Have You Seen This Bear?

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and STRIKETHROUGH.)

Wednesday was a sad day for Doug, a co-worker of mine. It’s the day his bestest buddy, Germaine the mini German Bear ran away.

The day started out okay, the usual work and chit chat. Then Doug went to do some work away from his desk. When he returned, he noticed Germaine was sitting on the back of his chair. Doug moved Germaine back to his normal spot on the wall of his cubicle, and returned to work.

Once again, Doug returned to his desk, this time to find Germaine sitting in his chair. Doug then taped Germaine to the metal post of his cube. However, Doug had taped Germaine around his throat. Not wanting anything bad to happen, we finally convinced Doug to untape Germaine; though the consequences of this turned out to be worse. Doug then PINNED Germaine to the wall of his cube! When that didn't work, Doug hung Germaine from the ceiling! Evidently this is what caused Germaine to go missing.

Doug had left for lunch, and when he returned Germaine was nowhere to be found; there was only a note that he had typed out to Doug and left on his desk.

According to the note, Germaine had had enough of being posed in silly positions at Doug’s desk, by his co-workers. The final straw had been when DOUG himself had wedged Germaine’s feet into a crevice in the ceiling leaving Germaine suspended upside down. Germaine’s note said it was that act that had him fearing for his safety. He felt that if his best friend, Doug, could do that to him, he was in grave danger and felt it best to leave.

This made Doug really sad, especially when he discovered that Germaine hadn’t even taken his favorite blankie with him.

Doug honestly hadn't tried to hurt his buddy, he thought he was protecting him.

Off and on the rest of the day Doug would talk about Germaine; how he first found him along the roadside, where the little bear was picking up cans, things like that. He explained how Germaine had come from Germany where he’d been a world famous Olympic skier. Doug even showed me one of Germaine’s “lucky” ski caps that he’d left behind. Very stylish indeed; though it does kind of remind me of the rubber finger covers we use at work.

I tried to reassure Doug that if Germaine left these things behind, maybe it meant he’d come back. Doug wasn’t so sure. Just in case though, I made up a quick "Lost" poster that we hung on Doug's cube, where Germaine used to sit.

When Doug left work, he put Germaine’s blankie on his desk and put a peanut on the floor. Doug and Germaine always shared jars of dry roasted peanuts; they were Germaine’s favorite food.

So, if anyone has seen this bear, please let me know, Doug really misses his buddy and would love to see him again.

UPDATE: Good news! Sometime overnight Germaine came back! Doug found Germaine on his desk, sleeping under his favorite blankie.

According to the note he left, Germaine had quite an adventure before deciding to return. So, no worries now, Doug is a happy camper again.

P.S. Thank you Doug for being such a good sport about all this! You're a
GREAT co-worker! :)