9.3 POUNDS??? HELLOOOOOO??

This is Dr. Zeus. He's very observant.

And this is his nurse, Minou. A bit aloof, but on top of things.

This is my new friend, Bobas. She's a Yorkette like meeeeee. She's only seven months old. Isn't she pretty?

And this is Captain Jack. A bit rowdy and rude, but otherwise easy to get along with. He was getting a bit too personal for my liking, so I told him off. Ladies...if a man doesn't treat you right, nip him on the nose. Works every time.

I'm telling you....even with my collar and bling off, I'm 9.3 pounds, or so the good Dr. Bach's scale says. I must face up to my reality and take control. After all, I am the "Alpha" female in the pack. I confessed my shameful secret to my friends and here are a couple of their answers:

Oh MM honey I'm so sorry your a tub er umm a bit chunky er well you know what I mean but have no fear. This is completely your mommy's fault now try this everyday it won't be easy but your going to have to get your mommy to hang on the the top part of your leash then run like hell. Never mind if she begins to huff and puff even turn's a bit blue this is good for her. In no time at all you loose the pesky extra pounds. Bella

Hmmmmmph! And this! From my sweeet Hashimoto, no less:

Mary Margaret my sweet I know you can do it...if my fat ..whoops don't tell him I said that...brother can do it so can you...he had to loose 2.5 lbs and he did it.....we know he cheated a bit at times but he did it...its just the food you eat......We can do this together I have to loose 2 lbs too.....I should be 18 lbs and I weigh 20.......so we can do this together......plus mom says we can have zucchini......!!!

Which is actually ok, because HE'S my boyfriend...but still......I did go to the "dogtor" and she thinks I have to lose TWO pounds. I agree. Even my new school uniforms don't fit me.

I think Bella has a really good idea, don't you?

PS - Auntie Yvonne entered me in a contest and I won. Whaddya think of that, huh? I didn't even know about it until after it was over. Here's the link.. It's me in my new Catholic school uniform. Woo hoo!!

Love....

MuuMuu Mary

Press Release - Watch FLIP TV

This is how the release came out. Note a very obvious omission in the cast list? Not everyone is named. However, I've edited a bit (see the pink and purple letters) and this is how it SHOULD read:

-----------PRESS RELEASE------------------

Subject: Don’t Miss This TV Program, Wednesday, August 6, 10:00 pm, on WE tv!
F.L.I.P. Mysteries: Women on the Case:

Featuring F.L.I.P., America’s premier online group of Female Legal and Investigative Professionals, founded and coordinated by Vicki Siedow of Siedow & Associates Investigations.

F.L.I.P. members often work cases together, assisting the public and law enforcement. This program follows two of their cases with the investigators, law enforcement officers, and citizens. The program puts investigators in a very professional light. It shows what a team of professional PIs can do, and how, working with law enforcement, we can accomplish much more than any of us could separately. From WE tv:

F.L.I.P. Mysteries: Women on the Case:

F.L.I.P (Female Legal and Investigative Professionals) is a team of women law enforcement officers, private investigators, attorneys, handwriting experts, and more who band together online to help solve criminal cases across the country. This WE tv original one-hour special follows these ladies as they lend their expertise to help crack cases, becoming a valuable resource for both the public and law enforcement. First, a Baltimore woman is mysteriously murdered. Using details on her shirt, the F.L.I.P team identifies the woman and helps the Baltimore police force finally put this victim to rest. Then, F.L.I.P works together with their seasoned experts to catch a stalker leaving threatening kidnapping notes to families with small children.

On WE tv (Women’s Entertainment Network), Wednesday, August 6, 10:00 pm Eastern Pacific; 9:00 pm Central; and either 8p or 11p Mountain (varies by MSO), check your directory.

Starring (alphabetically):

Michele Dawn of Rancho Attorney Service of California & RASCAL's Research & Location Services, in California
Tina Elkins of TAMA Investigations, in Georgia
Anne LaJeunesse of LaJeune Investigations, in California
Vicki Siedow of Siedow & Associates Investigations, in California
Peggy Walla of LPR Investigations, in Texas
Lori Wilkins of Southeastern Research & Investigations, in Georgia
AND INTRODUCING MARY-MARGARET O'BRIEN, IN HER DEBUT PERFORMANCE AS THE YOUNG (SMALL, FURRY, SPARKLING) INGENUE INVESTIGATOR IN TRAINING.


I might add, here, that I am in touch with Miss Silky Kanter, who is a close relative of the Producer and Director, Donna Kanter, and together we are going to resolve this glaring omission in the list of credits. I am the one who MAKES the show. (Hollywood "whisker kisses" to you, too, Silky dahhhhhhling! We MUST do lunch soon!)

Kiss Kiss...

Mary-Margaret

Rockin' and Rollin'

WOW. My first really BEEEEEEEEEEG earthquake. I kinda sensed something was up and made sure I used my piddle pad just before. Mom and Jennifer sort of swayed back and forth for a while. Then it started again, and Mom said "Oh maybe we should go stand in the doorway", so they did.

Mom made a wrinkly nose and since Jennifer was standing so she could see around the door, Mom asked her to see if maybe I'd left them something in the work room. "Yup!", said Jennifer.

See? Us pups can sense when things like that are going to happen. We don't want to get caught unprepared. Good thing we weren't in the elevator at the time, I guess.

After if was all over, Mom called my Auntie Lynda (the manager) and told her "Those termites are getting bigger and bigger. You really have to do something!". Lynda said "Yeah...they're undermining the whole building!". Lucky thing Lynda has the same goofy sense of humor that my mom does, huh?

Shake, rattle and rollingly yours...

Mary-Margaret O'Brien

Last Week's recap!

Getting ready to go visit my BOYFRIEND, my sweet Hashimoto, this weekend in Bridgton, New Jersey. You'd think this was about MOM, and not about MEEEEE, because SHE'S been running around like crazy and NOT taking time to help me with my diary. My first really BIG date, and SHE has no time? Gosh...what about my hair, my clothes, my teeth, my....oh, golly! I'm very nervous, but it should be ok because Rhett and his sister, Scarlett, will be chaperoning us.

Then we're going to our other house and meeting up with my very good friends, Abbey Mia and Harper. Their mother, Elaine, is driving all the way down from ...I think it's called Brighton, too.....in upstate New York.

My week, beginning last Tuesday, was:

Tuesday - Visit Grandpapa and have lunch at Carrow's in Santa Monica
Wednesday - Have breakfast with my Uncle Mike and Aunt Janet in BeverlyHills, then go to work
Thursday - Get pawdicure and belly rub from Miss Cathleen
Friday - Go to Miss Marilyn's Puppy Day Spa for hair cut, blow dry and pink bow
Saturday - Work around house, help Fidel pick plums from our tree and check mail at the office.
Sunday - Watch Mom clean, and then watch "High School Musical 3" auditions
Monday - Go to work, entertain small clients (Ethan and Amanda) while their parents worked with Mom, have lunch with Jami again (and watch her eat all MY lunch), practice napping, and watch the 2nd half of HSM 3 Auditions. (I like that show!)

We have some pictures but my secretary says she doesn't have time to download them yet. Be patient. I'm working on getting her to relax. She was so stressed yesterday she sniped at everyone, including me AND all the office machines, AND the stapler. This is a good sign that she needs a vacation, don't you think?

That's all for now...

Love, Mary-Margaret O'Brien, soon to be MRS. Hashi MOTO (or like they say in Hollywood, half of "MariMoto")

The "Duck Bank"

Today, we went first to the "Duck Bank". I don't know exactly what it's really called, but Gina has a baggie of "duck jerky" in her drawer and everybody KNOWS it's what I like. Gina wasn't there yet this morning so Aida had to find it for me. Oh yum. You don't know what heaven is until you've tasted duck jerky. This afternoon, Gina was there and she handed Debbie a piece to give to me. I said "Hello" to all my friends, and even stood up tall to wave to Marilyn who was working the last window.

After the morning run to the Duck Bank, we went to the Kangaroo Bank and I got biscuits. I said "Hello" to Katie, who was training a new teller at drive-up. It's nice to get biscuits, but honestly I don't much care for them. I'm spoiled, Mom says.

We served a paper at the UPS store. I'm getting to know them pretty well. No goodies, but I'm working on it. Then we went to the office and worked. Mom's started talking to me lately, as if I know what she's saying. She's even asking me questions about her work. I wonder what she'd do if I answered? Mostly, I just do my job quietly. I make people relax and feel at home. They talk to me, too. I'm used to it, you know?

I'm really glad we're going on vacation. I think we both need a break. Time for me to hang out with the chipmunks and the squirrels....the REAL ones.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

Lunch with Auggie

I think maybe I'll start a Puppy PreSchool. I do have my credentials from being a mentor at my Puppy School. People DO ask me to socialize their clueless kidlets. Maybe this is my calling?

Auggie Doggie and I had lunch today. Actually, he ate MY lunch while I watched. Mom said it was ok because she had more kibble in a baggie for me. I think my first lesson to my new student will be on "Sharing".



Auggie is a very good student. He even left a couple of pieces of kibble for me. Wasn't that thoughtful of him?

PS - To Hashimoto...I looked at the moon last night like you said, and I know you were looking at it, too. You're right. It IS just like we're looking at it together. MM

My new friend, Auggie!

Mary-Ann-from-down-the-hall has a new pup. He's most probably part Jack Russell terrier and.......hmmmm.......something. Dunno what, but he's my size. Really....and he's only 3 months old. We actually met on Tuesday and he was a little shy, so we just played "sniff and hide". Then yesterday on Wednesday we spent a fair amount of time together.


Mom brought her camera (after recharging the battery) and took a couple of videos of me and my pal, Auggie Doggie, hanging out. I'm teaching him manners, and you can tell he's a very good student.


Now we have Auggie Doggie at the conduit company, Zeus with the engineering company, Courage and his brother with the attorney, and MEEEEEEEEEEEE on the third floor. Then, on the second floor there's a poodle and her brother that hang out with the architect. I guess you could say that we're in a "DOGGONE" good building.

(hee hee)

Love, Mary-Margaret

PS - Hashimoto, my love, sweet kisses until we meet again.

My Video "Love Letter" from Hashimoto

I'm so in love. My little heart is beating a mile a minute. Mom says I should use words like "fluttering like a butterfly in a gilded cage" but yucky....that's sooooo NOT me. I'm not a goo-ball like she is. I just love my sweet Hashi and that's all there is to it. We are a couple, just like John and Connie. Someday, we'll go truckin', too.

Adieu...adieu, My Sweet HashiMoooo!

Love and kisses,

Your own Mary-Margaret

"Firehouse Dog" - My FAVORITE Movie

Ta daaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....My most everly favorite movie in the whole world was on today. I watched the WHOLE thing from start to finish. Mom said you wouldn't believe it, so she video'd me toward the end.

I really get into it, barking when they bark. Getting scared when "Dewey" (who is really Rexx, but he fell out of an airplane and landed in a truck full of tomatoes and...! Oh you'll just have to watch it for yourselves, but I digress)..when "Dewey" gets caught in the fire and saves the day.



See? And I'll watch it again when I get the chance. He's my HERO! Second only to my new beau, Hashimoto.

Hope you like the clip.

Love,

Mary-Margaret

Only SOOO many hours in a day!

Oh, I know. Mom's been griping about "There are ONLY so many hours in a day!" to me. Like...yeah? I know? And your point is....? Well, she did take a few pictures, nothing strange. She hasn't gotten the car washed since the last time you saw it, and boy...does it NEED washing.




I'm even having trouble getting her to come watch TV with me. Last week we started to watch "The Great American Dog" (or something like that) but after about 10 minutes, she thought we'd be happier staring at a wall or something. Then, one of the shows I've been waiting for came on - "When Good Pets Go Bad". And you know what? She switched it to another channel when she saw what some of those "pets" did, like bite their humans face off and stuff. I mean, I know that's not nice, but ....well, what can I say? I'm a victim of censorship. Time to rouse the villagers and light the torches, I say. March on congress? I could hitch a ride with Hashi on "Big Nose Kate III", maybe?

Business is booming, a good thing, probably. I go out on a lots of serves with her, but I think it's because more people open the door for a Yorkie than for a process server. I always smile and say "Hello...I'm Mary-Margaret. How may I serve you?", but by the time I get the last word out the job is over and Mom's on her way back to the car. Most people are pretty nice. Even when they're being evicted.

I tell youuuuuuu....process servers are people you smile at and say "Thank you!" to. Better you should know that you're being sued so you can present a defense, than to not know and find out after the sheriff posts a lock-out notice, or your bank account gets frozen.

We never made it to the feed store, either. Was in the wrong direction from our house. Maybe we'll go today, but I hope not. As tasty as those holistic vegetarian kibbles were, there's nothing like Eagle Pack holistic chicken kibble. Today, Mom is soaking her white undies in OxyClean. She heard that it takes the grayness out. If it works well, she'll take it up to Grandpa's and work on his "dainty unmentionables". And she's doing our laundry. Did I tell you we picked up my dry cleaning last week, and they did a really good job on my vest. Yup. They only charged $1.00 because they didn't quite know what to call it. I guess they've never done doggie duds before. We would have washed it, but didn't want the red to bleed into the yellow embroidery.


That's it for now. We'll keep you up to date. Meanwhile, I'm having everly so much fun in the grass. Our gardener didn't show up last Friday (the 4th?), so there's all kinds of nifty pleasures out here.

Cheerfully yours,

Mary-Margaret

Love is what you DO, not what you say!

I asked my mom to tell ME what her thoughts were today. She has trouble expressing herself sometimes, and finds it's easier if I do it for her. There's some guy on TV who asks people for the "top 10" whatever. So I asked her to give me the top 10 things she was thinking about or that puzzled her, besides work. Here goes.

10) How come she thinks of one word and types another without meaning to, or thinks of a word and can't say it out loud...like it's right there but won't come out?

9) Why do people spends so much time looking for something that's right in front of them all the time, like the remote or a hairbrush, or a pen? (Or a small dog....but I usually say "Boo!" so that doesn't count)

8) Too many people say what's on the top of their head and what they think will make other people happy or not cause a fight, instead of saying what they really think and getting to know each other honestly. Terrible to have an elephant in your living room, isn't it? (Note from MM - I haven't noticed one but I'll go look in a minute).

7) Which brings us to politics...and candidates back-pedaling or changing direction so smoothly that it seems like others don't notice....is it just my mom that sees that? Sort of like that old fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes"? Why make promises or commitments you have no intention of keeping?

6) At what point in a person's life do they no longer cry?

5) She thinks Barney, the Dinosaur, is a terrible influence on children. "I love you...you love me...we're a happy family!" is shallow and delusional, teaching kids that "If you say it, it must be so!". So preschoolers are taught the "Stepford Way" at an early age, with absolutely no grounding in reality or responsibility.

4) Were the Cleaver and the Anderson families realistic or idealistic in their time? (Note from MM - I think she means "Beaver" and "Father Knows Best", but maybe not!).

3) Where do dreams come from and what do they mean?


2) She's really afraid that the next and last time her whole family will ever be together again is at a funeral, and that makes her very sad.

1) When someone says "I love you", how do you know it's for real?

(Oh heck, I answered that last one on my own. It's not what someone says, it's what they do, that shows you if they truly care.)

There you have it...the top ten things on my mom's mind. I made her tell. Now she's going to go fix my dinner, hug me and give me kisses and belly rubs. Right, Mom?

Love,

Mary-Margaret

Happy 4th of July!!

Independence Day! A day for showing my individuality and creativeness. I decided to go on an expedition this morning. It's so BEE-YOO-TEE-FULL outside with sunshine, puffy white clouds, and green grass that's long enough to tickle my buttsky because the gardener took the day off (which is just fine with me). About our gardener, Adan - he takes really good care of our yard, and after they're all done mowing and trimming, one of his "peeps" gets out a big blower and all the neat stuff disappears.
Today, I found "neat stuff" that they didn't get a chance to blow away:

True beauty is in the eye of the creator (or beholder, depending on which one you are).


Mom was watching "Alice Paul" on TV, about the women's suffrage movement back maybe 100 years ago when I dropped this in her lap. "OHMYGOD!", she hollers. "WHAT is THAT?", she screams. "YUCK YUCK YUCKY", she squeals. Could it be my mom has no appreciation for art?


She ran into the kitchen and grabbed a paper towel, and very carefully picked up my "sculpture", folded over the edges of the paper towel, and then she dropped it in the trash. I guess she could tell by my face that I was really hurt and disappointed.

Later, after her movie was over (The 19th Amendment to the Constitution allowing women to vote passed on August 26, 1920, by the way) she went and got her camera. She told me she was very sorry that she over-reacted and then she studied my design. "It wasn't all that easy to keep it together, you know!", I said. "It's spider webs, leaves, twigs, grass, bugs...dead ones, of course, not live ones....and...hmmmm....."stuff".

We made up and everything is just fine. She thinks I'm very talented. I hope you enjoy my creation as much as she did. Here it is again, in case you missed it first time.




Love, Mary-Margaret

Play Date at The Yorkie Express 2

Meeting Aunt Connie and Kate III (the biggest truck I've ever seen!!)












A bit shy....give me a moment, here.













Getting acquainted with Scarlett, Rhett, Hashimoto (The Jersey Furballs)



The Venerable Hashimoto, Doggie Guru














Mom and Hashi (He said I could call him by his nickname)discussing his method of meditation.














You want MEEEE to drive?






Rhett and I discussing our route. He can read maps better than me.











Everybody buckled up back there?











(hee hee hee) I was just kidding....I don't have a driver's license.

A "Play Date" at The Yorkie Express

This video was taken my my Aunt Connie, and that's my Uncle John and I having a conversation. I tell YOUUUU. Once my Uncle John found out that I could talk, we just couldn't stop yakking. I'm a bit shy at first, but after an hour or so I'm just one of the crowd.


Me and Mom went to see my very good friends Rhett, Scarlett and Hashimoto (aka the Jersey Furballs) when their mom and dad, Connie and John, pulled into Mira Loma. They are cross-country truckers and have the most exciting life, going here and there and everywhere, and their pups go, too. They've got a really awesome truck with everything you could ever want inside, including a shower and a fridge and a microwave and a computer and a big screen TV and....oh gosh. I seriously thought about changing careers.

Uncle John was offering refreshments and asked if I liked Mountain Dew. Not wanting to be impolite or anything, I said "Sure....Thanks!". Aunt Connie and Mom were taking pictures (like moms do), and Aunt Connie understands me so well she even tell you what I'm thinking. Double-click the photos to make them bigger if you want to see detail:


This won't work...my tongue is to short!!!!


Now you are talkin'......!


How can you drink that stuff......yuck!!!!


Er...you got anything else? How bout more of those good treats....they are low cal ya know..!!!



We had the best time, just hanging out and visiting. I probably would have stayed a bit longer if I didn't have to answer a nature call. After giving them fair warning with little samples of what was to come, Mom wrinkled her nose and suggested that perhaps it was time for us to go. And they just thought I was heavy....indeed!

There's an excellent strip of grass next to where they parked the truck. I was everly so happy to have it tickle my bum. I ran and ran, and my Aunt Connie was on the other end of my leash. She was soooo surprised at how strong I am. Yup. Lifting weights pays off, even if it's just the weight around my belly. That counts, doesn't it? Well, apparently not to "some" people. My Aunt Connie sent me home with some of their kids' vegetarian holistic kibble. I hate to admit it, but it was pretty good.

We went back to the office, I conked out on the floor before I even got to my bed, and spent the next two hours snoring (so I'm told). A fun day, I must say. And I'd love to see them all again. They invited me to go with them, probably just to be polite, and I almost said yes. Almost........!

Can't you just see me in my shocking pink truck with "Mary-Margaret, Road Warrior" painted on the side? Man......that would be fun, huh?

Love, Mary-Margaret