This episode isn’t a debate — it’s a threshold.

We’re stepping into uncomfortable, unmarked territory where questions don’t have clean answers and certainty feels irresponsible. This is a reflection on power, fear, and how easily we learn to justify force when it’s aimed at people we’ve already decided are the problem.

I talk about borders, immigration enforcement, and ICE — but more than that, I talk about how we decide when state power feels “necessary,” when delay becomes cruelty, and when order quietly replaces justice. I wrestle with the difference between enforcing law and enforcing identity, and why faith has made me less comfortable — not more — with unchecked authority.

There’s also a hard look at something many of us avoid: why we condemn the use of tear gas, batons, and water cannons during the civil rights era, yet praise the same tactics today. What changed? The tools — or our sympathies?

This isn’t a manifesto.
It isn’t a hot take.
And it isn’t meant to land neatly.

It’s an honest attempt to stay awake — to notice when fear starts asking for permission, and when applause replaces reflection.

If you’re looking for answers, you may not find them here.
If you’re willing to sit with the questions, you’re in the right place.

Before the full bathroom remodel, there was the shower that never stayed fixed for long.

In this episode, Andrew talks about living with a problem that wasn’t broken enough to force a big decision — a failing shower valve, discontinued parts, and a series of patchwork fixes meant to buy time until the right moment. From replacing gaskets to Frankensteining mismatched parts together, this is a story about strategy, patience, and knowing when a temporary solution is exactly what you need.

Not every fix is meant to last. Sometimes it’s just meant to hold.

Not every project turns into a cautionary tale.

In this episode, Andrew talks about updating a fireplace in a nearly century-old house — removing outdated stone, building a mantle from scratch, and adding thoughtful details that quietly transformed the room. From fake shiplap made of birch plywood to a subtle diagonal detail along the lower ledge, this is a story about patience, restraint, and the rare satisfaction of a project that simply… works.

Sometimes the win isn’t fixing a problem — it’s finishing without one.

Experience is useful — until it convinces you that a job will be easier than it actually is.

In this episode, Andrew tells the story of replacing a fuel pump on a Yukon that should have taken a couple of hours… and instead turned into an all-day lesson in physics, preparation, and working alone. From walkthroughs that make things look simple to the one step that really shouldn’t be skipped, this is a reminder that knowing what you’re doing doesn’t mean reality will cooperate.

Confidently Wrong is about the difference between “simple” and “easy” — and learning it the hard way.

Some commitments don’t come with finish lines.

In this episode, Andrew shares the story of Piper — the first foster dog his family ever took in, and the one who quietly redefined what “forever” can mean. From recovery and adoption to return and long-term rehabilitation, this is a story about patience, presence, and choosing to stay when an easy ending isn’t available.

Forever Foster explores what success looks like when it doesn’t involve closure — and how sometimes the most meaningful commitments are the ones that simply become part of everyday life.

Sometimes what changes you isn’t the thing that leaves — it’s the thing that stays.

When a stray dog shows up on a stormy night, pregnant and heartworm positive, she turns our world upside down. Penny, the momma, and her litter of puppies test our patience, expand our care, and teach lessons we never expected — about loss, responsibility, and the quiet power of presence.

From the chaos of fostering to the calm of long-term companions, this episode explores what it really means to stay with something — and someone — through it all.

Manual Not Included
Figuring things out as you go… sometimes perfectly imperfect.

Life doesn’t come with instructions — and neither do most projects, relationships, or moments worth caring about. In Manual Not Included, Andrew shares stories of building, fixing, and learning the hard way. From home projects gone sideways to the quiet lessons in everyday life, this podcast is about what really happens when things don’t turn out as planned — and what you take away from it. Honest, reflective, and sometimes funny, it’s for anyone who’s ever tried to do the right thing… and discovered the lessons you only notice afterward.