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.
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Tips for beginner investors and saving money, take a look here.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
Je suis fascine par Posido Casino, il cree une experience captivante. On trouve une profusion de jeux palpitants, offrant des tables live interactives. Le bonus de bienvenue est genereux. Le service client est de qualite. Les retraits sont simples et rapides, par ailleurs des offres plus genereuses seraient top. Globalement, Posido Casino garantit un amusement continu. Notons egalement le site est rapide et engageant, ce qui rend chaque session plus palpitante. Un atout les tournois frequents pour l’adrenaline, propose des avantages sur mesure.
Cliquez ici|
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.
Here, you can read it:
https://codefortots.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Guzellik ve kozmetikte her zaman gecmisten al?nacak dersler bulunur. 90’lar?n modas?ndan guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmeye haz?r olun.
Между прочим, если вас интересует Ev Dekorasyonunda S?kl?k ve Fonksiyonellik, посмотрите сюда.
Смотрите сами:
https://evimsicak.com
90’lar?n buyusunu modern dunyaya tas?mak hic bu kadar kolay olmam?st?. Unutulmayan bu donemin guzellik s?rlar?n? unutmay?n!
Мир программируется заново кракен даркнет маркет kraken зеркало рабочее актуальные зеркала kraken kraken сайт зеркала
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
On the topic “A practical guide to financial security and growth”, there is an excellent article.
Here, you can read it:
https://codefortots.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
I especially liked the section about A practical guide to financial security and growth.
The link is below:
https://codefortots.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
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.
See for yourself:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
Dogal ve etkili cilt bak?m yontemlerine dair tuyolar? kesfedin.
Bu arada, eger Estetik ve Fonksiyonellik: Ideal Mekan Tasar?m? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Asag?daki linke bakabilirsiniz:
https://evsahnesi.com
Cildinizin dogall?g?n? ve sagl?g?n? korumak sizin elinizde.
Роботы становятся нашими помощниками кракен onion сайт кракен onion сайт kra ссылка kraken сайт
Cildinizi s?martmak icin haz?r olun!
Moda ve Stil Rehberi: En Yeni Trendler ve Kombinler hakk?ndaki bolum dikkatimi cekti.
Asag?daki linke bakabilirsiniz:
https://modaruhu.com
Unutmay?n, her cilt tipi guzeldir ve dogru bak?m ile daha da guzellesir.
Eski ama asla eskimeyen 90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?yla dolu bu yaz?da bulusal?m.
Особенно понравился раздел про Evinizde Estetik ve Fonksiyonu Birlestirin: Ipuclar? ve Trendler.
Смотрите сами:
https://anadolustil.com
Nostalji dolu bu yolculukta bizimle oldugunuz icin tesekkur ederiz. 90’lar modas? ve guzelliginin ruhunu hissedin.
Cilt bak?m?n?n puf noktalar?na dair bilmeniz gereken her sey burada!
Lezzetin Zirvesine C?karan SofraKeyfi Hikayeleri hakk?ndaki yaz? dikkatimi cekti.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://sofrakeyfi.com
Unutmay?n, her cilt tipi guzeldir ve dogru bak?m ile daha da guzellesir.
Tarz?n?z? 90’lar?n unutulmaz modas?ndan esinlenerek gunumuze tas?mak ister misiniz? Oyleyse bu yaz?m?z tam size gore!
Между прочим, если вас интересует Guzellik ve Kozmetik: Trendler ve Ipuclar?, загляните сюда.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://guzellikturk.com
Guzellik, gecmisle gunumuz aras?nda bir kopru kurmakt?r. 90’lar?n moda s?rlar?, bu koprunun onemli parcalar?ndan.
Eski ama asla eskimeyen 90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?yla dolu bu yaz?da bulusal?m.
Между прочим, если вас интересует Ev Dekorasyonunda S?kl?k ve Fonksiyonellik, загляните сюда.
Ссылка ниже:
https://evimsicak.com
Guzellik, gecmisle gunumuz aras?nda bir kopru kurmakt?r. 90’lar?n moda s?rlar?, bu koprunun onemli parcalar?ndan.
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
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]
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
rankrocket.click – Navigation felt smooth, found everything quickly without any confusing steps.
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
On the topic “Master financial management with TaleStrucker”, it’s a real treasure trove of information.
Here, you can read it:
https://talestrucker.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?yla gunumuzun trendlerine meydan okumaya ne dersiniz?
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Ev Dekorasyonunda Modern ve Estetik Cozumler”, нашел много полезного.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://evimturk.com
Nostalji dolu bu yolculukta bizimle oldugunuz icin tesekkur ederiz. 90’lar modas? ve guzelliginin ruhunu hissedin.
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, check out here.
See for yourself:
https://codefortots.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
I want to highlight the material about Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Tips for beginner investors and saving money, check out here.
Here, you can read it:
https://noobastro.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
Great blog here! Also your site loads up fast! What web host are you
using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host?
I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Master financial management with TaleStrucker, check out here.
Here, you can read it:
https://talestrucker.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools, take a look here.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
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!
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
I was hooked by the section about A practical guide to financial security and growth.
The link is below:
https://codefortots.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
On the topic “Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely”, I found a lot of useful information.
Here, you can read it:
https://cacticarely.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Cildinizi s?martmak icin haz?r olun!
“Modern Tesettur Moda Trendleri ve Ipuclar?” konusuyla ilgili olarak oras? tam bir bilgi hazinesi.
Asag?daki linke bakabilirsiniz:
https://giyimkeyfi.com
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
I want to highlight the material about Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools.
See for yourself:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
1xbet yeni giri? 1xbet yeni giri? .
Koh Lanta чат Ко ланта чат
J’adore l’energie de Viggoslots Casino, il procure une sensation de frisson. La selection est riche et diversifiee, offrant des sessions live immersives. 100% jusqu’a 500 € plus des tours gratuits. Le service client est de qualite. Le processus est simple et transparent, de temps a autre plus de promos regulieres dynamiseraient le jeu. Pour finir, Viggoslots Casino est un endroit qui electrise. Pour couronner le tout la plateforme est visuellement captivante, amplifie le plaisir de jouer. Un element fort les options variees pour les paris sportifs, propose des privileges sur mesure.
Aller Г la page|
1xbet tr 1xbet tr .
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is excellent blog. A great read. I’ll certainly be back.
https://volksmeter
1xbet giri?i 1xbet giri?i .
Водонагреватель Haier не включается? В статье — замена терморегулятора от сц
Je suis bluffe par Betzino Casino, ca pulse comme une soiree animee. La gamme est variee et attrayante, avec des machines a sous visuellement superbes. Avec des depots rapides et faciles. Les agents repondent avec rapidite. Les retraits sont ultra-rapides, de temps a autre des offres plus genereuses seraient top. Pour conclure, Betzino Casino est un immanquable pour les amateurs. A mentionner l’interface est simple et engageante, ce qui rend chaque moment plus vibrant. Particulierement interessant les evenements communautaires engageants, propose des privileges personnalises.
Passer à l’action|
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
Yeri gelmisken, eger Lezzetin Zirvesine C?karan SofraKeyfi Hikayeleri ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://sofrakeyfi.com
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
J’ai un faible pour Betzino Casino, on ressent une ambiance festive. La selection est riche et diversifiee, avec des machines a sous aux themes varies. 100% jusqu’a 500 € + tours gratuits. Le service client est de qualite. Les retraits sont simples et rapides, en revanche des offres plus genereuses seraient top. En bref, Betzino Casino est un immanquable pour les amateurs. A souligner la navigation est claire et rapide, donne envie de continuer l’aventure. Un point cle le programme VIP avec des niveaux exclusifs, renforce la communaute.
VГ©rifier ceci|
J’ai un veritable coup de c?ur pour Viggoslots Casino, on ressent une ambiance festive. Le choix est aussi large qu’un festival, incluant des paris sportifs pleins de vie. Avec des depots rapides et faciles. Le service client est excellent. Les retraits sont fluides et rapides, rarement des bonus varies rendraient le tout plus fun. Globalement, Viggoslots Casino est une plateforme qui fait vibrer. En plus la navigation est fluide et facile, amplifie le plaisir de jouer. Un point cle les options de paris sportifs diversifiees, qui booste la participation.
Explorer la page|
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/
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
I was hooked by the section about Master financial management with TaleStrucker.
Here, you can read it:
https://talestrucker.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
Incidentally, 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/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
Tarz?n?z? 90’lar?n unutulmaz modas?ndan esinlenerek gunumuze tas?mak ister misiniz? Oyleyse bu yaz?m?z tam size gore!
Кстати, если вас интересует Ev Dekorasyonunda S?kl?k ve Fonksiyonellik, загляните сюда.
Ссылка ниже:
https://evimsicak.com
Tarz?n?zda 90’lar?n esintilerini hissetmeye baslad?g?n?za eminim. Gecmisin izlerini tas?maktan korkmay?n!
Cilt bak?m?n?n puf noktalar?na dair bilmeniz gereken her sey burada!
“En Iyi Mobilya ve Dekorasyon Trendleri 2023” konusunda bilgi arayanlar icin harika bir makale var.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://anadoludekor.com
Dogal guzelliginizi koruyun ve her zaman en iyi versiyonunuz olun.
Je ne me lasse pas de Betzino Casino, ca invite a plonger dans le fun. Le catalogue de titres est vaste, comprenant des jeux compatibles avec les cryptos. Avec des transactions rapides. Les agents repondent avec efficacite. Les paiements sont surs et efficaces, cependant des bonus varies rendraient le tout plus fun. Globalement, Betzino Casino offre une experience hors du commun. Pour ajouter la navigation est intuitive et lisse, donne envie de continuer l’aventure. Un element fort les tournois reguliers pour la competition, propose des privileges personnalises.
Aller à l’intérieur|
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
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/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
купить аттестат в рязани http://www.r-diploma3.ru – купить аттестат в рязани .
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
On the topic “A practical guide to financial security and growth”, there is an excellent article.
See for yourself:
https://codefortots.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!