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.
You’re so cool! I do not believe I’ve truly read through
something like this before. So great to find someone with genuine thoughts on this subject.
Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This web site is one thing that is needed on the internet, someone with some originality!
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “A practical guide to financial security and growth”, I found a lot of useful information.
See for yourself:
https://codefortots.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your
sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back
in the future. All the best
Je suis captive par Posido Casino, c’est une plateforme qui deborde de dynamisme. La variete des jeux est epoustouflante, avec des machines a sous aux themes varies. Avec des depots instantanes. Le suivi est d’une fiabilite exemplaire. Les transactions sont d’une fiabilite absolue, rarement quelques free spins en plus seraient bienvenus. Au final, Posido Casino offre une aventure inoubliable. De plus la plateforme est visuellement dynamique, ce qui rend chaque session plus excitante. Un element fort le programme VIP avec des recompenses exclusives, offre des recompenses regulieres.
DГ©couvrir les offres|
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
By the way, if you are interested in Tips for beginner investors and saving money, check out here.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
rankpilot.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools”, I found a lot of useful information.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://esportsgrind.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
Je suis emerveille par Posido Casino, on ressent une ambiance festive. Les options de jeu sont infinies, avec des slots aux designs captivants. Il booste votre aventure des le depart. Le service client est excellent. Le processus est clair et efficace, cependant quelques tours gratuits en plus seraient geniaux. Pour conclure, Posido Casino est un endroit qui electrise. Notons aussi le design est tendance et accrocheur, ce qui rend chaque session plus palpitante. Particulierement cool les competitions regulieres pour plus de fun, offre des bonus constants.
Plonger dedans|
http://www.moskva-internet.ru – Полный URL включая префикс протокола
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
By the way, if you are interested in Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely, take a look here.
The link is below:
https://cacticarely.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
By the way, if you are interested in A practical guide to financial security and growth, take a look here.
See for yourself:
https://codefortots.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Master financial management with TaleStrucker, check out here.
The link is below:
https://talestrucker.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Binary Options Trading View: Analyze and Trade Smarter Enhance your trading decisions with Binary Options Trading View, using real-time charts and insights to stay ahead of the market. Explore smarter strategies and live analytics at https://kaiseimaru.jp/ !
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
I especially liked the material about Tips for beginner investors and saving money.
Here, you can read it:
https://noobastro.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
https://www.domasniinternet1.ru – Закажите обратный звонок в удобное для вас время
интернет провайдеры астана интернет в астане – оценить надежных телекоммуникационных поставщиков интернета для дома и офиса
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
I want to highlight the material about Tips for beginner investors and saving money.
Here, you can read it:
https://noobastro.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
admomentum.click – Pages loaded fast, images appeared sharp, and formatting stayed consistent.
http://melbet-kz.biz/ – домен без промокодов
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
On the topic “Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools”, there is an excellent article.
Here, you can read it:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Технологии — это сила kraken онион тор kraken онион kraken онион тор кракен онион
Chris here — I’ve tried using the API and the stable performance impressed me.
http://pharmaclassement.com/# codes promo pharmacie web
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
I especially liked the section about A practical guide to financial security and growth.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://codefortots.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
On the topic “Master financial management with TaleStrucker”, there is an excellent article.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://talestrucker.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
https://tufarmaciatop.shop/# farmacias sin receta en España
Эта информационная заметка содержит увлекательные сведения, которые могут вас удивить! Мы собрали интересные факты, которые сделают вашу жизнь ярче и полнее. Узнайте нечто новое о привычных аспектах повседневности и откройте для себя удивительный мир информации.
Прочитать подробнее – https://dkma.com.br/2023/10/23/praticas-para-proteger-dados-sensiveis
Этот текст призван помочь читателю расширить кругозор и получить практические знания. Мы используем простой язык, наглядные примеры и структурированное изложение, чтобы сделать обучение максимально эффективным и увлекательным.
Открой скрытое – https://velo.kr.ua/MalyarnieRaboti
кулер для воды с нижней загрузкой
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools”, I found a lot of useful information.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Сервис https://sinhelp.me/ предоставляет профессиональную помощь студентам на всех этапах обучения — от прохождения онлайн-тестов до написания дипломных работ с гарантией доведения до успешной защиты. Команда состоит из профессиональных исполнителей разных специальностей, способных выполнить контрольные задания, курсовые проекты, рефераты и дипломы независимо от уровня трудности. Каждый заказ сопровождается поэтапной отчётностью, соблюдением сроков и полной конфиденциальностью данных клиента, что позволяет студентам сосредоточиться на других важных аспектах учёбы и жизни.
adrocket.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
By the way, if you are interested in A practical guide to financial security and growth, check out here.
The link is below:
https://codefortots.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
I want to highlight the material about Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
The link is below:
https://cacticarely.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
adorbit.click – Mobile version looks perfect; no glitches, fast scrolling, crisp text.
From Keto Kamp’s founder: a straightforward method to restore metabolic function and feel your best. https://metabolicfreedom.top/ ben azadi metabolic freedom
аренда мебели дешево Оптимизируйте расходы с выгодным прокатом на мебель. Низкие цены без потери качества.
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “A practical guide to financial security and growth”, it’s a real treasure trove of information.
The link is below:
[url=https://codefortots.com/]https://codefortots.com/[/url]
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
By the way, if you are interested in A practical guide to financial security and growth, check out here.
The link is below:
https://codefortots.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
вывод из запоя цена
vivod-iz-zapoya-minsk015.ru
вывод из запоя круглосуточно
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely, check out here.
The link is below:
https://cacticarely.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
I want to highlight the material about Tips for beginner investors and saving money.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
On the topic “Tips for beginner investors and saving money”, there is an excellent article.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
В данной статье вы найдете комплексный подход к изучению насущных тем. Мы комбинируем теоретические сведения с практическими советами, чтобы читатель мог не только понять проблему, но и найти пути её решения.
Информация доступна здесь – https://blog.withimpact.com/2024/01/22/learning-leadership-skills-through-online-sims
luckypari официальный сайт – актуальный адрес LuckyPari с локализацией — выигрывайте безопасно
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
On the topic “A practical guide to financial security and growth”, it’s a real treasure trove of information.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://codefortots.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Tips for beginner investors and saving money, take a look here.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools”, it’s a real treasure trove of information.
Here, you can read it:
https://esportsgrind.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
Бот для сети Ethereum Бот для трейдинга на BSC: Бот для трейдинга криптовалют на Binance Smart Chain (BSC).
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
By the way, if you are interested in Tips for beginner investors and saving money, take a look here.
Here, you can read it:
https://noobastro.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.