Magnet #81 - Vermont Teddy BearI picked a bear for today's magnet, because I just saw Caspian. I'll refrain from an early review of it, only because I wasn't as superthrilled with this installment as I was the first. But, there was a very, very silly bear in it...and ya'll know I love my bears.
Anyway. So, Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. Yep. You guessed it. There was a tour. What? It's not like I go and do these things on my own. More often or not, I've conned some poor sucker (or two) to take the tours with me!
The factory tour in Shelburne, VT, was so much fun...except for the parts that kinda creeped me out. We had a funny tour guide, and everyone knows the tour guide totally makes or breaks a tour. He took us around the each teddy bear station, where they make the parts and pieces, showed us some patterns and stuff, and then the tour ends with us making bears.
Yep, it's the build-a-bear set-up, where they charge exorbitant prices for the bears and the accoutrements, and you have to make your bear. So even after seeing all the behind the scenes stuff about the bears, I was still totally creeped out in the build-a-bear room:
- They had the empty and wilted bearskins just sitting around in bins. Bet those damn things come alive at night - like something out of a scary Doctor Who episode. Bet money the Doctor himself would be creeped out.
- They take the poor little bearskins and SHWOOOSH the thing up with stuffing! Ewwww! So freaky!
But, still, we made our bears. Mine's supercute, but I'll always remember what he looked like all pre-stuffing empty. On top of that, he'll always serve as reminder of my fight with the tour guide.
They give you this weird little red felt heart to put inside the bear before they sew it up. But, they make you kiss the heart (and I guess put all your hopes and dreams into that kiss) before they poke the darn thing into the stuffing through hole in the bear's lower back (ouch).
Tour guide (holds out heart): Kiss the heart.
Me: Uhhh, I don't want to.
Tour guide (holds out heart insistently): Kiss the heart.
Me: No.
Tour guide (with a superhard stare): KISS. THE. HEART.
Me: *kisses heart*
