Photo © 2012 Markus Spiering
Click here for original image.
A hundred geeks with cameras. Yup, and I was buried smack-dab in the middle of ’em. Didn’t want to be there. Didn’t mean to be there.
I remember in a high-school science class, we saw a film of an amoeba eating a paramecium. The amoeba’s body flowed around its prey, and after it had the poor bug surrounded, it just, kinda… digested it, right there, just like that. The paramecium squiggled and squirmed, tried valiantly to escape, but too little, too late. And then—poof!—it shimmered and was absorbed into the predator. It was gone.
That was me, that poor, little paramecium. My goofy boyfriend pulled me in before I knew what was going on. And by the time I realized what was going on, I was surrounded, and being digested by an amoeba, and unable to escape.
Chet had begged me to come along. He said I’d enjoy it. For the record, I didn’t. But I was glad he was finally enjoying something. He’s been so bent out of shape since he lost his job last April. Laid off on April the first, if you can get that joke.
We scaled back on our standard of living. That didn’t bug me so much. But what really surprised me was how much it got him down. He stopped doing anything constructive, spent all day watching TV, wasn’t looking for work, said we’d do fine on his unemployment check.
We’ve been surviving on peanut butter and ramen noodles and pasta and frozen burritos. I don’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.
I started by bugging him about his lack of work. He said he wanted a little vacation. I gave him a little vacation, then asked again. He said he was trying, but that nothing was available. I didn’t believe him, not that much. I asked him what job ads he had responded to each day. Most days, he just ignored me. Some days, yelled at me. I told him we could no longer afford cable TV. He convinced his parents to pay the bill.
I thought of getting ahold of a sledgehammer and having an “accident” with the TV set, but then I thought twice: we might need to sell it someday.
He was partially right, of course. There were no jobs in his field. But what bugged me most was that he was letting it get to him. His mind began wasting away to nothing, nothing at all, all day everyday. And as each day continued, he sank lower into the couch, and further into pity party.
I didn’t know how to snap him out of it. But his birthday gift did. One of his old office buddies sent him a digital camera, along with a really cool-looking book about how to take fun pictures about anything at all.
So when he threw himself into the hobby, and the hobby became an obsession, and a obsession became an endeavor, and when he began studying photography and framing and composition and lighting, and posted photo after photo to Flickr, and when he began hanging out with other camera-heads, and started talking about pursuing it professionally… I wanted to object. But not for the reason you might think. I wanted to object, because I was beginning to feel ignored.
But at least he was smiling again, and I had missed his smile. And the TV remained powered-off, except for the weekly exhibitions of his latest photos, which he would force me to watch, no matter how many hours I had worked that day.
Then, when he begged me to come to this big gathering of camera-heads, I gave in. I didn’t want to at first, but he pushed me and pressed me, and then he cuddled up next to me and told me about how much fun it was going to be to get away and that we hadn’t had a vacation in forever and that I needed a break—which was true. And he kissed me, and I melted and said yes. Sigh.
I hated it, didn’t enjoy it at all. There were no other camera-head-significant-others there. The food was okay, but the guest speaker spoke only camera-ese, and told only stupid camera jokes and camera stories. Then those assembled talked all afternoon about gadgets and techniques and awards, and showed each other the contents of their camera cases. Chet even got some business advice, which may or may not have been good advice, but he was enjoying himself, even though I had no idea what anyone was talking about.
“This is my girlfriend, Katy.”
And I smiled and faded into the background, maybe fondled a drink and tried to look interested in what they were saying while pondering the intricacies of the room’s potted flora. Too much, too far, too long. I was out of it. I so wanted to go home.
We started toward the door, walked out into the afternoon sun. I made a move toward the car, but Chet grabbed my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction. I looked up and saw that we were surrounded by a growing crowd, which was closing in around us on all sides. I was trapped, and one of the geeks with a camera was pointing it right at me. The other targets pointed their cameras back at him, but I was defenseless, hair akimbo, probably with a piece of spinach stuck between my teeth… not that it mattered, as no one could see my teeth.
The geek said, “Alright! Ready everybody?! Cheeeezzze!”
And everyone said, “Cheeeezzze!”
“Hold on!” He interrupted them, futzing with his camera. “Okay…”
“Quick!” said Chet. “Somebody fire before he reloads!” And raised his camera and took aim.
And that’s when the geek pulled the trigger.
Wonderful work! This is the kind of info that are meant to
be shared across the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this submit upper!
Come on over and consult with my site . Thank you =)
Cabinet IQ Fort Myers
7830 Drew Cir Ste 4, Fort Myers,
FL 33967, Uniuted Ѕtates
12394214912
Signaturedesign
tstyhj – Browsing was smooth, pages loaded quickly and consistently.
Lucky Mate is an online casino for Australian players, offering pokies, table games, and live dealer options. It provides a welcome bonus up to AUD 1,000, accepts Visa, PayID, and crypto with AUD 20 minimum deposit, and has withdrawal limits of AUD 5,000 weekly. Licensed, it promotes safe play https://tjpropertyservices.co.uk/discover-the-best-slot-games-you-can-play-at-lucky-mate-casino-right-now/
nnvfy – Pages load quickly without unnecessary clutter.
nnvfy – Overall experience is reliable and functional.
tstyhj – Very straightforward and easy-to-use site, I enjoyed checking it.
tstyhj – Browsing was smooth, pages loaded quickly and consistently.
Link exchange is nothing else except it is just placing the other person’s web site link on your page at proper place and other person will also do
similar in support of you.
https://autovolt35.ru
tstyhj – The site feels light and works well without any lag.
2kgq – I like how simple and uncluttered the design feels here.
2kgq – Pages load instantly and everything feels lightweight while browsing.
tiantianyin4 – The site loads fast and feels stable without issues.
2kgq – The whole site feels reliable and functions without problems.
2kgq – Overall layout is neat and user-friendly for new visitors.
tiantianyin4 – Pages open instantly, making the experience very pleasant overall.
tiantianyin4 – A reliable and easy-to-use website, good overall experience.
I personally find that i’ve been active for a year, mostly for fiat on-ramp, and it’s always scalable features.
nnvfy – Pages load quickly without unnecessary clutter.
Customer support was friendly, which gave me confidence to continue.
tiantianyin4 – Mobile browsing is smooth, everything fits the screen nicely.
true vital meds: Buy sildenafil online usa – Buy sildenafil online usa
Откройте для себя удивительный ассортимент детских товаров, которые подарят радость и комфорт вашему малышу!
Между прочим, если вас интересует ФутБетПро: прогнозы, стратегии и сообщество для успешных ставок, загляните сюда.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://fk-almazalrosa.ru
Если у вас возникли вопросы или пожелания, наша команда всегда готова помочь. До скорых встреч!
Откройте для себя удивительный ассортимент детских товаров, которые подарят радость и комфорт вашему малышу!
Кстати, если вас интересует Советы и эксперты по уходу за детьми, посмотрите сюда.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://kazan-cerkov.ru
Ждем вас снова, чтобы рассказать еще больше о наших продуктах и предложениях для малышей.
http://inquisnower.phorum.pl/viewtopic.php?p=659169&sid=32fcd1d61e6d92a87b6e9ce3a32f8bb8#659169
mad casino
66se – No visible errors or glitches while browsing.
https://stevejxpr161070.blog-gold.com/50521431/discover-1xbet-bangladesh-get-your-unique-promo-code-today
aabb49 – The site loads without noticeable delays.
mizao0 – Everything loaded properly, no errors or delays at all.
66se – Pages open consistently fast.
https://alaziza.ru
aabb49 – The site loads without noticeable delays.
66se – Simple structure makes it easy to use.
aabb49 – Performance is stable across sections.
93r – I’m curious what this site does, interface feels experimental and raw.
93r – Some elements catch attention, others feel underdeveloped and vague.
66se – Stable performance across sections.
aabb49 – No crashes or lag during browsing.
It’s amazing to pay a quick visit this website and reading the views of all mates about this
piece of writing, while I am also eager of getting know-how.
Franks Farm играть в 1хслотс
Порадуйте себя и своего ребенка отличными товарами от TykePop — уникальными, практичными и безопасными.
Кстати, если вас интересует Лучшие маршруты и достопримечательности Крыма с КРЫМ ТРЕВЕЛ, загляните сюда.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://travelcrimea.ru
Будем рады вашим отзывам и впечатлениям о товарах TykePop! Делитесь с нами своими идеями и вдохновением.
купить диплом в верхней пышме купить диплом в верхней пышме .
Порадуйте себя и своего ребенка отличными товарами от TykePop — уникальными, практичными и безопасными.
Кстати, если вас интересует Обсуждаем последние тренды Forex и криптовалют, посмотрите сюда.
Ссылка ниже:
https://fifact.ru
С TykePop ваши дети получают только самое лучшее. Берегите их здоровье и счастье с нашими товарами.
Откройте для себя удивительный ассортимент детских товаров, которые подарят радость и комфорт вашему малышу!
Хочу выделить раздел про Погружение в мир музыки с CyqSound Lab: уроки и обзоры.
Смотрите сами:
https://cyq.ru
Будем рады вашим отзывам и впечатлениям о товарах TykePop! Делитесь с нами своими идеями и вдохновением.
93r – I’m curious what this site does, interface feels experimental and raw.
v1av2 – Pages responded fast, making the experience seamless and reliable.
v1av2 – No glitches or broken links appeared, everything worked properly.
The $MTAUR token presale milestones smash. Audits solid. Custom outfits stylish.
minotaurus presale