What a HOOT

Yesterday marks the 10 years it's been since I've been in my hometown, Davenport, IA.
In my back seat buick cell, I rode 8 hours with my brother and dad north to Iowa from Joplin. He's up here for his 40 year high school class reunion and he's been having more fun than ever!
We dropped him off at that to have some drinks with old friends, and Jon and I went bar hopping everywhere.
Mississippi I've missed you!!!


It's been such a good trip, away from all the misery in missouri.
Here's the house that I grew up in

It's haunting to see my past still here and alive!
They took out our old swingset :(

It's so great having deactivated my facebook I HAVE SO MUCH FREEDOM!
Speaking of freedom, let's take our government back. Let's take our country back. Just a side note.
I'd like to thank my family and few friends for showing me that it's good to get out of the house.
Don't give a hoot, but have a hoot.



Love,
-andypants

Hope

A seed floating in the wind with no direction
Slowly fading away, it has no protection
Lands on the bank but sees no reflection
A choice must be made, life's intersection

Grow into a tree or fade into the past
Soar like an eagle, this spring may be it's last
A decision must be made before the dead of night
Is it time to lie down and die, or is it time to fight

It made the right choice and decided to grow
But wasn't its choice to make, of this it did not know
Already determined the seed would never be a tree
It dreams of a better life but hope is all it will ever be

This place "sucks"

Today my parents are vacuuming the entire house. Turns out they have more than one vacuum! The amount of suction going on above my head while I lay restless in the basement is frightening. I can hear dustmites screaming for help, and oh no, here comes the rug doctor. I'll throw the funeral right after my pity party.

Let's talk about Joplin, Missouri for a brief second.
It's like a smelly kid in class holding the door open for you. It's a nice thought, but you just want to get through as fast as possible.
That's where I am, and it's where most of my friends are not.
It's where my ex is.
Where I don't want to be.
I'm not even going to bring up meth...

But life has been blessed!
I love the ups and downs I face, they keep me challenged and hopeful.
I'm thankful for the friends I do still have, and my newfound joy for blueberry bagels.

Joplin-I love you, but you beat kittens.

Be On Your Guard

Last night I had a dream that I was being chased around town by all sorts of fearful figures, and at some point a voice said "be on your guard against the enemy," later in the dream I met a lovely girl who said her name was Satan, and even though that name worried me, she was welcoming and beautiful. She looked trusting, but offered me a drink that she had put something in, and it made me afraid and refused to take it. Ha it was really something else. I woke up and found this-Peter 5:8-9.

An attitude of gratitude

I'm so blessed to know that more people are following me on twitter! I have enough oddities to write about in my daily life to keep my friends posted. I thank you, stalkers :)

May God Be Your Broom

Do you know that feeling you have right after you accidentally step on a piece of chex mix or a piece of cereal on the floor?
That feeling you get for a split second of misery-that you've just made a huge mistake?
But after that you realize that things are ok, because its just a cheerio and can be cleaned up.
Yeah I just did that.
It made me think about life.
And how I think about it way too deep sometimes.
Somehow, that's me.
That's you.
That's us.
That broken piece of cereal is our mistakes, our flaws, and it's nothing that can't be cleaned up.
I've been enlightened.
It's funny how God can talk to us through such simple things.
I also know that I'm not God!
Therefore, I'll leave the mess for one of the roommates.
I hope that doesn't make them feel CRUMMY!



May God be your broom.
-andypants

Track 4: Words

Words, oh words,
Please pull me under,
and fill my lungs with all your wonder.
Raise my voice,
to sing it louder,
that we be not alone, but everlasting.
-andyhaut

I left Joplin in August in search for myself, and I've seemed to have found too much of just that.

Me.

All I've been is me. I get too caught up in what I ought to be, or what I think others want of me; I beat myself up about it.
Feelings rushed my heart the first month I lived here in Springfield. Feelings of anxiety and stress, but at the same time wonder and excitement.
...my thoughts were quite tragic sometimes though.
My heart misguided by earthly desire, and envy of the successful.

I couldn't see God, because I've been in the way.

As for love:
And how do I seek a girl?
I know not how to walk by faith, or by sight,
For that alone is up to faith.
Timing is the distraction.
Oh love, you pull at my heart.
Do you guide me to what is right?
Who's to be the judge?
Are words enough to guide me?
If such is true, let me not fall short of their meaning.
May they submerge me and fill my lungs with their light.
May such a God-given gift overflow within my heart,
and let me then pursue such love, but only then.
-andyhaut

Timing is everything, but means nothing.
It holds urgency, but not destruction.

When love beckons, what are we to do?
Rush in blindly, or be guided by patience?

Oh, love, you light up the night, just like the moon.
and though sometimes I only get a sliver of you,
I'm hoping for a full moon soon.

Be true, be you, do what you do,
I have to poo.
-andy

What value does love hold if it isn't shared?

Dear Spring,

I've been limited.
My roots held with ice,
As of gloves, coats, blankets...
I've asked of warmth of these.
But I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss.
You dream of dewdrops,
You sing of orchids white,
You breathe.
You sweep wind of new life unto the Earth as fireflies in the garden of Autumn.
You bring the beggars of the city a sigh of relief.
Of Hope.
Oh, please bring us joy in the morning finch.
And of the flowers bring us growth,
And of the growth bring us height enough to reach our Father's stars,
So that we may desire, ask, believe, receive.
Dearly beloved, may we be free.
From the shackles of language,
May we be free.
From our dimly lit path of such vision we seek,
May we be free.
From the crust of our knowledge of measurable time,
May we be free.
For your sweet release is more precious than jewels.
May we be free.
-andyhaut

Just a thought.

Look at the clouds as they roll; as they cry for us.
Look at the stars as they glorify their creator.
...as they guide us through the night, they shine for us.
Look at the trees of the forests.
..they grow mighty and free for us.
Look to the sunlight as it pours upon the Earth.
Is it not but a most beautiful source?
Oh, and how great it is to witness the most beautiful dance in creation,
As the moon dances among the stars!!
These are few of what keep me strong.
What's a little financial trouble here and there?
What's a little pain and heartache?
Is it not all worth the gift of birth?
:)

We are here.
Now.
How beautiful is this place?
Are we not SO blessed?
We inhabit the earth
God's earth.
So here we are, on such sacred ground.

Let us not be afraid to open our hearts.
To share our love.
For what value does love hold if it isn't shared?

Just a thought.
Your friend, Andy.

Leap.

There's something mysterious about the month of February.
It sort of sets up the following months for summer-in Missouri at least. It brings those last few weeks of snow and ice to an end and brings about tree buds, the small peach fuzz of grass, and the sweet aroma of warmth as the midwest takes off its winter coat.
At a time like this you can't help but to strive for new growth and wisdom.
A fresh start.

In the past few months I've taken up street performing.
Every Friday and Saturday night I lug my guitar downtown to the town square of Springfield and find a nice solid and busy place to plop down and sing.
I see demographics ranging from the homeless to the drunks, from pub-crawling college kids to street evangelists.
It's a wide plethora of beautiful people, all to share my creativity with.
Some nights I'm tipped well, others not so much. But regardless, I bring home a warm heart because I'm finally living and loving what I do.
I'm not sure what this will bring me, but the experiences I have out there last me a lifetime.

I've been inspired to leap, and surely the net WILL appear.
Take risks.
Adventure out of your comfort zone.
If you seek something strongly you'll find it.



What do you want?
Reach and grab it.

-andy

Sat her day

I have a down comforter on my bed, and every morning my movement stirs up many small feathers that have snuck out of it.
I feel like I'm in some sort of romantic/fantasy movie with the sunlight pouring through my window and the feathers floating through its golden beams.
It's truly a remarkable experience.

Insomnia has been the girl in my life these days.
She's kept me up through some of the later hours of the morning, which is fine by her, but not by me.
To counter her selfishness I've been taking an herbal supplement called Valerian Root.
Other than the fact it smells like gym socks, this root has been used for thousands of years by the greeks for a sleep aid.
It's also great for anxiety as well!
You can get this magical stuff over the counter at most any local grocery that sells supplements.
Highly recommended.

To the drunk people on the square last night-thank you for the generous tip you gave me.
I know you probably didn't realize how much you were giving me, I'm surprised you could find your wallet.
I hope the song and a half I played for you, standing in the cold was worth it.

I'm off to pick up a cello and learn to play.
You're loved,
-andyhaut

Short; sweet.

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music-the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.

Waking In A Winter Wonderland

If only I knew how old the house I currently reside in REALLY is before I signed the lease, I may have had more questions about its previous winter conditions.

THIS is the condition of our sink/countertop.



Not that it's ever clean or anything, but in this particular moment in time the dishes cannot be cleaned.
Due to our ancient plumbing, our pipes have frozen, leaving us waterless.

Option #1:
An over-sized redbull placed strategically under the heating vents in hopes we can produce enough water to flush the toilet with.
Though environmental-friendly, this energy capsule is a cooler. Cooler=slow.



Option #2:
Store bought.


Handy, cheap, but something mother earth doesn't deserve.

Our best/most efficient option-Friends.
The best people to have around.
Thank you to all I've bugged for a washer, shower, or lovely conversation.

Here's a diagram I've drawn on a paper plate:
It portrays how our heating system works.




As you can see, we have a big empty space under our house which holds a lot of cold air.
This is also where the water pipes are located. What an intelligent design..
Our heating vents are located on our ceiling, as far away from our bodies as they can be.
In order to enjoy the comfort of central heating, one must be completely vertical and will only be warm from the chest up (location may vary with height).
If you are on the couch, you will feel no heat whatsoever, for the cold air rising and the warm air descending meet in the middle of the room creating a scientific phenomenon.



So dearest friends,
Remember that you're not alone in these cold times, and when winter does end we will truly see that the sun is always brighter.
May you have a lovely winter,
Stay warm,
and bundle up.



With love, driving to the gas station to poop,
-andypants