
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.
Looking through other posts here the consistency is what makes the site valuable rather than any single piece, and a stop at futurevertex extended that consistency observation, sites whose value lies in the ongoing pattern rather than in standout posts are sites I trust more deeply and this one has clearly built that kind of trust.
кликните сюда трип скан
mostbet app для ставок mostbet app для ставок
okmark your blog and check again here regularly. I’m quite certain I?ll learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!
Reading this with my morning coffee turned into reading the related posts with my morning coffee, and a stop at focusleadsaction stretched the morning further, content that pulls breakfast into a reading session rather than just accompanying it is content that has earned a higher claim on my attention than the average article does.
нажмите здесь трипскан ссылка
выездная наркологическая служба оперативно приедет по указанному адресу, имея при себе все необходимое оборудование и медикаменты, в том числе для оказания неотложной помощи.
Получить больше информации – вывод из запоя цена
звоните круглосуточно по телефону горячей линии клиники: наши специалисты готовы оказать необходимую помощь в решении проблемы алкогольной зависимости.
Выяснить больше – срочный вывод из запоя
Onlayn kazino seçərkən mənim üçün əsas şərt lisenziyadır, Vavada bunu təmin edir. https://webminimarket.com/index.php/product/weighing-scale-label-40x46mm-600pcs/
However measured this site clears the bar I set for sites I take seriously, and a stop at inkedcanvas continued clearing that bar, the metrics I use for site quality are admittedly informal but they are consistent and this site has cleared them on multiple measurements across multiple visits which is meaningful for my evaluation.
Nice read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I found it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
подробнее здесь tripscan вход
Online communication has become an essential part of everyday life https://www.fragster.com/sampi-and-guardian-go-their-separate-ways/
Your home is valueble for me. Thanks!?
вызов нарколога на дом круглосуточно позволяет получить профессиональную помощь в любое время суток.
Детальнее – нарколог на дом анонимно в казани
You must take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will advocate this site!
My brother recommended I might like this website. He was totally right. This publish truly made my day. You cann’t believe simply how a lot time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
I?m not sure where you are getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent information I was looking for this information for my mission.
A different issue is really that video gaming has become one of the all-time largest forms of entertainment for people of various age groups. Kids play video games, and adults do, too. The particular XBox 360 is probably the favorite video games systems for those who love to have a huge variety of video games available to them, plus who like to learn live with other folks all over the world. Thanks for sharing your notions.
Thank you for another wonderful article. Where else could anyone get that type of info in such an ideal way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such information.
https://tripskan77.at
For meg er raske uttak det viktigste nar jeg velger et nytt Norsk Casino a spille pa. https://dadapress.com/adult-birthday_03/486hero
Hi just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.
нажмите трип скан вход
посетить веб-сайт tripscan официальный сайт
Somebody essentially assist to make severely articles I might state. This is the first time I frequented your website page and up to now? I surprised with the analysis you made to make this particular put up incredible. Wonderful activity!
узнать tripscan зеркало
Online communication has become an essential part of everyday life https://lirboyo.net/rajab-wafatnya-imam-syafii-dan-cahaya-ilmu-yang-tak-padam/
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossips and internet and this is really annoying. A good blog with exciting content, this is what I need. Thanks for keeping this website, I will be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Cant find it.
каталог tripscan вход
Fantastisk oversikt over Norsk Casino bonuser med lave omsetningskrav. https://ciofirst.com/red-canary-appoints-katie-bullard-as-president/
Вывод из запоя на дому подходит пациентам, которым необходимо получить помощь в привычной обстановке. Вызов врача можно заказать в любое время суток: выездная бригада приезжает по указанному адресу, проводит осмотр, оценивает давление, пульс, степень интоксикации, риск психозов, галлюцинаций, судорожных реакций, инфаркта, инсульта и других осложнений.
Углубиться в тему – вывод из запоя цена в сочи
кликните сюда сайт трипскан
Saytın işləmə sürəti və slotların yüklənməsi Vavada-da çox yüksəkdir. https://www.brendarees.com/?attachment_id=181
Hello my friend! I want to say that this article is awesome, nice written and include almost all significant infos. I would like to see more posts like this.
не нравится такое
Bet25 Casino DK, http://www.fcevents.com.au/bet25-casino-dk-2026-din-guide-til-online-spil-i-danmark-156722484/ tilbyder underholdende spiloplevelser for gamblere. Her kan du fordybe dig i et stort udvalg af kasino spil, som klassikere som poker.
Exploring the realm of UK Casinos Not on Gamstop, https://stratfin.co.in/2026/06/20/discovering-casinos-not-on-gamstop-2/ offers fascinating opportunities for players. By using these platforms, you can enjoy a vast array of games and deals without the limitations imposed by Gamstop.
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
Hello There. I found your weblog the use of msn. This is a very smartly written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your helpful information. Thank you for the post. I?ll certainly return.
My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of your post’s to be what precisely I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content for you? I wouldn’t mind publishing a post or elaborating on most of the subjects you write related to here. Again, awesome web site!
purple pharmacy online: pharmacys in mexico – progreso mexico pharmacy online
What an eye-opening and meticulously-researched article! The author’s thoroughness and ability to present intricate ideas in a digestible manner is truly praiseworthy. I’m totally captivated by the breadth of knowledge showcased in this piece. Thank you, author, for offering your knowledge with us. This article has been a game-changer!
Ser at de har tatt med Trustly og BankID som viktige faktorer for et bra Norsk Casino. https://www.medicalcentertrapani.it/nuovo-coronavirus-covid-19-come-riconoscerlo/
Online communication has become an essential part of everyday life https://www.aljamila.com/node/432311/Ш¬Щ…Ш§Щ„/Ш№Щ†Ш§ЩЉШ©-ШЁШ§Щ„ШЁШґШ±Ш©/Ш§ЩЃШ¶Щ„-ШШЁЩ€ШЁ-Щ„Щ†Ш¶Ш§Ш±Ш©-Ш§Щ„ШЁШґШ±Ш©-Щ€ШЄЩ€Ш±ЩЉШЇЩ‡Ш§
Compared to the usual results for this kind of search this site stands well above the average, and a quick visit to pathwaytoaction kept the standard high, you can tell within seconds whether a site is going to waste your time or actually deliver and this one clearly delivers without any false starts.
Вывод из запоя в Сочи требуется, когда человек не может самостоятельно прекратить употребление алкоголя, испытывает похмелья, признаки ломки, тревогу, бессонницу, рвоту, сильную слабость или резкое ухудшение самочувствие. Даже если запой длится несколько дней, риск осложнений остается высокий: страдают системы организма, печень, сердце, сосуды, нервная система, психика и общее состояние здоровья.
Узнать больше – помощь вывод из запоя сочи
Здорова, народ. Мой брат уже неделю в запое. Нужно серьёзное наблюдение специалистов. Государственная наркология — страшно и стыдно. Короче, единственное, что реально сработало — вывод из запоя в стационаре круглосуточно. Выписали без симптомов ломки. В общем, вся инфа по ссылке — вывод запоя телефон https://vyvod-iz-zapoya-v-staczionare-nizhnij-novgorod-knd.ru Звоните прямо сейчас. Это может спасти чью-то семью.
посетить веб-сайт tripskan
Подробнее здесь tripskan
Важное преимущество услуги — анонимность. Информация о пациента, обращении, адрес, диагноз, лечение, консультация, стоимость, препараты и другие данные не передаются третьим лицам. Нажимая кнопку «отправить заявку», вы соглашаетесь с пользовательским соглашением, политикой обработки персональных данных и политикой конфиденциальности сайта.
Подробнее – нарколог на дом анонимно казань