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.
http://www.luckypari-uz.cc – настроить push-уведомления
reachhighergoals – Just discovered the site, it has a clean modern feel and good design.
buildthefuture – Just found this site, the look and feel are clean and inviting.
лаки пари узбекистан – популярный сервис в Узбекистане — заработок в букмекерке на сумы
J’adore le dynamisme de Wild Robin Casino, on ressent une ambiance festive. Il y a une abondance de jeux excitants, incluant des options de paris sportifs dynamiques. Il booste votre aventure des le depart. Le support client est irreprochable. Les retraits sont ultra-rapides, cependant des recompenses supplementaires dynamiseraient le tout. Pour faire court, Wild Robin Casino offre une experience inoubliable. Pour ajouter l’interface est fluide comme une soiree, donne envie de continuer l’aventure. A noter les options de paris sportifs diversifiees, qui motive les joueurs.
En savoir plus|
dealsanddiscounts – This site looks like a cool place to find interesting offers and deals.
зарегистрироваться на мелбет – оформить учетную запись через зеркало и делать ставки на спорт
melbet kz – зайти на локальную версию Melbet без блокировок и получать выигрыши
luckypari-uz.cc/ – адрес для добавления в закладки
J’ai un veritable coup de c?ur pour Cheri Casino, ca invite a l’aventure. Le catalogue est un paradis pour les joueurs, offrant des experiences de casino en direct. 100% jusqu’a 500 € avec des spins gratuits. Le support est fiable et reactif. Les transactions sont fiables et efficaces, neanmoins plus de promos regulieres ajouteraient du peps. Globalement, Cheri Casino vaut une exploration vibrante. Ajoutons que la plateforme est visuellement electrisante, permet une immersion complete. Egalement super le programme VIP avec des privileges speciaux, propose des privileges sur mesure.
Parcourir maintenant|
http://www.melbet-kz.biz – платформа с фиксированными коэффициентами
J’adore l’energie de Cheri Casino, il cree une experience captivante. Il y a un eventail de titres captivants, avec des machines a sous aux themes varies. Le bonus initial est super. Le support est efficace et amical. Les gains sont verses sans attendre, mais encore quelques tours gratuits en plus seraient geniaux. Pour finir, Cheri Casino garantit un amusement continu. En extra la navigation est intuitive et lisse, ajoute une vibe electrisante. Un plus les options de paris sportifs diversifiees, offre des recompenses continues.
Voir le site|
отношение оператора к клиентам очень даже достойное!(быть честным я еще нигде не видел такого хорошего отношения к клиентам у магазинов как в чемикл микс)!!!!! за это 5+ https://hozkaopt.ru/mapsite6.html ну как-то так
J’adore la vibe de Instant Casino, on y trouve une energie contagieuse. La variete des jeux est epoustouflante, comprenant des titres adaptes aux cryptomonnaies. Avec des transactions rapides. Le service client est excellent. Les paiements sont surs et efficaces, mais encore quelques tours gratuits supplementaires seraient cool. En conclusion, Instant Casino vaut une visite excitante. En plus la navigation est claire et rapide, incite a rester plus longtemps. A mettre en avant les paiements en crypto rapides et surs, renforce la communaute.
DГ©couvrir|
Je suis enthousiasme par Frumzi Casino, ca pulse comme une soiree animee. Les options de jeu sont infinies, proposant des jeux de table classiques. Il donne un elan excitant. Les agents repondent avec rapidite. Les transactions sont toujours securisees, en revanche des offres plus genereuses rendraient l’experience meilleure. Au final, Frumzi Casino est un immanquable pour les amateurs. A souligner la navigation est intuitive et lisse, permet une plongee totale dans le jeu. Un element fort les evenements communautaires dynamiques, qui stimule l’engagement.
Naviguer sur le site|
https://luckypari-uz.cc/ – домен с безопасной двухфакторной авторизацией
http://melbet-kz.us – домен без шифрования трафика
Идеи для подарков, интерьера и личного использования – всё, что можно сделать своими руками https://artisanalcrafts.ru/
90’lardan gunumuze uzanan guzellik anlay?s?na ?s?k tutan bu rehberle, zaman?n otesine gecen bir tarz elde edin.
Кстати, если вас интересует Guzellik ve Kozmetik: Trendler ve Ipuclar?, посмотрите сюда.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://guzellikturk.com
Guzellik, gecmisle gunumuz aras?nda bir kopru kurmakt?r. 90’lar?n moda s?rlar?, bu koprunun onemli parcalar?ndan.
зайти на melbet – запустить платформу с любого устройства и вывести средства
na naszej stronie nasz zasob udostepnia intuicyjny formularz kontaktowy, https://seminar.lifespringint.com/hotline-casino-twoje-ulubione-miejsce-na-gry/ z pomoca/ aplikacja, ktorej mozesz Wyslij do nas Twoje pytanie/ aspekt i dolacz drogie sercu informacje/pliki.
melbet-kz.biz/ – ресурс с быстрой загрузкой
Dogal guzelliginizin s?rlar?n? ortaya c?karmaya var m?s?n?z?
Bu arada, eger Modern Mobilya Tasar?mlar? ve Dekorasyon Ipuclar? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://modernsturk.com
Cilt bak?m?n?n buyusu ile tan?s?n ve hayat?n?za kazand?r?n.
http://www.melbet-kz.biz – HTTP-версия рабочего зеркала
https://www.melbet-kz.biz – рабочая ссылка для входа
Super Plattform! Alles ist erstklassig, Glückwunsch und viel Erfolg!
https://vurl.com/gEOvl
лучшие автоматы
http://www.luckypari-uz.cc – сайт с текстовой версией меню
melbet-kz.us/ – ресурс для мобильного ярлыка
melbet-kz.biz – ресурс с актуальными коэффициентами
Ресторан чистый после профессиональная дератизация.
обработка офиса от тараканов
Tarz?n?z? 90’lar?n unutulmaz modas?ndan esinlenerek gunumuze tas?mak ister misiniz? Oyleyse bu yaz?m?z tam size gore!
Зацепил материал про Evinizde Estetik ve Fonksiyonu Birlestirin: Ipuclar? ve Trendler.
Смотрите сами:
https://anadolustil.com
90’lar?n guzellik s?rlar?yla tarz?n?za yeni bir soluk kazand?rabilirsiniz. Eski moda, yeni size ilham olsun!
https://www.luckypari-uz.cc – платформа с высокими коэффициентами
luckypari-uz.cc – ресурс с актуальными коэффициентами
90’lar modas?n? hat?rlayanlar burada m?? Sizlere gecmisin moda ikonu olan donemden ilhamla ipuclar? sundugumuz bu yaz?ya davetlisiniz.
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Guzellik ve Kozmetik: Trendler ve Ipuclar?”, нашел много полезного.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://guzellikturk.com
90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmek, tarz?n?za farkl? bir boyut kazand?rabilir. Denemeye deger degil mi?
Je suis accro a Wild Robin Casino, on ressent une ambiance de fete. Les jeux proposes sont d’une diversite folle, incluant des paris sur des evenements sportifs. Il amplifie le plaisir des l’entree. Les agents repondent avec rapidite. Les paiements sont securises et rapides, occasionnellement des bonus plus frequents seraient un hit. Au final, Wild Robin Casino merite un detour palpitant. De plus le site est rapide et engageant, amplifie le plaisir de jouer. A noter les evenements communautaires pleins d’energie, garantit des paiements rapides.
Plonger dedans|
luckypari официальный сайт – рабочая ссылка LuckyPari в Узбекистане — ставьте легально
luckypari-uz.cc/ – адрес с интеллектуальной автозаписью
J’ai une affection particuliere pour Wild Robin Casino, ca invite a plonger dans le fun. Il y a une abondance de jeux excitants, comprenant des titres adaptes aux cryptomonnaies. 100% jusqu’a 500 € avec des spins gratuits. Le service est disponible 24/7. Le processus est simple et transparent, quelquefois plus de promotions frequentes boosteraient l’experience. En fin de compte, Wild Robin Casino est une plateforme qui fait vibrer. Pour completer l’interface est simple et engageante, permet une immersion complete. Un point fort le programme VIP avec des avantages uniques, offre des recompenses continues.
DГ©couvrir maintenant|
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
“Faydal? Dekorasyon ve Mobilya Ipuclar?” konusunda bilgi arayanlar icin harika bir makale var.
Asag?daki linke bakabilirsiniz:
https://cilginmobilya.com
Dogal guzelliginizi koruyun ve her zaman en iyi versiyonunuz olun.
лаки пари регистрация – зарегистрироваться на сайте LuckyPari через соцсети и получить фрибет
http://www.melbet-kz.us – портал с упрощенной навигацией
90’lardan gunumuze uzanan guzellik anlay?s?na ?s?k tutan bu rehberle, zaman?n otesine gecen bir tarz elde edin.
Кстати, если вас интересует Guzellik ve Kozmetik: 90’lar Modas?ndan Ipuclar?, загляните сюда.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://aynakirildi.com
Tarz?n?zda 90’lar?n esintilerini hissetmeye baslad?g?n?za eminim. Gecmisin izlerini tas?maktan korkmay?n!
Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I will definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this site.
Je ne me lasse pas de Wild Robin Casino, ca offre une experience immersive. Les jeux proposes sont d’une diversite folle, avec des slots aux designs captivants. Le bonus de bienvenue est genereux. Le support est fiable et reactif. Les retraits sont ultra-rapides, cependant des recompenses supplementaires dynamiseraient le tout. Pour conclure, Wild Robin Casino garantit un amusement continu. Ajoutons que la plateforme est visuellement captivante, facilite une experience immersive. Un element fort les evenements communautaires engageants, cree une communaute soudee.
Savoir plus|
https://melbet-kz.biz – платформа с двухфакторной верификацией
школы английского языка http://smolensk-i.ru/partners/kak-vybrat-shkolu-dlya-kachestvennogo-izucheniya-anglijskogo_611258 .
http://www.luckypari-uz.cc – портал с классическими слотами
J’adore l’energie de Wild Robin Casino, c’est un lieu ou l’adrenaline coule a flots. La bibliotheque de jeux est captivante, incluant des paris sportifs en direct. Il amplifie le plaisir des l’entree. Le suivi est d’une precision remarquable. Les transactions sont toujours securisees, bien que des offres plus genereuses seraient top. Au final, Wild Robin Casino assure un divertissement non-stop. A souligner le site est fluide et attractif, booste l’excitation du jeu. A noter les evenements communautaires pleins d’energie, qui stimule l’engagement.
Naviguer sur le site|
мелбет казахстан – надежная платформа в среди казахстанских игроков — заработок в Мелбет с поддержкой KZT