Mall Madness

Got a fast start on a beautiful morning with a quick breakfast and two Danger Mouse shorts from the 5th season. "The Long Lost Crown Affair" takes DM and Penfold into the heart of the jungle to find a crown that once belonged to a jungle king who loved practical jokes. They're saying "By George, It's a Dragon!" when they have to figure out why one of the mythical lizards are wrecking havoc in Wales.

Rushed out the door around 10:30. Ran into my first check of the day when I got to the White Horse Pike. I usually park my bike at the fence behind the Camden Restaurant Supply Store when I catch the bus to the Cherry Hill Mall. I discovered when I pulled up that the building...wasn't there anymore. It looks like it's in the midst of being demolished. Most of it is on the ground. The fences are still there, but it was no place to put a bike. I was still figuring out what to do when the bus came by.

No matter. I rode over the train bridge and down Nicholson Road to Applebee's for an early lunch, leaving my bike at the Acme bike rack. I figured this was as good a time as any to use that gift card Mark gave me. They'd only been open for 20 minutes when I arrived, and there were maybe two other people there. I had a Chipolte chicken wrap and their tasty French onion soup for a nice, quiet lunch. They even have this new system where you can pay with a credit or gift card right at the table (via the monitors used for their trivia games). I was in and out in less than a half-hour.

Finally picked up the bus on Nicholson Road at noon, about a block from the entrance to the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center. The bus wasn't full when I got on, and only one other person went all the way to the Cherry Hill Mall. No traffic whatsoever, either, not even in Westmont or Cherry Hill.

Decided to take the long way around the Mall building and past their parking structure when I arrived. It was too nice of a day to spend the whole time inside. Except for a few puddles, you'd never know it poured yesterday. The sky was blue, the sun was out, and it was a bit warmer than it has been, probably in the lower 50's. Even a stiff wind couldn't dampen my spirits.

Took the elevator up to the bridge and headed over to Target to use the last of those gift cards Mom gave me. While I still couldn't find snow boots or a robe, I did find the perfect hand-held mixer. It's a Hamilton Beach with three attachments and a case to hold them...and it's 20 dollars cheaper than the Kitchen Aid with most of the same abilities. (There was a spot for it at the Westmont Target, but they were out.)

Made a few other good finds as well. Browsing the remains of the Christmas section turned up an adorable plush BB8 ornament, a small box of Christmas-themed Jelly Bellys, and a plaid flannel nightgown sized for 18 inch dolls. I never would have thought to look for doll clothes in the seasonal aisle! I'll have to remember that. Didn't see any Our Generation outfits I liked, but I did dig up a small Porg clip on clearance. Also picked up the soundtrack for Mary Poppins Returns and The Monkees Christmas Party, their first holiday album.

The Cherry Hill Mall was a mob scene when I returned. People were jammed elbow-to-elbow pretty much everywhere you turned. I couldn't squeeze into Build-a-Bear. Saw nothing of interest at Game Stop or the toy store that replaced Jay Street Video Games. Looked for a robe and snow boots at JC Penney, but found nothing I liked. Didn't see any boots I liked or could afford at Famous Footwear or Payless, either. Old Navy was so busy, the line literally went across the store. Dairy Queen had been replaced by a pricier Haagen Daas; ended up getting a cherry frozen lemonade at Aunt Annie's instead.

I did manage to pick up one thing I needed. As at the Deptford Mall last year, there was a booth in the center of the mall selling calendars. I normally buy a folk-art or animal-themed one for the hall near the living area, but I couldn't resist Vader's Little Princess. It's a collection of images from the satirical kids books that depict what might have happened if Vader had raised Leia and Luke as a single Sith dad, and it was too cute not to buy.

By the time I got out of the Mall, I was pooped. Thank goodness the bus was right on time. Once again, there were no problems on the road, despite it being rush hour. They dropped me off in Audubon across from the shopping center entrance around quarter of 4.

Since I was parked at the Acme anyway, I figured I might as well get my grocery shopping done. I mainly needed fruit and vegetables, anyway. Restocked yogurt, bananas, and cranberries. Grabbed a bag of stir-fry vegetables and decided I'd make chicken stir-fry sometime next week. Needed ham, a red potato, and an onion for my New Year's Eve dinner. Raided the clearance shelves to pick up Planters' pumpkin-spice almonds and the Acme's generic pumpkin Cheerios and pumpkin-cheesecake cookies. Pears were on a really good sale, but I still had apples at home, so I settled for three.

There was a box waiting for me when I got in. I used part of one of the Target cards to pick up the second half of the redubbed Sailor Moon S (season three) series and a double-bill of the original Diana Ross The Wiz and The Wiz Live from a few years ago. The latter two will probably turn up next month on my blog for Martin Luther King Jr. Day or the month after for Black History Month, but I couldn't wait for the rest of the Sailor Moon episodes. Minako is jealous that all the other girls have had their pure hearts taken. Her desperate attempts to prove she's worthy of pure heart leads to "The Shocking Moment: Everyone's Identities Revealed," including that of the mysterious Sailors Uranus and Neptune.

Worked on writing for a bit after I got everything put away. The witch makes every rose bush in her garden vanish to keep Leia from remembering about Luke and her mission. When she does awaken Leia from her trance, she can barely remember her own name. The witch tells her that she's her adopted child, and Han is her beloved dog.

Broke for dinner at 7. My Applebee's lunch had filled me up so much, I was only up to a Mocha Banana Smoothie. Did two more Sailor Moon episodes while I prepared my treat. Haruka and Michiru steal Usagi's transformation broach to keep her from following them. Alas, it turns out to be a trap that results in "The Death of Uranus and Neptune: The Talismans Appear." The discoveries of the talisman's eventually lead to "The Holy Grail's Mystical Power: Moon's Double Transformation" and the end of Eudial's run as head of the Witches 5.

Finished out the night with Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 after a shower. I go into further detail on Disney's most unique animated features at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Fantasia and Fantasia 2000