Please meet Tru, a large Boyd's Teddy bear

Please meet Tru, a large Boyd's Teddy Bear.   Actually, his official name is Truman S. Bearington, but his friends just call him Tru.   He doesn't think the "S" stands for anything, just an initial to make him sound more important.   He's a big guy, measuring 18 inches tall.   His mohair is very wavy.   He wears a white collar and blue silk tie, and he weighs just over two pounds, which is very impressive.

I bought him in July 2009.   I was working in Newton, New Jersey.   It was a very hot day that Friday, and there happened to be a street fair downtown with lots of things for sale.   The table he sat on was in front of the fire department.   I thought he was especially well-mannered, so I adopted him.   He sat in the front seat of my car, very excited to finally be going home with someone who'd appreciate him.   He'd been told he was "old new stock," and he didn't care for that description.

Tru spent a lot of time in the back room of a small toy store, where he observed the comings and goings of the shopkeeper.   Over time he learned how to read invoices, order forms, bank statements, and receipts.   At night, he'd tally up the numbers, doublechecking all petty cash was accounted for,  the accounts payables and receivables were entered correctly, and the deliveries and shipments were on time.  If he saw an error, he'd leave perhaps a small crayon mark or a Post-It note to attract attention.   Then with the advent of computer programs tracking inventory, he had less to do.   His paws were not conducive to typing.    After about ten years, the rent on the shop had increased threefold, and try as she might, the shopkeeper just couldn't make ends meet.  That's how he ended up on the table that I found him on.  

Tru has made a lot of friends in the hug and is always eager to meet a new resident.    He's always interested in seeing any paperwork they might come with and keeps track of every bear's history on a simple yellow legal pad.   He's able to tell me who resides where and any background information he might have, what their valuation is and who needs a repair to an ear (or two).    I couldn't do without Truman and his math skills.   He doesn't even need a calculator to balance my checkbook.