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.
mostbet promo kodni qanday kiritish http://mostbet83331.help/
Will be coming back to this for sure, too much good content to absorb in one sitting, and a stop at progresswithintention only added more pages I want to dig through, this site is going onto my regular rotation list because it consistently delivers something worth the visit lately rather than empty filler.
Hello! So glad I found your page.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/52873141/baza-kompaniy-po-remontu-i-tyuningu-mototekhniki-rossii
каталог vodkabet прямо сейчас
click here to read trezot suite
Нарколог на дом — это удобный и безопасный способ получить профессиональную медицинскую помощь без поездки в клинику, если человек находится в состоянии запоя, алкогольной интоксикации, наркотической ломки, сильного похмелья, тревоги, бессонницы или резкого ухудшения самочувствия. Выездной врач проводит осмотр пациента, оценивает состояние организма, подбирает препараты, ставит капельницу, выполняет необходимые лечебные действия и дает рекомендации по дальнейшему лечению. Такая наркологическая помощь особенно важна, когда ситуация требует быстрого реагирования, а ехать самостоятельно в центр, диспансер или стационар невозможно.
Углубиться в тему – запой нарколог на дом в новороссийске
В Балашихе выездной формат удобен для семьи, если близкого нельзя быстро доставить в клинику или состояние пациента ухудшается на фоне длительного запоя. Дом становится местом первичной стабилизации, когда врач видит, что капельница, вывод из запоя, консультация, снятие интоксикации и дальнейшие рекомендации могут быть проведены безопасно. Если состояние тяжелое, нарколог объясняет, почему нужна госпитализация, стационар, дополнительные обследования и круглосуточный медицинский контроль.
Подробнее – телефон нарколога на дом
Лечение зависимости от алкоголя у мужчин в стационаре Балашихи. Мы предлагаем индивидуальный подход к лечению мужчин, учитывая все особенности организма.
Получить больше информации – вывод из запоя на дому круглосуточно
Grand League team construction in low-scoring matches — a completely different strategy.
Hello! Love your vibe.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53004879/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-mebel-na-zakaz-v-rossii
в этом разделе vodka bet vodkabet
Кодирование от алкоголизма в стационаре Балашихи. Мы предлагаем различные методы кодирования, подходящие для каждого пациента.
Детальнее – вывод из запоя недорого
В Новороссийске круглосуточная наркологическая служба работает без выходных, ночью, в праздники и в любое время суток. Наркологическая служба работает по принципу круглосуточного дежурства, что позволяет оказать быструю помощь в экстренных случаях. При обращении по телефону оператор уточняет адрес, контакты, состояние больного, длительность приема алкоголя или наркотиков, наличие хронических заболеваний, противопоказания, жалобы, симптомы и необходимость срочного выезда.
Исследовать вопрос подробнее – нарколог на дом анонимно новороссийск
goal Range Betting each way explained
Honestly informative, the writer covers the ground without showing off, and a look at visionchannel reflected the same humility, content that respects the reader rather than trying to dazzle them is something I always appreciate and rarely come across in this corner of the internet today across the topics I usually read.
Капельница от запоя — доступная цена в стационаре Балашихи. Стоимость процедуры начинается от 3 500 ?, и вы всегда будете заранее информированы о стоимости услуг.
Исследовать вопрос подробнее – вывод из запоя на дому недорого
Программа 12 шагов построена как последовательный путь: человек учится признавать болезнь, принимать помощь, разбирать причины употребления, проводить моральную инвентаризацию, исправить ошибки, компенсировать нанесенный ущерб и поддерживать трезвость через регулярные действия. В основе программы лежит не давление, а постепенная работа с отрицанием, самообманом, страхами и привычкой возвращаться к прежним решениям.
Разобраться лучше – 12 шагов реабилитационный центр
Grand League entries where the field is dominated by fans of one team — exploit the bias.
Now feeling the rare pleasure of trusting a source completely on first encounter, and a look at signaldrivesfocus extended that initial trust into something more durable, the calibration of trust to evidence is something I do informally and this site has earned high trust through the cumulative weight of multiple consistently good posts already.
http://iwlnx.com/forum/member.php?action=profile&uid=150795
Whoa! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!
Hi! So nice to see this today.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53099132/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-alternativnie-istochniki-energii-v-rossii
Oh my goodness! I’m in awe of the author’s writing skills and ability to convey complex concepts in a clear and precise manner. This article is a true gem that deserves all the praise it can get. Thank you so much, author, for providing your wisdom and giving us with such a precious resource. I’m truly grateful!
Наркологическая помощь позволяет безопасно начать выведение токсинов, снизить интоксикации, восстановить водно-солевой баланс и подобрать дальнейшее лечение алкогольной зависимости. Нарколог проводит анализ состояния пациента, уточняет стаж употребления спиртного, причины запоя, наличие хронического заболевания, психических расстройств, противопоказаний и других ограничений. После диагностики врач выбирает схему: амбулаторно на дому, в стационаре клиники или с госпитализацией.
Изучить вопрос глубже – вывод из запоя цена сочи
browse around this web-site trezor suite
mostbet Azərbaycan xoş gəldin bonusu http://www.mostbet44600.online
my site trezor suite download
Hey there! Love your style.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/52815151/baza-avtoservisov-po-signalizatsii-rossii
Программа 12 шагов построена как последовательный путь: человек учится признавать болезнь, принимать помощь, разбирать причины употребления, проводить моральную инвентаризацию, исправить ошибки, компенсировать нанесенный ущерб и поддерживать трезвость через регулярные действия. В основе программы лежит не давление, а постепенная работа с отрицанием, самообманом, страхами и привычкой возвращаться к прежним решениям.
Получить дополнительные сведения – https://reabilitaciya-12-shagov-moskva13-1.ru/
Honestly thank you to whoever wrote this because it scratched an itch I had not quite been able to articulate, and a stop at learnandgrow kept that satisfying feeling going, the kind of writing that meets unspoken needs is special and this site clearly has writers who understand their readers more than most do today.
helpful resources trezot suite
Came here from a search and stayed for the side links because they were that interesting, and a stop at trendmixo took me even further into the site, the kind of organic exploration that good content invites is something most sites kill through aggressive interlinking and pushy navigation choices rather than relying on quality.
go to this site trezor
I’m not sure why but this web site is loading incredibly slow for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a issue on my end? I’ll check back later on and see if the problem still exists.
https://share.evernote.com/note/dc0703a3-8095-a3d3-00fe-6d9642ee1bf4
click here to read trezor wallet
Наркологическая помощь позволяет безопасно начать выведение токсинов, снизить интоксикации, восстановить водно-солевой баланс и подобрать дальнейшее лечение алкогольной зависимости. Нарколог проводит анализ состояния пациента, уточняет стаж употребления спиртного, причины запоя, наличие хронического заболевания, психических расстройств, противопоказаний и других ограничений. После диагностики врач выбирает схему: амбулаторно на дому, в стационаре клиники или с госпитализацией.
Ознакомиться с деталями – вывод из запоя вызов
Нарколог на дом в Балашихе с быстрым приездом специалиста, осмотром пациента и медицинской поддержкой в наркологической клинике «Похмельная служба».
Ознакомиться с деталями – vrach-narkolog-na-dom
https://www.tool-bookmarks.win/code-promo-fonctionnel
Thanks for the readable length, I finished it without checking how much was left, and a stop at claritymechanism kept me reading the same way, when I stop noticing the length of a piece because the content is engaging enough to sustain attention without willpower the writer has done their job well today.
50 zl bez depozytu za rejestracje п»їKasyno Online Polska maszyny do gry na pieniД…dze
I’ve learned some new things through the blog post. Also a thing to I have seen is that typically, FSBO sellers will probably reject a person. Remember, they will prefer to never use your services. But if you maintain a reliable, professional romance, offering aid and remaining in contact for four to five weeks, you will usually be capable of win interviews. From there, a house listing follows. Many thanks
discount pharmacy online ivermectin clinical evidence cialis online pharmacy no prescription
Hello! This is wonderful!
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53080550/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-orgsteklo-polikarbonat-v-rossii
Нарколог на дом в Балашихе с быстрым приездом специалиста, осмотром пациента и медицинской поддержкой в наркологической клинике «Похмельная служба».
Углубиться в тему – narkolog-na-dom-vyvod
During the time spent here I noticed the absence of the usual distractions, and a stop at clarityguidesmoves extended that distraction free experience, content that does not fight my attention with pop ups and modals and aggressive prompts is content that respects me and this site has clearly chosen the respectful approach throughout.
С пациентом работают профильные специалисты, которые оценивают состояние и подбирают безопасный план помощи.
Получить больше информации – запой нарколог на дом новороссийск
blog here trezor wallet
С пациентом работают профильные специалисты, которые оценивают состояние и подбирают безопасный план помощи.
Детальнее – нарколог на дом цена в новороссийске
Так щас заценим
Finding a legit non GamStop casino, https://lh-sol.co.jp/IPI/?p=1305380 can be an exciting experience. These platforms offer clients a chance to enjoy different games without restrictions. Additionally, they often provide enticing bonuses.