I was afraid to leave Bear Maxwell in the body shop while the hail damage is getting repaired, but he insisted. I worry about him. I wonder how he is holding up with all the grinding, pounding, and cutting. It’s nothing he hasn’t experienced before though. He often began to tell me tales of The Great Maximum Friendship War of 1992. After a few vivid sentences he would shut down and cease the narrative. One of these days, he’ll feel comfortable describing them in more depth.

Still… I hope he’s doing ok in that car while I’m in Ohio.

Oh my. I can’t believe what I’ve discovered.

Visiting a tasty mexican restaurant, I discovered one of those “stuffed animal” claw grabby games. You know, the ones where a quarter gets you a chance to snatch a prize. But one of these “animals” appears to not be a stuffed toy but rather a Maximum Friendship Bear. The proprietor of this vending machine game wouldn’t know the difference between a toy and a MFB.

I need to do a little more research to be certain, as it was to my understanding that Bear Maxwell was the last of his kind. Could I have found an actual companion for Bear Maxwell. I have to curb my excitement until I’m certain. I’ll have to gather some quarters and let the games begin…

Hi, my name is Jon Bolden. I met Bear Maxwell on my birthday. He came from a bag filled with tissue paper. He said he had nowhere to go and wanted to “crash” with me for awhile “if that was cool”. I didn’t know at the time that he was a Maximum Friendship Bear, the last of his kind (that he’s aware of). A bear designed specifically for an optimal friendship experience. He seemed very friendly and even offered to change the oil in my car for free. He’s an experienced mechanic, it turns out.

Bear Maxwell has been sleeping in my car and riding with me everywhere I go. He asked me to document his adventures. I can’t wait to share more with you. I gotta run! Bear Maxwell says he’d like to eat some tots from Sonic’s.