A penguin was the first stuffed animal I bought for myself as a young adult. I support the snuggling of stuffed penguins.

Hil, I had to pay customs to DHL, COD. A month or two later I got a call from them about customs charges. I called & said that I paid and that was the end of it. It seems that their record keeping or communication between them and their subcontractor is not so hot.

Well, I did not get anything packed or cleaned. I did get a bit of a nap, though. I think I needed it -- been on painkillers for a few days, and my sleep cycle is all weird.

Still need to figure out what's going on with my medical insurance in between jobs. Everyone I ask tells me that someone else will have the answer.

That's interesting about DHL. I've ordered any number of things from eShakti, who ships through DHL, and haven't run into that yet.

Stuffed animals are great for self-soothing. Except when I was married, I've always slept with a stuffed animal. I need to restock, though. My Hamlet has lost the lining to his ears and he's gotten kind of squished. He's 30 years old and well-loved.

My Bellamy (Bel ami) needs a baf. I'm thinking of degloving him and washing his pelt, combing it out to dry before re-stuffing him. So much simpler than trying to surface wash him. And I know from experience throwing him in the washer and dryer will leave him clean, but horribly matted and shapeless.

Hamlet is exactly the sort of friend/comfort object I used to repair, clean, and restore, when my hands were still good. I miss the look of "There you are!" on the clients when they came to pick up their friends.

I need to look into getting Clovis a bunny spa treatment of some sort. But I'm terrified of anything happening to him.

And, um apropo of oh, nothing, she says, looking innocently at the ceiling, do I want a stuffed Appa? A big enough armful to hug?

Does Seattle have a doll hospital, Jilli? You might inquire if they refurbish cloth dolls and stuffed toys. Just so you'll have the informatation on hand. And a visit might be nice, to reassure you, or warn you off. Sort of like visiting a prospective vet's office.

Which reminds me, to update on kitties. StY actually found some mouse bait packets that Mustache had winkled out of some parallel dimension, and a couple of them had been chewed open. So, that's obviously how the cat died. What had StY concerned, though is the older cat, who was moping, not eating, had no energy. He was really worried, so he did some internet research on the chemicals contained, and then stopped by the vet who's seen our cats for more than twenty years. Who agreed on the probability, gave him some steroids and appetite stimulants, and told him if Punkin had made it this far, chances were good if he started eating he'd be fine. StY asked what he owed, and Dr. B flapped a hand at him and said, "enh." We love our vet. In fact, one of the reasons I've not pushed for getting a cat here is that Dr. B is too far away to be our vet.

But if/when we do, I will visit vets' offices and see which gives me what vibes, which is what Jilli might do with doll hospitals, given there are any, or more than one.

Not entertaining enough to be said twice.

Does Seattle have a doll hospital, Jilli?

I have no idea! That's something I've never thought to look for. Hmmm, off to Google I go.