The Tale of Adrian Bear

A few years ago I was dating a gal who hated being called Shelly.  So I will call her that in this blog.  Again, I try not to use real names.  Anyway, I was talking to Shelly, and made a joke that after our date she would snuggle her teddy bear all night long thinking of me.  And no, I couldn't say that with a straight face.

She then said that she didn't have a teddy bear.  Which I replied, "Well, you've had a teddy bear when you were a little girl, right?"  She said, "No."  She then went on to tell me about how she didn't have that great of a childhood, (Okay, it was pretty awful,) and never really had any stuffed animals.

So I decided to make the situation right.  I went to the Build-A-Bear Workshop, and decided to make her an, "Adrian Bear."  This is what I came up with.

Okay, so I put my hat and glasses on Adrian Bear, but you can see the resemblance.  She had moved to a different place, so I mailed her Adrian Bear, and told her she now had her own teddy bear.  She loved this.  And on a side note, who wouldn't?  Adrian Bear is pretty darn awesome.  You can really see the how much we look alike. 

So, that's my touching story.  I haven't talked to Shelly in a few years.  I hope she and Adrian Bear are doing well wherever they are. 

Pleco Plushies

Like a lot of great thinkers, I do my best thinking in the shower.  I have no clue as to why this happens, but something about the water, soap, and being refreshed makes my brain step, "outside the box."  It was while I was on in the shower I thought of something that I thought was a swell idea.

Before I get into it though, let me start with Joe.  Joe the Pleco, also known as Joe the 6th, as he is the 6th pleco I have had in my life.  Joe is a plecostomus, also known as, "that sucker fish that eats the algae in your fishtank. 

 

So I've had Joe for about a decade or so.  He's been a good pleco.  When I worked in the pet industry, I sold a bunch of them.  However, when I showed the plecos to a woman who was new to having fish as pets, she freaked out as to how "ugly" they were.

I told her I thought they were like some breeds of dogs that were so ugly they were cute.  You know, like a bulldog with an underbite.  So ugly, but you want to talk baby talk to them all the time.

So back to the shower.  I was thinking about how they were ugly/cute, and that they would make a good plushie.  Then it occurred to me that if I'm thinking it, someone has already done it and put it on the internet.  And you know what?  Yep, it happened.

A company called Green Pleco beat me to the punch.  But I can't be mad, they have done a great job.

You know what would be great?  A pleco plushie that is around two feet long, and part pillow/part stuffed animal.  I think the kids would love it.  I have to admit that I feel better just knowing that these plushies are out there.