Reading Material

Looney Talk readers here is another chance for you to voice your opinions. This week we are asking you what are you reading? Go ahead and share your latest adventure book, your romance novel or the best darn article you've read from your favorite mag rag.
Here's what on my list.
Road Show-Neil Peart
(Gave this book to Tim for Christmas and I read it first. How mean am I? If you don't know anything about Tim, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog. However, if you do know and love Tim, you'll know and love this book as well. Neil writes about his travels from one show to another, night after night all the while on a motorcycle. Great look to the inside of a working rock band. I like his style of writing. Reminds me of brother Pete's writing styles. Pete Looney, keep writing and work on publishing your work. I'll read it.
Winterdance-Gary Paulsen
(I am not finished with this, but it is a book I gave Tim for his birthday. OF course, he picked it out, found it on line and bought it for himself. But it was for him. IT is a great look at what it is like to even BEGIN to start racing sled dogs. It is a funny story of a man who really doesn't have a clue to what he is doing. Kinda like someone else we know and love. His mistakes are what makes me laugh out loud. Knowing that I, too, would probably have done what he did. So far so good. I could hardly put the book down last night.

This Is Not A Film

This past weekend, the Loons watched the 2003 film "This Is Not A Film". A pseudo-documentary of a young man who makes a video-reenactment of his relationship with a lost love.
Through the act of remaking their dates, combined with the analysis of the woman who portrays his lost-love, he begins to discover his part in the downfall.
A clever device, and a decent exploration of the differing views on a relationship, he was searching for Grace, which is the ultimate theme - searching for grace.

I give it a 3 out of 5.
Angie says this is her summary: This film took an idea and made it into a movie. Some parts I liked. Some effects I did not like. In fact they were extremely annoying to me. The jump cuts just bothered me. I can't stand it. It seems to be the "latest" hip technique, but I am old-school and declare the director/editor couldn't come up with an original transitional technique.
I give this film a 2.75 out of 5. (Hey, a 5 is considered a 10 so it was not a bad film at all. Go ahead, watch it yourself and comment. Dare YOU!!!)

Latest Musical Influences

We know we all have been influenced by bands, musicians, poets and teachers when we were young. But who is the latest person to have influenced you musically?
Here's my list: the 100s-Hubby's band but they have influenced and continually support my goal of playing guitar.
Alejandro Escovedo-This guy has been around a long time and has been through a lot. He writes great music and puts on a heck of a performance even if there were only 20 people at the bar. He is a great musician and just to be able to hear him and see him was amazing, a life changing moment.

Tell us who influences you. Share and compare. My list is short because there are so many bands that I can't list them all right now.

Doors and Cats

Have you ever heard the pawing of your cat, trying to get into the room you are occupying? Now here's another question. Have you ever had a cat who gets into the room, closes the door than can't get out? That is what we have here in Looney Land. Smoke, that crazy cat of ours does it on a semi-daily regular basis. We have had to put door stops in (loose weights, amp's and heavy stuff like that) in front of the doors so he won't lock himself in. And the worst of it, he always has accomplishes. Little Dottie and Meredith. His little harem. Besides the obvious of tossing him outdoors to fend for himself, what can a mother cat do?

New Movies Angie and Tim Watched

Now look, we don't claim to be hip, happening nor on top of things. In fact, one person could say we are middle-aged hippies who are working for the man. Tim of course, works for the "coolest, hippest, man. While Angie does work for the man. In order to maintain my great status with the company, no further talk of this will occur.
My point is this, we watched a great movie several weeks ago and we are of course way behind schedule with the rest of the "world."
Here it is: Juno. Yes, great movie that we will watch over and over again. Maybe not as much as Tim is watching "Once" but something along those lines. IF you have not seen Juno, don't wait any further. Put it on top of your list. Humanity in a nutshell. Well written and well-shot cinematography. Great actors who were able to tap into each's other emotional state of their character's.

Mushing On Ice

By Angie
I'll admit it. I am now a musher. And in the two plus weeks I have taken out my two dogs, Brownie and Biscuit with Krunchy off-leash leading our way, I have bruised my elbows, hyper-extended my knee, and almost flipped myself over the sled onto the ice glacier of an Iowa waterway. This is the most dangerous sport I have ever done! Just when it starts getting fun, something happens and BAM! I find myself beat up. Realistically, I don't think my body can take it. It is tough. So kudos to all those mushers. I'll stick to being an amateur. And my question to you is this: How do you run dogs on solid sheets of ice?

101 Things About The Loons

Yes - it's our 100th post! (OK, so we missed it by a few!)
So here, by Internet Decree is 100 things about us! (Plus a bonus!)

Angie's:
1. Drummer Addict. Found my Drummer so you can call me recovered Addict. Forever dealing with the dum, dah, dum, dum, DUM.

2. Coffee Addict. Black the first three cups, and the rest of the morning a shot of cream please. And make it a BIG shot.

3. Favorite Sub-Tuna Salad Sub covered w/Black Olives, Jalapenos, Banana Peppers, Lettuce, Tomato, and Dill sauce. Yum!

4. Worst Job EVER-Peeling Hard boiled eggs for 10 hours a day. The smell made me puke every morning. My hands were never out of cold water the whole time of standing at the table. AWFUL. Made me thankful and gave me incentive to continue my education and NEVER, EVER, have to work in an assembly line job again.

5. Chair Addict

6. Wrote my first play at age 8. My first stage production by 9. Editor and CEO of my first newspaper age 10.

7. My first TV job paid $4.50 an hour. Was able to live on my own, drive a new truck, and have a land-line phone. No cable. No bar-hopping. Great time!

8. Collected Caterpillars in a red vase as a kid. Brought them to my bedroom every night and they would disappear by morning. Found out several years ago, my sister HATES caterpillars because my missing "alive" collection!

9.Ran the mile on high school track team for four years. Beat a guy once!

10. Interviewed presidential candidate Ross Perot in a skirt and high heels.

11.Peruvian Shoe-Shiner at the Dulles Airport proposed marriage. I said NO but thanked him.

12.In a Made-for-TV movie starring Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. Role: TV news photographer. I nailed it.

13. Professional Jam Maker.

14. Editor High School News Paper.

15. Staff Reporter Northern Iowan.

16. Interviewed two former first ladies, Lady Bird Johnson and Barbara Bush.

17. Interviewed Hal Holbrook in his hotel room. Just him and me. (Nothing happened except for a conversation about his play.)

18.Read every Nancy Drew book in the Fayette library.

19. Read every book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

20.Weekly visitor of the fire station at one point in my life.

21. Worst place I lived was a flea-bag trailer house, and I am not exaggerating. My sister and I lived with my boss while I worked at a hotel in Florida. We appreciated his hospitality, it was the most disgusting place ever. Bought huge shares in the RAID company.

22.Before having children, only knew how to cook tuna melt sandwiches.

23. Once shared a elevator ride with Leon Spinks. Funny story. After the ride was over, my friend Marlys yelled out, "We just rode down with Leon Spinks." We jumped up and down screaming. My other friend Teri stopped jumping and asked point-blank, "Who is Leon Spinks?" We all died laughing.

24. Guitar Player-Teaching myself.

25.Secretly wants to perform on the guitar to audience.

26.Huge fan of Brokedown Stranger.

27. Now addicted to guitars and find other guitar players far more interesting than before.

28.Wanted to be a network photojournalist.

29.Thought I should move to LA, live in Hollywood and hang out with Big Hair Bands.

30.Bottle Feed kitties. Yes, I am a Cat Mom.

31.Fast becoming fascinated with Italy.

32.Meet and interviewed Stevie Ray Vaughn, one of the nicest "celebs" I ever met.

33.Dream of walking across Scotland for a vacation.

34.Would love to own my own business.

35.I like to trout fish, just don't have my license.

36.Enjoy walking with my dad while he is hunting. I don't carry a gun.

37.Been married twice and have never been on a "honeymoon" guess that means try for a three? Just kidding!

38.Would wear vintage clothes everyday to work if possible.

39.Wrote my first play in 3rd grade.

40.Directed my first backyard play by 5th grade.

41.Directed, produced and edited 4 music videos by age 27.

42.Start a lot of projects, some get done and others are always "waiting to be finished."

43.Would love to open up my own "treasure" shop with my sister Jill.

44.Would love to go on a family vacation with my siblings and parents and my hubby's family, the whole Looney clan.

45.Dream about quitting my job and living on the farm for work.

46.Love to read Non-fiction works.

47.Had a photo published in a book, titled...."Eating His Christmas Pie." Cute shot of Ryker with his face in the holiday pie. Yes, we all skipped dessert that day.

48.Wants to have a cow.

49.Unfinished project right now is a screenplay.

50.Would love to make a difference in someone's life.

Tim's
1. First person born in Johnson County in 1960.

2. Youngest of 6 children.

3. By age 18 had learned how to play and publicly performed:
trombone, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and oboe.

4. Founding member of rock band Voyager.

5. Currently drummer in The 100s.

6. Have two ex-wives

7. Ate nearly nothing besides Skippy Chunky on white bread (folded sideways) until age of 45.

8. Graduated after first semester of senior year of high school.

9. Graduated from Kirkwood Community College.

10. Nominated for "Communications student of the year" at Kirkwood.

11. Started in television in 1985.

12. Learned to love Jalepeno peppers in 2005.

13. Read nearly 20 years worth of back issues of "Reader's Digest" as a kid.

14. Love the Hawkeyes

15. Read Agatha Christie books as a teen.

16. Had my favorite dog, Pandy, from 1972 until 1981.

17. Coached youth baseball for several years.

18. Have two sons.

19. Worked at Howard Johnson's while in high school.

20. Had a kidney removed in 1985.

21. Have a secret love for "Rock Chicks". (Am currently growing my own!)

22. Once studied French.

23. Have been to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico twice.

24. Am obsessed with Alaska.

25. Own every Rush album produced since 1971 (17).

26. Want to mush sled dogs.

27. Lived on a farm the first 18 and last 5 years.

28. Have had 4 "best friends" since jr.high: Ray, Steve, Bob, Angie.

29. Love Bud Light.

30. Drink Black Velvet regularly.

31. Love Johnny Walker Black Scotch.

32. Have wanted to live in Mexico

33. Have wanted to live in Wisconsin

34. Have wanted to live in Maine

35. Have wanted to live in Oregon

36. First car was a huge, white Buick LaSabre, “The Beast”.

37. Hate peas

38. Think politics is easy – you either think that the government is there to work FOR you, or you think that “May the strong (and rich) survive”.

39. Collects shot glasses

40. Has a huge CD collection

41. Love to watch movies and TV with the Babe Wife

42. Wrote a newspaper as a kid.

43. Sang in a quartet in kindergarten

44. Sang in a quartet in High School

45. One concert in High School played the drums in Jazz Band, accompanied a vocalist with a guitar, played trombone and performed an oboe solo in concert band.

46. Have been to Wrigley Field twice

47. Once shot an elephant in my pajama’s. How he got into my pajama’s I’ll never know!

48. Currently contributing to three blogs.

49. Love Monty Python

50. Love ALL my kids

51. Love my wife

Tonight is the Premiere of "Toughest Race On Earth: Iditarod"

Tonight is the premiere of the Discovery Channel series "Toughest Race On Earth: Iditarod".

The series will air at 10PM Eastern Time tonight, and repeat at 11PM ET, 2AM ET early Wednesday, Friday night at 10PM ET, early Saturday morning at 2AM ET, and Saturday morning at 11AM ET.

Tune in for coverage of the race start in Anchorage and Willow. Meet mushers and their dogs. Learn behind-the-scenes strategies and training methods. See exclusive interviews.

Favorite Foreign Films

Here's your chance, Looney Talk readers. List in no particular order or number your top pick in foreign films. Don't be shy. Share your picks.
1. Johnny Stecchino
2. Bread n Tulips
3. Jules and Jim
4. The Pianist
5. Wild Strawberries
Now there are many more, however it will take me additional time to list. So this is it for RIGHT NOW. Come on, comment.

Road Creatures

This fall as you walk down an Iowa gravel road, maybe you'll notice those creatures in nature we call slimy, creepy, crawlers. As it turns out, this season there are so many caterpillars crossing the roads and the snakes as well. All summer I have been looking for the snakes. Not too often did I see them slithering in the grass and into the underbrush. I thought maybe the chickens killed them all. But alas, they are out in full sun on those dusty roads the dogs and I walk most every morning. Today was no different. About every 20 steps there is a caterpillar creeping across. The black and brown fuzzy ones. The same type I captured every fall and brought them into our house. I never knew my sister didn't like them. I would put grass in their home and sticks. Every morning they were gone. The vase I kept them in was short and shallow. I guess they escaped. The dogs love to check out each one as we walk the gravel. IT doesn't matter how many we look at, they all need to be investigated.
Speaking of wildlife, every time I drive past the hog confinement center about 3 miles from our home, I see the same coyote hanging out. He is reddish brown, kind of shaggy. I guess you would say he is living high off the hog. Loon wants him dead. I like to see him. As long as he is not killing chickens, he can stay over there.
And readers, we got our harnesses and ropes for the sled dog team. Loon and I took them out yesterday (Sunday) and walk the waterway to the neighbors road and back home. We were only out there for an hour, but we were beat after doing it. Biscuit is the leader. We tried Krunchy, he kept trying to go to the right. HE pulled pretty hard. Brownie is the best sled dog. She is so good. She just stays in line and follows Biscuit. His ropes are too long. They need to be shortened so he is not too far ahead of everyone.
We'll get some pictures and post sometime.
Keep on reading and write in your comments readers!
Angie