All The World's a Stage

I know someone who owns a pair of dinosaur PJ's.  Not PJ’s with dinosaur pictures, mind you.  No. This person owns pajamas that make him/her look like a dinosaur.  I can only visualize it, not having had the pleasure of actually seeing it. 

Something like this, I guess.

 

 or maybe this

 

or, heaven-forbid, this

 

According to this person (who for some reason, chose not to be named), this type of garment is worn in Japan as a kind of robe around the house.  

Seriously?  I had to do a little research on this.  Here's what I learned....

These garments are called Kigurumi and are described as full-body hooded animal pajamas styled after animals or cartoon characters.

Sometimes called "disguise pajamas" or onesies, the clothing is normally worn non-commercially as Japanese street fashion or as sleepwear, and is not intended to function as a performance costume.

The pajama outfits are made of fleece material, usually in an oversized "one-size-fits-all", and conforms to the body in the manner of normal clothing. The hoods do not cover the face.  Kind of like Bambi mated with a snuggie.

I have to admit, I think this is totally cool!  I mean really.  Why slouch around in a ratty old bathrobe when you could be this?

Or this.

 or one of these

I wondered if I could get a Kigurumi of my favorite all time animals - a pomeranian.  I did a google image search for Kigurumi Pomeranian and this came up.

That's pretty realistic.  Hmmmm.     Maybe I'll wait until they perfect the Kigurumi Pom before I put it on my Christmas list.

I don't know, tho.  It might be worth the look on Steve's face to have this to wear around the house.  At least every now and then!

Zippy



One of the nicest things about my workplace is the break room which has floor-to-ceiling windows.  It's pretty awesome. Most days, on our break, we stand with our granola bars, coffee, or what have you, and look out.

 

The view starts in our parking lot, extends across a busy road and carries over to the property surrounding LexMark.  Sometimes we speculate on the number of cars in the parking lot.  Often we search the sky, like sailors, wondering what weather is coming our way.  Lately, the subject has turn to fall colors and which trees are showing their glory.

 

But almost always, there is Zippy, or talk of Zippy.

 

"I see Zippy!"

 

"Don't see Zippy today.  Must still be sleeping."

 

Zippy is a groundhog we have all become rather fond of.  He/she apparently lives under a large shrub on the LexMark property, and is a source of entertainment to us.

 

We see Zippy in the morning.

 



 

And in the afternoons. 

 

He's too far away to even notice us.  At least, we assume so.

  

 

I was watching Zippy this past Monday on my afternoon break.  It was probably 3:20 or so.  He sat beside his bush as usual.  It was obvious he put on weight.

 

 

A lot of weight.  Getting ready for winter.

 

 

As I left work that same day at 5:30, I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the busy road.  Ahead, I spotted a large brown lump in the middle of the street.  A groundhog. A big, Zippy sized groundhog.  Dead.  Not squished or anything.  Like it had just walked out onto the road, laid down, and died.  (The same could not be said when I drove back to work the next morning - but we won't go there.)

 

I frantically called my co-worker in the car behind me.  Then, at the next light, I texted other co-workers. 

 

ZIPPY IS DEAD ON THE ROAD :(

 

We all sighed sadly.  Sure, it might be another groundhog.  It's not like he wore a collar or anything.  But no matter how often we looked the next morning he was gone. 

 

At lunch, no Zippy.

 

I took a later lunch that day and decided to walk.  When I rounded the corner and saw Zippy's shrub, there he was!  I couldn't wait to share the news.

 

I grabbed my phone, opened the camera and took this picture, which I texted to my friends with the caption HE LIVES!

The real Zippy.

 

Is there a point to this story?  Obviously a groundhog died on the road, like so many do.  Just not OUR groundhog.

 

I don't know, except sometimes it's the little things that make us smile.  I enjoy the little spark of life that we call Zippy and we are glad he is still with us. 

 

At least until hibernation.

 

 

Disclaimer.  It probably goes without saying that all of these pictures, except one, were obtained from a Google search.  Not my property :)