Idaho

Thursday, March 4th 4:05 PM, Coeur d'Alene Idaho.

This week Gretchen and I got work off and are visiting her Grandparents in Post Falls, Idaho, which is right between Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Spokane, Washington. It's really nice here. Back in Portland I live in the city, and drive through downtown to go to work, and hit rush hour a lot. Being out here makes me want to escape, spend time away by myself, and not live in the city anymore.

The thing is, I am not sure that is such a good idea. A part of me wants to a own a plot of land near a city but not too close. Hide away from people all the time. Enjoy relaxing in the wilderness. Call friends once in awhile when I need them. But I don't think those are necessarily healthy feelings. Sure, they are not totally bad desires. But I think most people (me included) are better of involved in community, being helped by others and helping others... I am not sure that I like this idea, but I guess I think it's right...

going to start blogging again

Top 15 albums of 2009 - cliche time

This includes 7", EPs, or full lengths. And no, I am not cool enough to know EVERY album released, there are 5-20 bands I like that I never got around to really.

15. Owen - New Leaves

14. Modest Mouse - No One's First and Your'e Next EP

13. Ruiner - Hell is Empty

12. Converge - Axe to Fall

11. Such Gold - Stand Tall EP

10. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

9. mewithoutYou - It's All Crazy!...

8. Defeater - Lost Ground

7. Thursday - Common Existence

6. Strike Anywhere - Iron Front

5. United Nations - S/T

4. Bon Iver - Blood Bank

3. Brand New - Daisy

2. Touche Amore - ...To the Beach of a Dead Horse

1. Title Fight - The Last Thing You Forget

Some thoughts on 2009 releases:

Set Your Goals' new full length had a few catchy songs but with melodic hardcore/pop-punk bands like Such Gold and Title Fight around there is no excuse to listen to lesser pop-punk bands like SYG...August Burns Red new release Constellations is the same old Christian metalcore, but fun to listen to on occasion...Two Tongues' (Saves the Day/Say Anything) first release was disappointing but for the first song, but what should I expect without a solid release from Saves the day in 9 years...Paint it Black's 7" was good, but really just more of the same for them...mewithoutYou's release had some catchy songs but overall it was easily their worst release...After hearing the Avett Brothers new album in the mall for the third time it really started to fade on me...Touche Amore is the most exciting west coast hardcore band currently...I enjoyed Bon Iver's slight departure from the over-the-top falsetto on some of the songs...Strike Anywhere cannot release a bad album...Defeater's 7" improved upon their full length Travels... The Converge/Thursday hybrid band United Nations was slightly better than either releases by Converge or Thursday this year.

DISCLAIMER IF READING OLDER BLOG POSTS

God is doing so much good in my life write down I feel like it would be stupid to not write some of it down to share.

But any posts older than this may not reflect me now. I was thinking about deleting them, but God is about processes not just products. So if 1-2 years ago I thought posting Modern Life is War and Alkaline Trio lyrics was the best way to express myself then, well then that's where I was then. I am excited to write more on this, and would appreciate people responding to it. I hope it starts some dialogue about Jesus if possible.
Andrew

life

Life has been pretty good the last 3-ish months since writing. Been working Valet again, which I am fine with for now as I figure out what's coming next / apply for jobs.

Bands I have been listening to: Gorilla Biscuits, Ruiner, TOUCHE AMORE (album of the year?), AFI, Title Fight, Orchid, Crime in Stereo. Good stuff. I love music. I went to the Bridge 9 tour and Crime in Stereo was great. I may drive to California in December to see Title Fight and Touche Amore.

Blah. I have nothing to write about right now.

My life recently (May - August)

In May my wife and I graduated from college. I have been doing construction over the summer, she worked some and studied for her N-CLEX test to become a registered nurse - and passed! Then we went to Morocco from July 15th - August 5th. We have been back 11 days, which honestly seems like 3-4 weeks for some reason. I was really sick, I mean REALLY sick from Morocco and have not gone back to work, but am planning on it tomorrow. Now our life is less focused on planning for our trip but more on finding "career" jobs and being adults, which for me has led to huge amounts of anxiety and worry in my life.

This really has created a mess because I just flat out have not been trusting God with our future or with our daily lives. Today after the service at church, I saw my pastor Shaun. After asking me how I was and my answer being "okay," he said he appreciated my honesty. I felt like I needed to talk to him, so I asked him about how he is trying to sell his house and what's going on with his new ministry. Without me even saying anything about my worry he began to tell me how he has had a lot of worry and anxiety in his life for the first time in around 10 years (he is moving to Beaverton and expanding his ministry over there). He said that when guys get worried we drink too much, spend money, and do other things... I think he has been talking to a lot of guys recently who had been worried.

What he said was so encouraging because everything totally applied to me, and it was very encouraging to know that even the mentors and leaders in my life struggle with sin (worry is a huge sin). What was even more encouraging was the escape he had found from worry. He said that we need to stop looking at our bank accounts all the time, trying to figure things out for ourselves. We need to let God do the things we keep trying to do. That's hard for me because I know it's true but it's hard to apply it. Meaning, it's really hard to let go and believe that Jesus will really take care of things, that I don't need to be perfect right this second, that God will really provide for us financially, and that we really can be happy along the way. All I can do is trust...which means I do way less than I have been trying to do.

Andrew

5 songs with an 80's and 90's emo sound that are awesome.

Check them out. Before emo was whiny songs about girls, it was an awesome sound. Now, not all whiny songs about girls are bad, but here are a few songs to check out if you want to hear the more classic emo sound.

1. Cap'n Jazz - Oh Messy Life
2. Sunny Day Real Estate - In Circles
3. Cursive - The Martyr
3. Rites of Spring - For Want Of
4. Mineral - Gloria

Check out the songs, if you hate post-2000 whiny emo you may like this stuff it sounds way different.

Top 20 albums

(alphabetical)

1. AFI - Black Sails in the Sunset (1999)

2.AFI - The Art of Drowning (2000)

3. Against Me! – Reinventing Axl Rose (2001)

4. Alkaline Trio - Alkaline Trio (2000)

5. Alkaline Trio – Goddamnit (1998)

6. Alkaline Trio - Maybe I'll Catch Fire (2000)

7. Brand New – Deja Entendu (2003)

8. Brand New – The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me (2006)

9. Cursive – The Ugly Organ (2003)

10. Elliott Smith - Either/OR (1997)

11. mewithoutYou – Brother, Sister (2006)

12. Modern Life is War – Witness (2005)

13. Modest Mouse – The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)

14. Pedro the Lion - Control (2002)

15. Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come (1998)

16. Saves the Day - Can't Slow Down (1998)

17. Saves the Day – Stay What You Are (1999)

18. Saves the Day - Through Being Cool (2001)

19 + 20 = well, I actually couldn't think of 2 more that fit in the same category, just like 10-15 more that were secondary.