Everyone Knows It's Windy

The wind was roaring like the MGM Lion when I turned on the American Top 40 this morning. We blew into late February 1980 as disco wound down and country and British super groups heated up the charts. Hits included Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In the Wall," Kenny Rogers' "Coward of the County," Kenny Loggins' "This Is It," Fleetwood Mac's "Sara," Michael Jackson's "Rock With You," Andy Gibb's "Desire," and Donna Summer's "On the Radio."

That week's big hit came from one of the afore-mentioned British super groups. Queen had the majority of their best-known hits in the late 70s and early 80s, including their first to make it to #1, the peppy "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

I had a LOT I needed to get done today, starting with a quick trip to the bank. After I left there, I rode straight up to the Logan Presbyterian Church to drop off more donations. I gave them some Christmas boxes I didn't need, a few more knick-knacks, the bag of stuffed Pokemon (I lost interest in Pokemon years ago), and three collectable bears. It was elbow-to-elbow in the main room with the clothing when I arrived at 10, and I couldn't figure out why until I remembered they were selling bags stuffed with as many clothes as you could get in them for two dollars. I don't really need much in the way of clothes right now, and I didn't see anything else I wanted, so I moved on.

The wind was at my back as I scurried up the White Horse Pike to Barrington. Barrington is the last town before you pass the entrance to the Expressway, and it's such a charming place, I wish I had the time to visit there more often. Like most of the towns in this area, it's has a lovely main street, including one of the coolest antique stores in the universe.

The Barrington Antique Center is an enormous 30s-40s barn of a place crammed to the rafters with every kind of antique you can imagine. Everywhere you turn, there's boxes of records and Victorian linens, shelves of Depression glassware and china, racks of books and dolls, chairs with stuffed animals and vintage gowns, and crates filled with ancient magazines, sheet music, and advertisements. It's one of the coolest stores anywhere. I never fail to walk out of there without something, and today was no exception. I turned up two American Girl Felicity books (Learns a Lesson and Saves the Day), both perfectly mint and with their original illustrations (Elizabeth is a brunette) and catalog-order cards in the back, and a really cute spoof of toy collecting, The Care and Feeding of Stuffed Animals.

I actually had less luck in the Deptford Mall area. Despite this being a Saturday, there just didn't seem to be much in the way of sales. There were only a few things I really needed anyway. I grabbed a few items at Target, including cooking spray and vanilla, that's genuinely cheaper there. Didn't see any hair clips or headbands I liked, though, and they had no interesting DVD or toy sales. Had a quick but tasty Veggie Lover's Personal Pan Pizza at Pizza Hut for lunch.

I was pulling my red Isotoner gloves on when...ouch! I stepped on one of the large rocks from the landscaping and turned my left ankle. Thank goodness I could walk fine, but it was sore. I stumbled over to a very busy Deptford Mall.

(I actually prefer Deptford to Cherry Hill, for one big reason - it's pedestrian-friendly, with lots of sidewalks and narrower streets that are generally easier to cross.)

It may be just as well that I found even less at the mall. I took a look at CD/cassette/MP3 stereos at Sears and Boscov's, but I didn't see anything I liked and could afford. (The CD player on my Emerson stereo has been acting funny for ages.) The WebKinz sale at American Greetings was Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off. I only wanted one, and their original prices weren't all that great. The Disney Animator's Collection Belle at the Disney Store was on sale and tempting, but I finally decided to hold off on her until my birthday in April. I just ended up buying socks at Boscov's and JcPenney's. At least four or five pairs of socks have gotten holes in them in the last couple of weeks, and another pair looks like they're on the verge of doing so.

I got into Barrington around 4PM. I had a hot cocoa and black and white cookie at the Barrington Coffee Shop, then rode home in the gale-force winds. When I finally blew in, I made Feather Nutmeg Muffins and Chicken with Broccoli-Mushroom Sauce for dinner and ran the 1997 animated version of Anastasia.

Like most of Don Bluth's films, this is one peculiar animated musical. The title character is an feisty  orphan (voice of Meg Ryan) whose only clue to her identity is a key around her neck with the inscription "Together In Paris." On her arrival in Moscow, she encounters a pair of con men (John Cusack and Kelsey Grammer). They need a girl to play the part of the lost Grand Duchess Anastasia, so they can earn a reward from her grieving grandmother (Angela Landsbury). Anya's not at all sure at first, but she finally begins to enjoy the adventure...until it becomes obvious that someone doesn't want Anya reuniting with her family...

It sounds like a typical Disney movie from the 90s, doesn't it? Plucky heroine, cute puppy (although thankfully it doesn't talk), wisecracking animal sidekick, stage-worthy musical numbers, action, adventure, amazing animated set pieces. That's only on the surface. First of all, sassy Anya is no one's doormat. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself and cracking her own jokes, thank you. (When she looks under a dress and Dimitri asks her what she's looking for, she replies "The Russian Circus! I think they're still in here!") Dimintri ain't no prince, either. Actually, he reminds me a lot of Flynn Rider from Tangled - the thief who goes good in the end.

What's really strange here is the villain. Rasputin is...how can I put this delicately?...gross. He is literally falling apart, and no amount of quips from Bartok the White Bat can disguise the fact that a guy lurching around losing assorted body parts is more disgusting than funny. Doesn't help that he gets the film's worst number, "In the Dark of the Night," either. Almost nothing in the film has anything to do with real Russian history - it plays with the facts even more than the live-action Anastasia with Ingrid Bergman from the 50s.

The music, animation, and spirited Anya herself are the saving graces. The wonderful soundtrack, including the haunting "Once Upon a December," turned me into a fan of Broadway tunesmiths Lynn Aherns and Stephan Flahtery. There's some spectacular animation, including a really nifty sequence with a speeding train.

Rasputin's icky character and some fairly heavy violence (along with the muddled history)  puts this out of the realm of anyone under the age of 8, but older princesses who are just starting to look for their place in the world may find this fascinating.