Mid-Winter Madness

Started a sunny, if somewhat colder, day with the 80s French cartoon Moon Madness and a breakfast of fried eggs and sauteed greens and onions. Though it's not as well-known as the Don Bluth films of the early 80s or the TV show-based animated movies like The Chipmunk Adventure, I consider Moon Madness to be the quintessial 80s animated film. It has everything - an odd, bright-but-limited herky-jerky animation style, goofy characters based after famous literature (in this case, the German folk tales of Baron Munchhausen), a wacky sci-fi/fantasy plot, and a synthesizer score that is totally at odds with the fantastic subject matter (and includes the memorable song "The Secret of the Selenites" that I remembered well even 20 years later).

Headed to the Haddon Township Library after finishing breakfast and the movie. I'm glad I opted to do it today instead of Friday this time. They were overloaded with books and DVDs that needed to be returned, thanks to the busy holiday weekend. I spent an hour and a half just returning DVDs. I also helped a mother and her child find a Backyardigans' DVD after I commented on the stuffed Pablo the Penguin the little girl was toting, mentioning that I love that show.

Took out three DVDs after I was done - Laurence of Arabia, Sweet Smell of Success, and Barbie and the Diamond Castle. Also took out the last two Rebecca American Girls books I hadn't read, Rebecca to the Rescue and Rebecca and Ana, and a Kingdom Hearts II manga.

Made two quick stops at JoAnn's Fabrics and the Dollar Tree next. I didn't see any Valentine's decorations I liked at JoAnn's. I did buy a new brush and comb at Dollar Tree, along with soap (I ran out last week), but I couldn't find what I'd gone in there for, which was a notebook for my food journal.

Had lunch at the little bagel shop in the mall, next to GameStop. I love that bagel shop. They're a little pricy, but they make excellent food. I had a tuna salad on a toasted sourdough bagel with huge, fat steak fries and enormous kosher pickle slices. Unlike the last time I ate there, the place was empty today except for one lady reading the paper. I was able to peruse the walls of Eagles, Flyers, and Phillies memorabilia in peace.

Made a quick stop at the Rite Aid across Cuthbert Road from the mall after lunch. I was still looking for notebooks, but they were out of the cheap ones. I did pick up some toothpaste that was on sale, though. I like the Crest Sensitivity or Pro-Health. I'm using the latter now, and it's 3/4 done. They were on sale for $2.99 - got the Pro-Health again.

Though it was a bit windier and colder than yesterday, it was still nicer than it has been. I took advantage of the nice weather to take a long bike ride home across Newton River Park. I wasn't the only one, either. I dodged many people walking their dogs or pushing strollers.

Spent the rest of the afternoon finally dusting the apartment, which badly needed it, and putting up the rest of the general winter decorations. I've been meaning to do both for weeks now, but I just haven't been able to get to it. I taped up the cardboard snowman-playing-winter-sports cutouts and set up the display with the velvet-dressed winter doll (whom I've dubbed Velvet) and the little crystal tree and her penguin-and-polar bear stuffed menagerie.

Watched Barbie and the Diamond Castle while making Good Morning Muffins from the Prevention cookbook. I wasn't nearly as crazy about this one as I was about Christmas Carol and Three Musketeers. The original story, about a pair of best friends who save the castle of the title from an evil sorceress, seemed a bit cornier and more sugary than the literature-based tales. I had more fun with the two dopey British-accented guys who accompany the ladies. The opening and closing segments with Barbie's sister Stacey being angry at a friend wasn't as well-integrated into the story as similar sequences with Kelly in Christmas Carol was, either. The music had a surprising country twang, but most of it seemed all the same...and none of it was very good.