Paparazzi...AGAIN!

Today was different. We got to the office about 7:22AM because Mom had to get a bunch of stuff done, and my Uncle Jack had to come by and pick up some work.

Then about 9:00AM I get whooshed out the door to my own personal stylist, Miss Marilyn. I just LOVE going there. I make friends, have play dates AND get all beautified. Yup. Today, I made a new friend, Missy, a miniature schnauzer, just like my cousin, Sophie. We decided to get matching haircuts. Mom always asks Miss Marilyn to keep my eyelashes long and Missy got hers cut, but otherwise we look a lot alike.

My personal photographer (you know who!) was making "mom noises" about how cute I was and stuff. Ew. How embarrassing. I probably shoulda stood up so you could see me. I look just like a really small miniature schnauzer on the sides. I have short hair on my back and a "skirt" that comes just a tad above my knees. How kewl, huh?

Tell me if you like it or not, what you can see of it, I mean.

Love ya,

Mary-Margaret

PS: Miss Marilyn says I need to get a Catholic school uniform to complete the image. Dunno 'bout that. I've been pretty much running au naturale these days except for my bling.

Easter with my Fambly

Here's MEEEEE, my Uncle Rudy and his mom, my Auntie C. At first the picture was just going to be Rudy and Auntie C. But, HEY! What about MEEEEEEEE???
Here's my mom with two of her hairless grandkids, Clancy and Cailin. They're not bad looking if you don't mind smooth faces. I just love them sooooo much I can't get enough kisses from them. Oh, and belly rubs. There was a time yesterday when Cailin and I both flopped down on the concrete patio for belly rubs. See? She's learning from me.

Hope the Big Bunny was good to you all. I've given up any hope of ever getting any chocolate eggs. Mom says I don't need sugar to have a "sugar high", 'cause I'm so sweet anyway.

Love ya...

Mary-Margaret

PS Mom has permission from her kids to post these pictures. She asked three whole times just to make sure, too.

Fambly Night at the Movies

Mom was saying we don't spend enough "quality time" together and that we need to designate some "fambly time". So last night, at 7:00PM, while I was out doing my evening sniffing, I heard her yell "DOGGEEEEEE". I came running in from the back yard and sure 'nuff, there was a DOGGY on the television.

I hopped up into her lap and sat like a big girl, which means like a squirrel with my back straight up, and just my buns and my back feet touching her. I sat that way for a bit, eyes glued to the TV. The movie was pawsitively GRRReat!! It's called "Firehouse Dog", if you want to rent it or something. Lots of pups in it, and at the end, by which time I was laying on the couch, nose pointed to the television and eyes wide open, there were pictures of lots and lots of doggies.

I really think this one was overlooked when they were handing out awards on Oscar night. Really, I do. Mom says she's never seen me watch a whole movie without losing interest. Well, maybe that's because I've never seen a movie about dogs that wasn't all sappy.

Popcorn, anyone?

Love, Mary-Margaret

A Candle for LacyLuLu

A moment of silence, please, to honor my very good friend, LacyLuLu Hudson, who left us rather suddenly and unexpectedly. She was 14 years old, same as my Aunt Rose. I think they will be very good friends while they wait at the bridge for us.

God bless LacyLuLu.

Amen

Mary-Margaret O'Brien

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Presents!

ANT - TI - CIP - PAY - SHUN! (Sounds like a Carole King song I heard once, huh??)



(we need to redo this one...silly woman! You'd think she'd figure out how to focus her camera by now!)



One of the reasons it took my mom over ONE MONTH to let me open my present (Thank you Auntie Joan, and cousins Baby Sweet Pea, Sugar Princess and Nicholas, Duke of York) is she says it takes way too long and she doesn't have time. Dunno what she's talking about. I open stuff pretty quick unless it's really wrapped up tight with a lot of tape.

This time was ALL HER FAULT. See....she gets all shook up about me opening presents because I make such a mess with all the little pieces of package on the floor. So I finish, and she gets the vacuum cleaner. She starts sucking up MY LITTLE PIECES of envelope that I'm not quite done with yet and I go over to check this out...like there might be something really important there. The end of MY leash gets sucked up and the next thing you know my EYES are bugging out of my head. Mom yanks out the plug and tries to pull my leash out, but it's stuck WAY too good. She goes into the workroom and finds a screwdriver, and takes the brushy goody off the end. After the cloud of dust clears, she starts pulling and sees that it's REALLY way up in there in the motor. (Note - by this time, her assistant has detached me from the leash, seeing that I wasn't all that comfortable pulling a vacuum cleaner around behind me).

Next, off comes the motor housing and whoop-di-doo, my leash is all wrapped around something with fins on it. It comes off ok but now the end of my leash is kinda curly and greasy. Aw, I figure it'll just go in the wash on Saturday, so no big deal. But then Mom has to rebuild the vacuum. She's covered in grey dust all over, and it's up her nose, too.

The whole thing is pretty funny to me and Ellen. Also, the vacuum cleaner works a whole lot better now that she's gotten the staples, paper and other furry type stuff out of it. I think she should do that more often.

I absolutely LOVE my presents. The "Princess" bling will look very nice on my pink collar, and I think I'll put my name on my personal private space called "The Kennel". I'll post a picture when I do, ok?


Love ya,

Mary-Margaret

PS - You just gotta click on the link to Baby Sweet Pea's blog (see link next to the picture of my Virginia license plates). What a really great life they lead being long distance truckers. Little Nickie is a new addition to their "furmily". Isn't he just the cutest ever??

How to drive your Mom crazy!

This is a lot of fun, and gets you some one-on-one time with the old lady. First, you go to your bed (the one you share with your mom) and pretend you can't jump up on it. You whine just a little but not a lot. Pretty soon your mom will come in to see what you're all about.

"Do you need help, Mary-Margaret?", my mom says. Then she picks me up, gives me a cuddle, and plops me on the bed. "Hmmmmmmm", I think, and hop down again. Then wait another five minutes or so and do it again. They don't get wise to you for about three times. Then they'll ignore you and you have to go back to doing stuff yourself. Meanwhile, you've gotten snuggles and tummy rubs for a bit before they catch on.

I think I'll start a column. "Ask Mary-Margaret". Whaddya think?

MMOB

My new friends, Louie and The Phone Man!!

OH MY GAWSH! I had the best day. Between learning how to hook up telephones and making a new friend, Louie the Chihuahua, this was one of my better days. Mom even took video but she's too tired to post it tonight. Maybe tomorrow while she's having her coffee, I hope.

OK...it's tomorrow (Saturday) now. Here's me and my friend, Louie.



Louie is Ellen's kid. Ellen is Mom's new assistant. Ellen is my friend Jami's mom, too, but Jami is living with her dad, Fidel, so Louie came to live with Ellen. See how that works?? We had the everly most bestest time playing. When it was time to go, Louie didn't want to leave. When he figured he'd better go or else, I ran out the door in front of him. Hey! If he goes, I go. Yup! That's how I think. Ok ok ok....when I get about 10 feet away from my mom, I go right back, but still....I think it would be fun to have a real play date with Louie, don't you?

Earlier in the day The Phone Man came by to hook up our lines to Debbie-Across-The-Hall. His name is Joe and he tastes pretty good. We're great friends now, and I know how to access the main phone system. Not bad for a 2.5 year old Yorkie, huh?



Have I mentioned lately that I absolutely love my life?

Later, guys!

Love, Mary-Margaret

Hi, Everybody!!

Sheesh! Time sure flies when you're having fun. Bringing you up to date here before we dash off to the office.

We have another person working with us now. Her name is Ellen and she's my friend Jami's mother. She's everly so nice to me. She understands my need to toss my kibble dish upside down and play hockey with my lunch. That's special, huh?

We saw Grandpapa last Tuesday. We go to lunch at Carrow's. I don't get to order but that's ok. I'm just happy to see all my friends. When we go inside the hostess person says "HELLO, Mary-Margaret!", and then the server sees me. "How are you, Mary-Margaret?". Then another server says "Welcome back, Mary-Margaret!". They all remember my name. Then we go sit in the corner booth and I scrunch down for a nap in my little carrier. On the way out, lots of customers start smiling at me and I smile back. I think that's one of my little jobs in life. You know, to make people happy?

At Grandpapa's place my mom lets go of my leash as soon as we get on the elevator. I'm standing right by the elevator door and I help it open when we stop. Then I dash down the hall really fast. I know exactly which door is for my Grandpapa. I'm always the first inside and I go check stuff out to see if anybody else has been there. Nope! Just MEEEE, Mary-Margaret.

Mom does some paperwork for my Grandpapa, and I look for little bits of potato chip and stuff that maybe he dropped on the carpet for me. Lately, he's been way to neat for my taste. But I still look, hoping...hoping...! Sometimes I find stuff that he's lost, and he says "Thank you, Mary-Margaret!".

My Uncle Michael and Aunt Janet flew to England and by now they're in Portugal. Cousin Peter is holding down the fort for them. So far, I haven't been out of the country, but I do get to fly to places like Philadelphia and Minneapolis. I think I was in Denver one time, but I'm not sure.

That's all, folks. Gotta get to work. Busy busy busy day ahead.

Love ya...

Mary-Margaret

Arpha Barka Grupha - How's that for a name for our sorority?

Just goin' "Greek" on ya. (hee hee hee)

I figure if Mom won't let me have a baby sister, I'll just invite all my girl friends into my sorority. And we can party with the guys....um....assuming there a dog fraternity somewhere? Hmmmmmmm??

Love, Mary-Margaret

Going to market....

..to buy a fat chicken for MY dinner. Did I mention my mom doesn't cook unless there's a blizzard? And since we live in sunny California, maybe an hour from the beach, there's not a heck of a lot of chance of that. I think she made a turkey for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago when she had my cousins over, and Auntie C and Jason, but she wasn't real happy about how it turned out. Too dry, she said, despite her bagging it like the directions said.

Which is why I get fresh roast chicken from Albertson's all the time. Except when they're out. And then she takes a few "chicken tenders" from the bag in the freezer and poaches them in ...let's see now...Chardonnay is what the bottle says, and also some lemon juice. You know, to be perfectly honest? I'd rather have that than roast chicken, but my Grandpapa is worried I might get hooked on the wine part. He thinks I'll get tipsy. Everybody knows that wine evaporates when you heat it and all that's left is the flavor? Right? I just get happy because I like the taste so much.

Anyone know what part of a chicken is the "tender"?? I haven't forgotten what part of the bull made a "bully stick" and I sure don't want to be chewing on anything like that from a chicken. Assuming chickens have stuff like that.

Well, that's it for tonight.

Love you all....

Mary-Margaret "The Gourmet" O'Brien

Ahhhhhhhhhhh! SPRING!!!

Ahhhh! Monday! Ahhhhh, SPRING!! Gosh, today was absolutely beee-yoo-ti-full! Blue skies, puffy white clouds, snow-capped mountain peaks in the back ground. And my "river". Yup...the one that runs behind my office building most of the time except in the middle of summer....it had DUCKS!

Today - Monday, actually (Mom isn't writing this for you until Tuesday), I had company at the office. Ozzie's mom, Mrs. McMillin, dropped by with a friend just to say "HI" to MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Not Mom....just ME! (heh heh)

I got belly rubs in the elevator, belly rubs in the hall. I tell YOUUUU! If I could pick just ONE day out of my life and carry it with me forever, it would be today, March 3, 2008.

Here's hoping you all have a day you'd like to keep forever, too!

Love,

Mary-Margaret "Tra la la" O'Brien

Friends, Romans, Countrymen.....

....Fans, and other interested parties....(with apologies to William Shakespeare, of course), AGAIN!! IT'S NOT MY FAULT.

My mother, my best friend and bed buddy, has been absolutely overwhelmed at work. She didn't even have time to open her very own mail for THREE DAYS. Lucky for her it was just money, huh? Anyway.....I've been busy, too. I've taken on a lot of responsibilities, like meeting people at the door and escorting them to an unoccupied chair. When they leave, I walk them back to the door and "arf" "ADIEU" to them. I keep little kids entertained so my mom can get her work done with her clients. I pick up stuff from the carpet, sniff out granola bar wrappers in the trash (for pleasure, of course), and try very hard not to make a mess.

I am typing this with my own two "fingerettes" (what my Auntie Shelly calls my stubby little fingers) and it's taking everly so long. I know you all understand and will forgive me, I hope.

Mom's so stressed that she's only eating stuff that's white. No lettuce or anything red, like meat or things that might upset her stomach. She finally caved in and hired someone to work a couple of days a week. That would be Ellen, my very good friend JAMI's mother. Ellen is a good person, and even takes me for walks in my flower bed by the parking lot. I think this is going to work out well. Yup. So expect some more pictures by maybe next week.


Meanwhile, I have just this for you. It's a picture of papers evicting someone that my mom took. Made me sad, too. This is the same place my mom and I first met each other and bonded. But not the same owners, thank goodness.

Still....that place will always have a special spot in my heart. The glass kennels with the torn newspaper strips are still there; the display cases; the cash register and the machine that made my name tag. All are still there like maybe waiting for the owners to come back. But alas, the Cigar Lounge next door told Mom that they moved out in the middle of the night a month ago and haven't been back since. Good thing they took the pups and kittens with them, huh?

Wistfully yours,

Mary-Margaret "A Sentimental Fool" O'Brien