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.
Bom dia, esse post salvou minha pesquisa. muito obrigado sinais de vício jogo toda semana Melbet e a banca sustenta. Boa sorte pra todos.
Hola, guía directa al grano. juegos de casino Stake
Yo, comparativo sem paneleiro wc2026. odds em tempo real odds estão boas. Betway
перейти на сайт tripscan вход
Принять могут в любой курьерке и уж тем более на почте. 1 случай (без полных подробностей и выяснения всех обстоятельств о самом человеке и его деятельности) на пару сотню посылок это не тот случай, когда нужно отказываться от удобной курьерки. Об этом уже говорили неоднократно. Возвращаться к этой теме больше не стоит. купить мефедрон Парни, начинается параноя! Завтра посыль приходит, как получать А?
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about
this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to
drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is
magnificent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll definitely be back.
Смотреть здесь трипскан официальный сайт
Fala — World Cup 2026 betting markets for Argentina are live. Stake via pix.
Packaging materials play an important role in the modern economy фирменная упаковка для бизнеса
My friends would appreciate a few of these posts and I will be sending links accordingly, and a look at clarityroutehub added more pages to my share queue, content that earns shares to specific people in specific contexts is content with social utility and this site is generating those targeted shares from me consistently lately.
residence visa cost in uaelargest property developer in dubai2 bhk for rent in al nahda 2 dubai https://lamarcheautrot.org
india real estate show dubaimillennium estates dubai for rent
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my weblog so i came to ?return the favor?.I am trying to find things to improve my website!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!
Now placing this in the small category of sites whose updates I would actually want to know about, and a stop at baiduyunpro confirmed that placement, the difference between sites I want to follow and sites I just consume from is real and this one has crossed into the active follow category from the casual consumption side.
Now considering writing a longer note about the post somewhere, and a look at bellboya added more material for that note, content that prompts me to write rather than just consume is content with generative energy and this site is producing that generative effect for me at a higher rate than most sources.
Generally I am cautious about recommending sites on first encounter but this one warrants the exception, and a look at shortwatches reinforced the exception making, the rare site that justifies breaking my normal cautious approach is the rare site worth flagging early and this one has prompted exactly that early flagging response from me.
dubai rent a propertyrental properties in al barsha dubaiapartments for rent near jlt dubai https://esidirectory.org
tilal properties dubai locationdubai hills estate progress
casinos not on GamStop, https://www.homesbyens.com/discover-fair-casinos-not-on-gamstop/ offer a unique gaming experience for players seeking variety. These casinos offer a wide range of choices and rewards that you won’t find anywhere else. Players can enjoy slots without restrictions.
сюда трипскан вход
вызов нарколога на дом круглосуточно позволяет получить профессиональную помощь в любое время суток.
Подробнее можно узнать тут – narkolog-na-dom kazan’
Opa, alguém sabe me dizer sobre calculadora de odds?
Referee needs to check that, looked like a foul to me. Goosebumps!
Encontrar uma boa vaga nao precisa ser complicado. Por aqui voce cadastra o curriculo sem custo e passa a receber alertas; assim, voce encontra os empregos em SГЈo Paulo na sua regiao, com filtros que deixam a busca muito mais rapida e do jeito que combina com a sua vida.
Howdy! I simply wish to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you’ve gotten here on this post. I will be coming again to your blog for more soon.
Wow! This could be one particular of the most helpful blogs We’ve ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Excellent. I’m also an expert in this topic so I can understand your hard work.
casas de apostas em escanteios para Hoje bitcoin
Glad I gave this a chance instead of bouncing on the headline, and after claritybuilder I was certain I had made the right call, snap judgements based on titles miss a lot of good content and this is a reminder to slow down and check things out before scrolling past in a hurry.
Добрый вечер! Когда ожидается рега по Москве, опт!?? купить мефедрон раньше вообще все говорили то что не растворяется это бутор а щас как я понимаю это в порядке вещей
gol gol scommesse
Stop by my blog miglior sito di pronostici sportivi (Frankie)
I have observed that online education is getting popular because getting your degree online has developed into popular selection for many people. A lot of people have definitely not had a chance to attend a conventional college or university although seek the improved earning potential and a better job that a Bachelors Degree provides. Still other folks might have a degree in one course but want to pursue one thing they already have an interest in.
выберите ресурсы tripscan официальный сайт
Now planning to come back when I have the right kind of attention to read carefully, and a stop at pangfan reinforced that plan, choosing the right moment to read certain content is a quiet form of respect for the work and this site is generating those careful planning behaviours from me consistently as a reader.
Liked how the writer used real examples instead of theoretical ones to make the points stick, and a stop at antronasala added even more concrete examples, this is the kind of practical approach that respects readers who actually want to apply what they learn rather than just nodding along passively without doing anything useful.
Walked away with a clearer head than I had before reading this, and a quick visit to providentkolcson only sharpened that, the writing has a way of cutting through the noise that surrounds most topics online which is something I will definitely remember the next time I am searching for an answer to anything.
mostbet фриспины на сегодня https://mostbet70131.online/
luxury mansions for salewealthin properties dubaidubai new real estate projects https://theatreofwill.org
sobha business bayhaidar abbas dubai international real estate
слышала за вас) с пробы начнем? купить мефедрон ложь. 3 случая за полгода. Причем следили ли за самими людьми и что за ситуации – неизвестно. Если у вас свой магазин. то следите за его безопасностью. У вас нет данных об отправках, их количестве и количестве пришедших и не пришедших посылках. Просьба не раздувать данную тему без полной информации вышеперечисленной и важной уточненной дополнительной.
зайти на сайт tripscan зеркало
посмотреть на этом сайте tripscan зеркало
the great united statesn casino everett, skrill united states gambling
and best casino site australia, or australia Worst online casinos
gambling stock
Felt no urge to argue with the conclusions even though I started the post slightly skeptical, and a look at x3301 maintained that pattern, writing that earns agreement through clarity of argument rather than rhetorical pressure is the kind I find most persuasive and the kind I want to read more of these days.
If I were to recommend a starting point for the topic this site would be near the top of my list, and a stop at aphoriaa reinforced that recommendation status, the small list of starting point recommendations I keep for friends asking about topics is short and this site is now firmly on it.
посетить веб-сайт tripscan официальный
cheap apartments for rent in dubai per monthVillas for rent in Elie Saabwasl port views building 5 https://studioforsaleindubai.info
american living in dubai real estate director instagramdubai real estate exhibition january
Saving the link for sure, this one is a keeper, and a look at zlg01 confirmed I should bookmark the entire site rather than just this page, the consistency across what I have seen so far suggests there is a lot more here worth coming back for soon when I have more time.
Refreshing change from the usual sites covering this topic, no clickbait and no padding, and a stop at 5gdaohang confirmed the difference, this place clearly has its own voice rather than copying the formulas everyone else uses to chase clicks online which is becoming increasingly rare these days across nearly every popular subject.
Felt the post had been written without looking over its shoulder, and a look at beaconbevel continued that confident posture, content written for its own sake rather than against imagined critics has a different quality and this site reads as written from a place of confidence rather than defensive justification of every claim.
Hello! In this topic we share experience about car wrapping in Moscow. And also about color change — what are the prices:
https://naydem-vam.ru/viewtopic.php?id=55716#p109800
Приятно удивлены скоростью обработки запроса на сайте, менеджер связался очень быстро.
https://xn--80aeedb0bfzeok.xn--p1ai/catalog/mednye-krestoviny-pod-paiku/mednaia-krestovina-pod-paiku-88-9kh76kh1-8-mm-37-5kh40-5-mm-tverdaia-paika-m1r-gost-32590-2013/
The lack of unnecessary jargon made the post accessible without sacrificing accuracy, and a look at 8499ng continued in the same accessible style, technical topics often hide behind specialised vocabulary but here the writer trusts the reader to keep up with plain language and that trust pays off nicely throughout the entire post.
Hi! In this topic we discuss about car wrapping in Moscow. And also about paint protection — how to choose:
https://money.bestbb.ru/viewtopic.php?id=3683#p11235