You gotta want it

You gotta want it. You gotta see what you want and take it. You gotta show everyone else that you deserve it by taking it without fear. You gotta know that you'll never know what will happen until you take it. You gotta show the world you don't believe in "I wonder what would've happened if..." You gotta tell them "I will" when they all say "You can't." You gotta feel something different when everyone else feels the same.

"You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period."

I think we can all relate to this, especially at this point in our lives.

What do you want?


wildwombat

Mom

Hey Mom,
I think I can remember everything you've ever said to me, which means a lot because I can barely remember what my professors are lecturing about. I think there are lots of points in my life when I took you for granted, but that changed a lot during 2001 and especially when my sister/your daughter went to college. I think those two years brought us a lot closer together. I opened up a lot to you and I'm damn glad I did because it just seems too easy for people to try and separate themselves from their parents as much as possible.

And I think moving away from home has made me realize everything you've done for me. I don't know how you did it, but you've somehow made me into who I am. You somehow found the delicate balance between being a hovering parent to a not so much hovering parent? You get it.

I went through a phase when I thought you weren't proud of me and that you thought I would never amount to anything. I remember perfectly when I called you at work, crying, to tell you that I was rejected from UCSB and you simply said you loved me. For some reason that was all I needed to hear. Then when you dropped me off at UCI, you hugged me and told me you were so proud of me and I will never do anything to give that up.

You know I tell a lot of people about you at school and all of them have said they think you're really cool (which is a word I don't normally associate with you, just kidding) and they say it sounds like we have a really close relationship and I can confidently say that we do.

I love you, Mom. You're the strongest person I know. There's a lot more I can say, but I can't get it all out right now.

wildwombat

Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?

Fifty People, One Question: Brooklyn from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.

Stumbled upon this cool video where someone asked 50 people: "Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?"

Some pretty interesting answers, especially the Michael Jackson girl, but I liked the wide array of answers.

I might still be reeling from the completion of Faces of Ondas, but I kind of want to do this, like around Mesa Court or Ring Road or something...but I don't want to do it alone because that would be kind of weird, but I still want to do it.


wildwombat

Lessons Learned

I learned a lot of lessons today, not in class mind you, but because I forgot to pay my housing bill. I guess it could have been a lot worse, I mean it was only a 25 dollar late fee, but the process was killer.

Lesson 1: Keep checks with you
I must be so used to plastic cards and paper money that having checks seems obsolete, but apparently some people still use them. So I had to get a money order which I've never dealt with before and I doubt many people still do. I swear though, all I needed was a check and it all could've been finished in 20 minutes tops rather than 2.5 hours.

Lesson 2: Memorize your Social Security Number
They asked for my social security number when I got my money order because it was such a high amount. So I had to call my mom and wait for her to return my call and give me the number. Not fun.

Lesson 3: Don't think anything is over because you have everything you need.
After getting my debit card declined because it was such a high amount, going to my actual bank to tell them what happened, get a cashier's check from them and head back to the housing office, I thought I was scot free. But apparently you have to go to all the way to the housing admin office and pay for it there.

Lesson 4: Just pay your bills on time.
Save yourself money. Save yourself time. Save yourself energy. Save yourself stress. Because I'm pretty sure I used too much of all those things today than I should have. AND I missed the Champions League game. Son of a bee sting.

I also have a question for Mesa Housing in general:
Why didn't you send me an email saying my payment was late instead of actually giving me a paper letter?

My reasoning is as follows:
You sent me an email telling me I had to pay for housing in the first place because I'm pretty sure I've checked my email more than I've ever checked an actual mailbox.
You would have saved paper.
You would have gotten your money faster if you emailed me.
You could have called me, I'm pretty sure I've given UCI my phone number a million times in a million different places.
Why can't housing be paid at the same time on the same bill as registration fees? I understand that some people commute, but it just seems easier to ask for all your money at once.

I could get very cynical and say that you send letters rather than emails because it's your sick way of getting more money because no one ever actually checks their mailbox anymore.

I guess it's somewhat of a good thing I learned this now before I actually had a place to live because they could just kick me out without warning me.



wildwombat

Oh boy.

I went home this weekend, but it was pretty short since I had to leave early this morning to come back to school, plus I have a midterm tomorrow so I couldn't really hang out with my friends.

Anyhow, on our way back home, I was talking to my mom and the subject of majors and stuff came up. Great...

Unfortunately, I couldn't muster up the courage to tell her what I wanted to pursue, I couldn't even tell her that I'm now affiliated with the school of humanities. She said this, "Wes, just go into the healthcare field because it's something solid that will get you a job." Awesome. Just what I wanted to hear.

I know you'll tell me to just tell her and all that stuff about how she'll understand eventually, but how long is eventually? A day after? A year after? After graduation? After I get a job? I'd like to think my mom is an understanding person, but I can't stop myself from thinking she would feel nothing but disappointment...and I think it's simply because she's unfamiliar with that area.

She said something on the way to Irvine about how people in the journalism industry are good because the world needs those types of people who can write the articles and take the pictures...but it's really competitive. How is that any different than if I went into the healthcare field? The world always needs doctors! And I think it's just as competitive! EVEN BEFORE YOU GET A JOB! Yeah, so maybe being a doctor is a little more concrete and solid that being a journalist. But I still have to try.

I don't want to be a doctor. You don't see me getting awesome grades in biology or chemistry classes, all of my highest grades have been in English classes! I don't have any awards for excellence in Bio or Chem, but I have awards for photography! I'M IN TRANSWORLD SURF'S WEBSITE! I enjoy writing more than chemistry! I enjoy thinking differently, outside of a world of measurements, fancy labels and reason. Can't you understand that?

I'm going to pursue what I love, not what you love, even though I think you yourself don't love the healthcare field. You let those people become the doctors, Mom, they want it more than I do. I'd just be taking up space and making the curves more generous. Just, for once, let me take a god damn risk and do this.

Who knows? Maybe I'll actually surprise you and become successful and then maybe you'll understand because right now I'm sure you won't listen to what I have to say after I tell you I'm not going to be some Bio or Chem major and I am not going into the healthcare field. I'm going into the school of humanities, I'm going to pursue journalism, and I'm going to do what I love, not what you think is practical.


wildwombat

Giant Lego Ball

Well unfortunately I missed Mythebusters at UCI. I didn't buy my ticket, but I was sick anyway so I probably wouldn't have gone even if I did. Fortunately I found this very entertaining video tonight.



It's pretty hilarious. I would feel like I wasted my life after seeing the end result.

Oh and here's the original video



Look at it, I feel like I can already tell it's fake just the way it rolls and stuff doesn't really make sense from a physics stand point...plus how many car alarms actually sound like that except for ones in the movies??



wildwombat

Yes, Yes, Y-E-S

Watch it in full screen. Seriously.

J in my P. That is all.

alternate source: http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/transformers-2/trailer



wildwombat