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.
Cilt bak?m?n?n puf noktalar?na dair bilmeniz gereken her sey burada!
Guzellik ve Bak?mda Yenilikci Yaklas?mlar hakk?ndaki yaz? dikkatimi cekti.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://zariften.com
Cilt bak?m?n?n buyusu ile tan?s?n ve hayat?n?za kazand?r?n.
Я считаю, что Вы ошибаетесь. Пишите мне в PM, пообщаемся.
тогда вы https://spiritofkings1.ru попали правильно! они с готовностью предоставят клиенту всю соотвествующую сведения и поспособствуют определиться с покупкой.
вывод из запоя в москве https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru/ .
анонимная наркологическая помощь https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru .
90’lardan gunumuze uzanan guzellik anlay?s?na ?s?k tutan bu rehberle, zaman?n otesine gecen bir tarz elde edin.
Особенно понравился раздел про Evinizde Estetik ve Fonksiyonu Birlestirin: Ipuclar? ve Trendler.
Смотрите сами:
https://anadolustil.com
Guzellik, gecmisle gunumuz aras?nda bir kopru kurmakt?r. 90’lar?n moda s?rlar?, bu koprunun onemli parcalar?ndan.
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
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/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
I especially liked the material about A practical guide to financial security and growth.
See for yourself:
https://codefortots.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!
90’lardan gunumuze uzanan guzellik anlay?s?na ?s?k tutan bu rehberle, zaman?n otesine gecen bir tarz elde edin.
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Ev Dekorasyonunda Modern ve Estetik Cozumler”, там просто кладезь информации.
Смотрите сами:
https://evimturk.com
90’lar?n guzellik s?rlar?yla tarz?n?za yeni bir soluk kazand?rabilirsiniz. Eski moda, yeni size ilham olsun!
Сучасний інфосайт https://overview.com.ua наука та техніка, стиль життя, спорт, освіта, їжа та DIY. Зрозумілі пояснення, покрокові плани, тести та огляди. Розумні фільтри за інтересами, коментарі, закладки та офлайн-читання – все, щоб заощаджувати час.
Онлайн-журнал https://elementarno.com.ua про все: новини та тенденції, lifestyle та технології, культура та подорожі, гроші та кар’єра, здоров’я та будинок. Щоденні статті, огляди, інтерв’ю та практичні поради без води. Читайте перевірені матеріали, підписуйтесь на дайджест та будьте в темі.
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
Kad?n Modas?nda Stil ve Fonksiyonel Oneriler hakk?ndaki yaz? ozellikle hosuma gitti.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://giyimtarzi.com
Unutmay?n, her cilt tipi guzeldir ve dogru bak?m ile daha da guzellesir.
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Master financial management with TaleStrucker”, it’s a real treasure trove of information.
Here, you can read it:
[url=https://talestrucker.com/]https://talestrucker.com/[/url]
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
provesti-internet.ru – Короткий адрес легко запомнить и рекомендовать
Сучасний інфосайт https://overview.com.ua наука та техніка, стиль життя, спорт, освіта, їжа та DIY. Зрозумілі пояснення, покрокові плани, тести та огляди. Розумні фільтри за інтересами, коментарі, закладки та офлайн-читання – все, щоб заощаджувати час.
Онлайн-журнал https://elementarno.com.ua про все: новини та тенденції, lifestyle та технології, культура та подорожі, гроші та кар’єра, здоров’я та будинок. Щоденні статті, огляди, інтерв’ю та практичні поради без води. Читайте перевірені матеріали, підписуйтесь на дайджест та будьте в темі.
Універсальний онлайн-журнал https://ukrglobe.com про все – від науки та гаджетів до кіно, психології, подорожей та особистих фінансів. Розумні тексти, короткі гіди, добірки та думки експертів. Актуально щодня, зручно на будь-якому пристрої. Читайте, зберігайте, діліться.
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
“Kozmetik Dunyas?nda En Yeni Guzellik Trendleri ve Ipuclar?” konusuyla ilgili olarak oras? tam bir bilgi hazinesi.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://bakimsehri.com
Unutmay?n, her cilt tipi guzeldir ve dogru bak?m ile daha da guzellesir.
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
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/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
Портал корисної інформації https://inquire.com.ua практичні поради, відповіді експертів, таблиці та шпаргалки. Теми – здоров’я, сім’я, гроші, гаджети, авто, туризм. Швидкий пошук, обране, розсилка найкращих матеріалів тижня.
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
I especially liked the material about Tips for beginner investors and saving money.
The link is below:
https://noobastro.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
Dogal ve etkili cilt bak?m yontemlerine dair tuyolar? kesfedin.
Bu arada, eger Guzellik ve Bak?m: Trendler ve Ipuclar? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya bir bak?n.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://ciltruhu.com
Unutmay?n, her cilt tipi guzeldir ve dogru bak?m ile daha da guzellesir.
наркологическая клиника город http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-27.ru .
Універсальний онлайн-журнал https://ukrglobe.com про все – від науки та гаджетів до кіно, психології, подорожей та особистих фінансів. Розумні тексти, короткі гіди, добірки та думки експертів. Актуально щодня, зручно на будь-якому пристрої. Читайте, зберігайте, діліться.
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, take a look here.
The link is below:
https://codefortots.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
наркология в москве наркология в москве .
Guzellik ve kozmetikte her zaman gecmisten al?nacak dersler bulunur. 90’lar?n modas?ndan guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmeye haz?r olun.
Особенно понравился 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!
Great site, i recommend it to everyone <a href="https://dapplooker.com/dashboard/manta-bridge-dashboard-2025-1285"
Портал корисної інформації https://inquire.com.ua практичні поради, відповіді експертів, таблиці та шпаргалки. Теми – здоров’я, сім’я, гроші, гаджети, авто, туризм. Швидкий пошук, обране, розсилка найкращих матеріалів тижня.
стационар наркологический стационар наркологический .
частная наркологическая клиника в москве анонимное частная наркологическая клиника в москве анонимное .
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
I especially liked the section about Master financial management with TaleStrucker.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://talestrucker.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
Quality articles is the key to invite the visitors to pay a quick visit the site,
that’s what this web page is providing.
90’lardan gunumuze uzanan guzellik anlay?s?na ?s?k tutan bu rehberle, zaman?n otesine gecen bir tarz elde edin.
По теме “Ev Dekorasyonunda S?kl?k ve Fonksiyonellik”, там просто кладезь информации.
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!
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
On the topic “Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools”, I found a lot of useful information.
The link is below:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
domasniinternet1.ru/ – Ключевой домен для поиска интернет-услуг
гидроизоляция цена работы гидроизоляция цена работы .
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
I was hooked by the material about Tips for beginner investors and saving money.
Here, you can read it:
https://noobastro.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
гидроизоляция подвала гидроизоляция подвала .
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
I was hooked by 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!
вывод из запоя цена
vivod-iz-zapoya-cherepovec016.ru
вывод из запоя череповец
J’ai une affection particuliere pour Viggoslots Casino, c’est un lieu ou l’adrenaline coule a flots. Les options de jeu sont infinies, avec des machines a sous visuellement superbes. Il donne un elan excitant. Les agents sont rapides et pros. Les gains sont verses sans attendre, neanmoins quelques tours gratuits en plus seraient geniaux. En somme, Viggoslots Casino est un must pour les passionnes. Notons aussi l’interface est intuitive et fluide, donne envie de continuer l’aventure. Un point cle les evenements communautaires dynamiques, offre des bonus exclusifs.
Passer à l’action|
купить диплом фитнес тренера https://r-diploma5.ru/ .
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
On the topic “Tips for beginner investors and saving money”, there is an excellent article.
See for yourself:
https://noobastro.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
J’ai une passion debordante pour Betzino Casino, ca transporte dans un monde d’excitation. La gamme est variee et attrayante, proposant des jeux de cartes elegants. Il propulse votre jeu des le debut. Les agents sont rapides et pros. Le processus est simple et transparent, par moments plus de promotions variees ajouteraient du fun. Pour finir, Betzino Casino vaut une visite excitante. A souligner la plateforme est visuellement captivante, donne envie de prolonger l’aventure. Un atout les paiements securises en crypto, offre des bonus exclusifs.
Parcourir le site|
Экстренное вытрезвление в клинике «Детокс» в Краснодаре — помощь при острых состояниях. Мы обеспечиваем быстрое и безопасное восстановление после сильного алкогольного опьянения.
Изучить вопрос глубже – вывод из запоя на дому цена
Je suis emerveille par Viggoslots Casino, c’est une plateforme qui pulse avec energie. Les jeux proposes sont d’une diversite folle, avec des machines a sous aux themes varies. Le bonus de depart est top. Le support est pro et accueillant. Les gains sont transferes rapidement, par ailleurs plus de promos regulieres dynamiseraient le jeu. Pour finir, Viggoslots Casino est un immanquable pour les amateurs. Pour ajouter le site est rapide et engageant, ajoute une touche de dynamisme. A noter les evenements communautaires vibrants, propose des avantages sur mesure.
Aller au site|
https://tufarmaciatop.com/# farmacia con cupones descuento
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
Turk Mutfag?n?n Geleneksel ve Modern Lezzetleri hakk?ndaki yaz? dikkate degerdi.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
[url=https://turklezzeti.com]https://turklezzeti.com[/url]
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
Je suis sous le charme de Betzino Casino, on y trouve une vibe envoutante. Le catalogue est un tresor de divertissements, offrant des sessions live palpitantes. Le bonus de bienvenue est genereux. Le suivi est d’une fiabilite exemplaire. Les gains sont verses sans attendre, par contre des offres plus genereuses seraient top. En fin de compte, Betzino Casino merite un detour palpitant. Notons aussi la navigation est claire et rapide, ajoute une touche de dynamisme. Un atout les tournois reguliers pour la competition, offre des bonus exclusifs.
Entrer maintenant|
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
Incidentally, if you are interested in A practical guide to financial security and growth, take a look here.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://codefortots.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!