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.
best sportsbook odds
Take a look at my website … Uk licensed Betting sites
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.
Углубиться в тему – вызов нарколога на дом в новороссийске
Лечение запоя без госпитализации в стационаре Балашихи. Мы предлагаем лечение на дому, без необходимости госпитализации.
Углубиться в тему – срочный вывод из запоя балашиха
Hi! Thanks for sharing this with us.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53103408/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-aerografiya-na-transporte-v-rossii
Liked the way the post got out of its own way, and a stop at solidanchor extended that invisible craft, the best writing you barely notice while reading because it is doing its work without drawing attention to itself and this site has clearly mastered that disappearing act across the pieces I have read.
НЕО ТРАК: весь комплекс решений
Beyler dinleyin Canlı destek yok, oranlar düşük, her şey çok kötüydü Ama sonunda bu siteyi keşfettim — 1xbet güncel giriş burada Çekim işlemleri dakikalar içinde Kısacası, her şey detaylı — 1 xbet giriş 1 xbet giriş Sakın sahte sitelere kanma Bahis yapan herkese yolla
Hey! This is amazing, thank you!
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53099090/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-aviakassy-v-rossii
Вывод из запоя у подростков в стационаре Балашихи. Мы предлагаем специализированное лечение для подростков, учитывая их возрастные особенности.
Исследовать вопрос подробнее – вывод из запоя клиника
Reading this post made me realise I had been settling for lower quality elsewhere, and a look at focusfeedsmomentum extended that recalibration, content that exposes how much I had been accepting in adjacent sources is content with calibrating effect on my standards and this site is performing that calibration function across topics for me reliably.
Помощь можно получить анонимно, с аккуратным оформлением и внимательным отношением к личным данным.
Разобраться лучше – нарколог на дом в новороссийске
https://www.reverbnation.com/artist/dailybonuscode
Помогаем быстро перейти от консультации к конкретному плану: выезд, стационар или наблюдение.
Исследовать вопрос подробнее – нарколог на дом в новороссийске
Beyler bahis severler Hepsi ya dolandırıcıydı ya da ödeme yapmadı Her şey hızlı ve güvenli çalışıyor — 1xbet güncel giriş burada Site inanılmaz hızlı çalışıyor Kısacası, her şey mevcut — 1xbet giriş 1xbet giriş Tek adres 1xbet İhtiyacı olan herkese gönder
Bahis severler Oranlar düşük, destek yok, her şey yalan Hepsi sahte çıktı Gerçekten işe yarıyor — 1xbet giriş yap hemen Çekimler anında onaylanıyor Neyse, kaybetmeyin diye tıkla — 1xbet yeni adresi 1xbet yeni adresi Sakın dolandırıcılara kanma Bahis yapan herkese gönder
Kasyno Bonus bez Depozytu za Rejestracje betfan bonus powitalnytotalizator sportowy kontaktkody na darmowe spiny bez depozytu total casinolucky 81 demograj lotto online
Быстро собираем первичную информацию, оцениваем риски и предлагаем подходящий вариант обращения.
Разобраться лучше – нарколог на дом анонимно новороссийск
опубликовано здесь ссылка на блекспрут
Now wishing I had found this site sooner, and a look at growthpathway extended that mild regret, the calculation of how many years of good content I missed by not finding the right sources earlier is one I try not to make too often but it does come up sometimes when I find sites this good.
Лечение пивного алкоголизма в стационаре Балашихи. Мы предлагаем эффективные методы лечения зависимости от пива.
Получить дополнительные сведения – помощь вывод из запоя в балашихе
Trouvez votre commande en toute discrГ©tion en utilisant https://servicesdepharmacie.icu/#.
Вывод из запоя в клинике Сочи: лечение алкоголизма, капельница, детоксикация, помощь нарколога на дому и в стационаре анонимно, круглосуточно.
Получить больше информации – врач вывод из запоя в сочи
С пациентом работают профильные специалисты, которые оценивают состояние и подбирают безопасный план помощи.
Разобраться лучше – врач нарколог на дом в новороссийске
Клиника располагает собственным стационаром, отвечающим строгим медицинским стандартам. Круглосуточное наблюдение дежурных врачей и среднего медицинского персонала позволяет безопасно купировать острые состояния, такие как алкогольный психоз, тяжёлая интоксикация, судорожные припадки и абстинентный синдром. В нашем центре созданы все условия для эффективного лечения алкоголизма и наркомании, а подробнее о каждой программе вы можете узнать по телефону. В распоряжении центра — необходимое диагностическое оборудование, собственная лаборатория и комфортный палатный фонд с возможностью выбора палаты эконом, стандарт или VIP. Лечение проходит в условиях полной конфиденциальности: данные пациента не передаются в государственные наркологические диспансеры. Мы гарантируем анонимное лечение и анонимную помощь всем, кто к нам обращается.
Разобраться лучше – narkologicheskaya-klinika
Hi! This is so heartwarming, thank you.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53103991/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-medrese-v-rossii
Good post, the kind that respects the reader by getting to the point quickly without skipping the details that matter, and a short look at digitaldreams confirmed that approach is consistent across the site which is rare to find online these days, definitely a place I will return to soon.
Picked this site to mention to a colleague who would benefit, and a look at ideasneeddirection added more material I will pass along, recommending sites to colleagues is a higher bar than recommending to friends because the professional context demands more careful curation and this site cleared the professional bar without me having to think.
содержание https bs2best at не работает
Лечение зависимости от алкоголя в стационаре Балашихи. Наши специалисты приедут к вам домой и проведут все необходимые процедуры.
Получить больше информации – вывод из запоя капельница на дому в балашихе
Hello! You’re a true gem.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53086708/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-shveynoe-proizvodstvo-v-rossii
Now planning a longer reading session for the archives, and a stop at makeimpact confirmed the archives are worth that longer commitment, sites with archives I want to read deliberately rather than just sample are rare and this one has clearly earned that level of interest based on the consistency of what I have already read.
подробнее здесь blsp at blaxprut cc
Now thinking about this site as a small example of what good independent writing looks like, and a stop at bondedtrustgroup continued that exemplary status, the few sites that serve as good examples are sites worth holding up in conversations about quality and this one has earned that exemplary placement through patient consistent effort over time.
Анонимность и конфиденциальность гарантированы. Мы обеспечиваем полную анонимность и конфиденциальность на всех этапах лечения.
Исследовать вопрос подробнее – анонимный вывод из запоя балашиха
Hey! This made me happy.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/47930664/baza-telegram-kanalov-11204-kanala-iskusstva-zhivopisi-i-kultury
Worth a slow read rather than the fast scan I usually default to, and a look at ideasfindmomentum earned the same slower pace from me, content that resets my reading speed downward is content with substance worth absorbing and this site has produced that effect on me multiple times now over the last week here.
посмотреть в этом разделе [url=https://blsp.me]https bs2best at не работает[/url]
Hey! This made me happy.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53071025/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-kabelnoe-televidenie-v-rossii
Лечение пивного алкоголизма в стационаре Балашихи. Мы предлагаем эффективные методы лечения зависимости от пива.
Изучить вопрос глубже – вывод из запоя недорого
Strong recommendation from me, anyone curious about the topic should make time for this, and a look at forwardpathconstructed only sharpens that recommendation further, the kind of resource that holds up against careful scrutiny rather than crumbling at the first critical question is rare and worth pointing other people toward when the topic comes up.
Лечение запоя без госпитализации в стационаре Балашихи. Мы предлагаем лечение на дому, без необходимости госпитализации.
Детальнее – вывод из запоя недорого
Honestly impressed by how much useful content sits in such a small post, and a stop at progressbuilder confirmed the rest of the site packs a similar punch, density without confusion is a hard balance to strike and this site has clearly cracked the code on it across many different topic areas covered.
Hello! Always a pleasure scrolling through your page.
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53005226/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-apteki-v-rossii
сайт https blsp at
Kasyno Bonus bez Depozytu za Rejestracje mr bet darmowe spiny bez depozytudarmowy jednoreki bandyta 6000smiling joker graj za darmoblackjack fake money onlinegry kasyno za darmo bez rejestracji
Bahis severler Bazıları para çekmiyor Artık kimseye güvenmiyordum Her şey hızlı ve güvenli — 1xbet güncel adres tıkla Her gün yeni bonus ve promolar var Neyse, her şey mevcut — 1xbet giriş güncel 1xbet giriş güncel Sakın dolandırıcılara kanma Bahis yapan herkese gönder
Millet dinleyin Artık kime güveneceğimi şaşırmıştım Her şey hızlı ve güvenli çalışıyor — 1xbet yeni giriş kolay Müşteri desteği 7/24 Kısacası, her şey mevcut — 1xbet tr giriş 1xbet tr giriş Sakın sahte sitelere bulaşma İhtiyacı olan herkese gönder
I really like the calm tone here, it does not push anything on the reader, and after I went through capitaltrustline I felt the same way, just steady useful content laid out without drama, which is exactly what someone trying to learn something quickly needs to find rather than aggressive marketing.
Hey! This is amazing, thank you!
https://kwork.com/information-bases/53034295/baza-kompaniy-po-teme-platyozhnie-terminaly-v-rossii
Kasyno Bonus bez Depozytu za Rejestracje kasyno internetowe na pieniД…dzenv casino bonusbonanza game casinolegalne kasyno online forumvulkan casino 50 free spins