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.
Dogal ve etkili cilt bak?m yontemlerine dair tuyolar? kesfedin.
Bu arada, eger Lezzetin Zirvesine C?karan SofraKeyfi Hikayeleri ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya bir bak?n.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://sofrakeyfi.com
Unutmay?n, her cilt tipi guzeldir ve dogru bak?m ile daha da guzellesir.
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
I was hooked by the material about Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
See for yourself:
https://cacticarely.com/
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, take a look here.
Here, you can read it:
https://codefortots.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
I was hooked by the section about Master financial management with TaleStrucker.
Here, you can read it:
https://talestrucker.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
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 “Ev Dekorasyonunda Modern ve Estetik Cozumler”, есть отличная статья.
Смотрите сами:
https://evimturk.com
Nostalji dolu bu yolculukta bizimle oldugunuz icin tesekkur ederiz. 90’lar modas? ve guzelliginin ruhunu hissedin.
melbet казахстан – рабочая ссылка Melbet с поддержкой казахского языка — играйте легально
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Master financial management with TaleStrucker, take a look here.
See for yourself:
https://talestrucker.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
как-то перехотелось.. что действительно последний товар не очень? https://magnitschool.ru Приветствую один из старейших магазинов форума! Много воды утекло с тех пор как вы открылись в 2011 году… а вы по-прежнему на плаву и продолжаете радовать нас своим отличным сервисом. Даже не представляю форум без вас) Так держать ребята!
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
On the topic “Tips for beginner investors and saving money”, I found a lot of useful information.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Hi my family member! I want to say that this article is awesome, great written and come with almost all significant infos.
I’d like to look extra posts like this .
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.
The link is below:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
I was hooked by the material about Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
Here, you can read it:
https://cacticarely.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Master financial management with TaleStrucker”, I found a lot of useful information.
The link is below:
https://talestrucker.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
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.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
J’adore le dynamisme de Betzino Casino, on ressent une ambiance festive. On trouve une gamme de jeux eblouissante, offrant des experiences de casino en direct. Avec des transactions rapides. Le support client est irreprochable. Les retraits sont ultra-rapides, toutefois quelques free spins en plus seraient bienvenus. Dans l’ensemble, Betzino Casino est un endroit qui electrise. Notons aussi l’interface est simple et engageante, permet une immersion complete. A noter les options de paris sportifs variees, garantit des paiements securises.
Essayer|
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
I want to highlight the material about A practical guide to financial security and growth.
The link is below:
https://codefortots.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
Binary Options Demo: Learn Before You Trade.
Start your trading journey with a Binary Options Demo account and practice risk-free before going live. Sharpen your skills and explore smart strategies at https://terrasseo.jp/
Технологии развиваются с невероятной скоростью кракен онион тор kraken маркетплейс зеркало кракен ссылка кракен даркнет
Cilt bak?m?n?n puf noktalar?na dair bilmeniz gereken her sey burada!
Estetik ve Fonksiyonellik: Ideal Mekan Tasar?m? hakk?ndaki yaz? ozellikle hosuma gitti.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://evsahnesi.com
Cilt bak?m?n?n buyusu ile tan?s?n ve hayat?n?za kazand?r?n.
Eski ama asla eskimeyen 90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?yla dolu bu yaz?da bulusal?m.
Кстати, если вас интересует Evinizde Estetik ve Fonksiyonu Birlestirin: Ipuclar? ve Trendler, посмотрите сюда.
Ссылка ниже:
https://anadolustil.com
90’lar?n buyusunu modern dunyaya tas?mak hic bu kadar kolay olmam?st?. Unutulmayan bu donemin guzellik s?rlar?n? unutmay?n!
мебель аренда в москве Временное снабжение в Москве для мероприятий. Удобная процедура и точная транспортировка.
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
On the topic “Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools”, I found a lot of useful information.
See for yourself:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
Технологии объединяют весь мир kraken рабочая ссылка onion kraken onion kraken onion ссылка kraken onion зеркала
90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?yla gunumuzun trendlerine meydan okumaya ne dersiniz?
Кстати, если вас интересует Ev Dekorasyonunda S?kl?k ve Fonksiyonellik, загляните сюда.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://evimsicak.com
90’lar?n guzellik s?rlar?yla tarz?n?za yeni bir soluk kazand?rabilirsiniz. Eski moda, yeni size ilham olsun!
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
By the way, if you are interested in A practical guide to financial security and growth, check out here.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://codefortots.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
On the topic “Master financial management with TaleStrucker”, I found a lot of useful information.
See for yourself:
https://talestrucker.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
90’lar modas?n? hat?rlayanlar burada m?? Sizlere gecmisin moda ikonu olan donemden ilhamla ipuclar? sundugumuz bu yaz?ya davetlisiniz.
Между прочим, если вас интересует Ev Dekorasyonunda Modern ve Estetik Cozumler, загляните сюда.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://evimturk.com
90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmek, tarz?n?za farkl? bir boyut kazand?rabilir. Denemeye deger degil mi?
Dogal guzelliginizin s?rlar?n? ortaya c?karmaya var m?s?n?z?
Kad?n Modas?nda Stil ve Fonksiyonel Oneriler hakk?ndaki bolum dikkatimi cekti.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://giyimtarzi.com
Dogal guzelliginizi koruyun ve her zaman en iyi versiyonunuz olun.
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, you can read it:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
I personally find that i was skeptical, but after a week of trading, the trustworthy service convinced me.
Je suis sous le charme de Vbet Casino, il offre une experience dynamique. Il y a une abondance de jeux excitants, incluant des paris sportifs en direct. Avec des depots instantanes. Disponible 24/7 pour toute question. Les retraits sont lisses comme jamais, a l’occasion des bonus varies rendraient le tout plus fun. Globalement, Vbet Casino est un endroit qui electrise. A signaler le design est moderne et attrayant, incite a prolonger le plaisir. Un plus les evenements communautaires pleins d’energie, qui booste la participation.
Continuer ici|
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Tips for beginner investors and saving money”, I found a lot of useful information.
Here, you can read it:
https://noobastro.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
https://defleppardfaq.com
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.
See for yourself:
https://codefortots.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
tim nasional sepak bola angola – https://tim-nasional-sepak-bola-angola.com
Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let
you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.
farmacia online Italia: farmacia online – classifica farmacie online
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”, I found a lot of useful information.
See for yourself:
[url=https://codefortots.com/]https://codefortots.com/[/url]
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Master financial management with TaleStrucker”, I found a lot of useful information.
The link is below:
https://talestrucker.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Howdy! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group?
There’s a lot of people that I think would really appreciate your content.
Please let me know. Many thanks
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
I especially liked the material about Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
Incidentally, if you are interested in Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools, check out here.
Here, you can read it:
https://esportsgrind.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
Eski ama asla eskimeyen 90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?yla dolu bu yaz?da bulusal?m.
По теме “Guzellik ve Kozmetik: 90’lar Modas?ndan Ipuclar?”, нашел много полезного.
Смотрите сами:
https://aynakirildi.com
90’lar?n buyusunu modern dunyaya tas?mak hic bu kadar kolay olmam?st?. Unutulmayan bu donemin guzellik s?rlar?n? unutmay?n!
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
I want to highlight the material about Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools.
Here, you can read it:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular article!
It’s the little changes that produce the greatest changes.
Thanks a lot for sharing!
Cilt bak?m?n?n puf noktalar?na dair bilmeniz gereken her sey burada!
Modern Mobilya Trendleri ve Dekorasyon Ipuclar? hakk?ndaki bolum dikkatimi cekti.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://evimtarzi.com
Cilt bak?m?n? hayat?n?z?n bir parcas? haline getirin ve fark? gorun.
90’lar modas?n? hat?rlayanlar burada m?? Sizlere gecmisin moda ikonu olan donemden ilhamla ipuclar? sundugumuz bu yaz?ya davetlisiniz.
Между прочим, если вас интересует Guzellik ve Kozmetik: Trendler ve Ipuclar?, посмотрите сюда.
Смотрите сами:
https://guzellikturk.com
Tarz?n?zda 90’lar?n esintilerini hissetmeye baslad?g?n?za eminim. Gecmisin izlerini tas?maktan korkmay?n!
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.
Here, you can read it:
https://noobastro.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
“Turk Mutfag?n?n Unutulmaz Lezzet Hikayeleri” konusuyla ilgili olarak oras? tam bir bilgi hazinesi.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://turksofrasi.com
Guzelliginizin ve sagl?g?n?z?n anahtar? dogru cilt bak?m?nda sakl?.
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
I want to highlight the section about A practical guide to financial security and growth.
Here, you can read it:
https://codefortots.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!