Enter FoxWolfie Galen.

Galen, 39, whom I met thanks to the magic of the Internet, is a self-described computer nerd from Erie, Pa., who counts himself among a unique sect of stuffed-animal enthusiasts known as "plushophiles." Not to be confused with a "furry" (someone who finds delight in anthropomorphic animal characters), Galen is quick to point out, a plushophile is someone whose affections for stuffed animals -- or "plushies," as they are referred to in this scene -- reach a level that some might consider beyond standard. It is not uncommon for plushophiles to engage in assorted sexual activities with their little stuffed friends -- and Galen is no exception.

I've always held an appreciation for delicate-care fabrics, so I can certainly relate to this on some level. Still, I've yet to cross the line with a stuffed animal -- or even a down jacket, for that matter -- so when I randomly stumbled across Galen's home page (among a seemingly endless string of Web sites and Internet news groups devoted to plushophilia) during a routine evening of Internet browsing, I couldn't resist dropping him a line. Soon, phone numbers were exchanged, and before long the amiable Keystone State resident and I found ourselves chatting away like two old friends -- one of whom likes to have sex with stuffed animals. My delight was interrupted only by a nagging fear that my mother might pick up the other line at any moment.

"It started probably when I was 6 or 7 years old," Galen tells me, diving into the topic. "I guess when you're in your early years, ... you're trying to figure out what works and what doesn't, [and] I just discovered that plushies worked."

I can't help being impressed by his resourcefulness, but now I've really got some questions. I think back to my early years in elementary school and the endless string of crushes I had on my female classmates. I assume Galen has similar memories. I am wrong.

"Women didn't faze me," Galen says of his formative years. "I just figured I was into something better."

I try my best to maintain a methodical, "Yes, I see" kind of approach to our conversation, but there's a voice in the back of my head that keeps reminding me that this guy -- to use street vernacular -- fucks stuffed animals. I decide I just can't wait any longer to get the real lowdown.

"So, um, how do you have sex with a stuffed animal?" I ask, as my last shred of innocence crawls from my body and storms out of the room. I had been looking forward to my conversation with Galen for several days now, but there's no way I could have anticipated the feeling of genuine excitement that washed over me after saying these words out loud for the first time.

"Well, none of mine have an SPA (plushophile-speak for "strategically placed appendage"), Galen begins. "It's been thought of a couple of times, but part of the difficulty would be constructing one and not having it fall off the plushie. That's a problem people have dwelled on for a long time."

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