bed while she's still mobile.

Love ya...

Later, guys.

Mary-Margaret

I know...I know...!

Gosh, I feel so badly about not writing so much any more. I've been everly so busy with Mom, running here and there. It's just us in the office now. Sonia is still helping us with courts and stuff, but it's me 'n Mom doing the office stuff. Like today, I take care of the kids that come in with their parents. I really love my job. They play with me, toss the ball, give me belly rubs. I mean, do I have a cushy job or what?

Mom dropped me off at Miss Marilyn's puppy day spa this morning for my monthly pawdicure, shampoo and blow dry. I picked out a pale pink ribbon for my hair. I played with Chelsea, Nikki and Tammy. They are all Maltese and...ohhhh, I have to tell you....Tammy is the MOST BEEE-YOU-TI-FULL girl. She has really long flowing hair, all the way to the ground. And she gets TWO top-knots, sort of like pony tails, with pink ribbons in them. She's nice, but a little stand-offish, if you know what I mean. She probably didn't get to go to Puppy School when she was little, I think.

I will post pictures of Denise and her kids maybe tomorrow. I didn't forget, but I have to get my Mom to scan them.

If I can get Mom up and out of the house early tomorrow we might go to Puppy School just to say "hi". I hope so. I kinda miss my job as a mentor. We'll see. It starts at 8:00AM and that's a bit early for SOME people to get out of the house.

OK...niters to everyone. It's late and I'm bushed.

Love, Mary-Margaret

My friend, Denise!!

I got a note on the door today and it wasn't from Dirk for a change. It was from Denise, also known as "Denise-from-down-the-hall". She even said "Mary-Margaret" on it, and told me she had some goodies for me so to tell her when I got there. Wow. She sure did have stuff. FOUR whole bottles of special Doggie gravy to make food taste better, and two bags of medium sized treats (to make doggie breath "fresh and minty"). Already I gave some stuff to my friends.

Denise gave me some pictures of her and Leia and Jewel, but I can't post them until tomorrow. Why? "Just because", Mom said and I know better than to bug her about it. It was a pretty busy day today, and tomorrow she's got appointments all over town. Already I know I have to stay home for part of the day. But (sniff....) that's ok. REALLY, it is. I'm a big girl and I know exactly what to do to get even with her. Yup! *wink*

When you come back I should have some nifty pictures for you.

Until then.....

I am yours forever and always.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

Blind as a Bat?

Poor Mom. Auntie Sonia picked her up reaaaaaally early yesterday and took her to get her eyes checked. The last time she had it done nobody told her they were going to DYE-LATE her eyes. This time she thought she better have a "designated driver", and my Auntie Sonia was sooooo nice to volunteer.

Yup...they did it again, and even though she got home about 10:00AM, she couldn't see very good until maybe noon. She was walking around bumping into things and looking a bit like a mole coming out of her hole into bright daylight. But we have to take care of our clients, you know. She drove with her eyes all squinty to have a meeting with an attorney. He was squinty too, but that's because he had the flu. Anyway, after a bit, Mom told him she was having just a wee bit of trouble seeing stuff. He laughed and told her he thought she was trying to look Oriental.

Me? Well, I just gave her moral support the whole time and checked under his desk for any "freebies" (like cookie crumbs or bits of sandwich, maybe?), and entertained myself by wrapping my leash around the chair legs several times. I made some pretty interesting knots.

About the middle of the afternoon I stopped hanging on to my St Francis of Assisi medallion and relaxed some. I don't like it at all when my mom can't see. Since I have no say in anything, I just pray a lot. You know?

Today should be pretty much ok. We have LOTS and LOTS of work to keep us busy. I wish I had thumbs so I could help Mom type her reports. On the other hand, I'm getting napping down to a science. Not a bad thing.

See you later...

Love, Mary-Margaret

My Fambly!!

We went to a Bar-Bee-Que today. My whole fambly was there except for cousin Hayley and my Auntie Melissa and her gang from Minnesota. It was at my Uncle Mike and Aunt Janet's house in Beverly Hills. This picture is my Uncle Mike and Aunt Janet. Ohmygawsh, I had the very best time. Plus, it was so fun driving there. We went through a cloud burst, a dust storm, and another cloud burst in that order. Good thing, too. Washed all the mud off the car from the dust storm.
This is my Aunt Jackie!! She gives the best hugs ever.

My cousin Marshall is going to college now. He's going to be a Graphics Designer just like my cousin Alex.

I met all the rest of my fambly on Mom's side. Er...well, that's the ONLY side since she's a single mother, I guess. If you don't count my birth parents from Missouri who gave me up for adoption, Dandy Agustus Bush and Sissy's TooToo, that is. My Uncle Greg and Aunt Jackie were there, and my cousins Marshall, Alex, Peter, Cailin and Clancy, my Grandma and GrandPapa, and Colleen and Jason and Mom and MEEEEEE!


My GrandPapa



My Grandma
Here's the Birthday Bunch, minus MEEE! I was busy checking out purses when this was taken. You just never know what you'll find.

I had a turkey burger for supper. I ate every last bit of it, too. Then the best part came when everybody sang "Happy Birthday" to MEEEEE, and to Peter, and Alex, and Cailin and Clancy. We all have September Birthdays and it was everly so much fun.

I'm so tuckered out that I barely have enough energy to dictate my blog to Mom. She's tired too, so I will make sure she knows how much I appreciate her doing this, and correcting my spelling. Except for "Fambly". That's my name for all the people I'm related to that I absolutely love with all my heart. Yup. I think I gave them all kisses and cuddles, too.

I hope I get to see them more often. They're all pretty swell, you know? And, oh yes, there are pups just like me in Beverly Hills. I even saw some on the way home. My Uncle Michael said that we run wild in packs in Yorkshire. I think he's teasing me, don't you? We Yorks and Yorkettes are much more civilized than that, having evolved considerably from the old days when we hung out in gangs and had tattoos and doo-rags, and stuff. He's such a big silly.

Good night until tomorrow.

Love ya...

Mary-Margaret