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.
Платформа ідей https://infopark.com.ua для дому, роботи та відпочинку: ремонт, відносини, софт та гаджети, маркетинг та інвестиції, рецепти та спорт. Матеріали з висновками та готовими списками справ.
Сучасне медіа https://homepage.com.ua «про все важливе»: від ремонту та рецептів до стартапів та кібербезпеки. Сім’я, будинок, технології, гроші, робота, здоров’я, культура. Зрозуміла мова, наочні схеми, регулярні поновлення.
электронный карниз для штор электронный карниз для штор .
Щоденний журнал https://massmedia.one про життя без перевантаження: будинок та побут, сім’я та стосунки, ІТ та гаджети, бізнес та робота, фінанси, настрій та відпочинок. Концентрат корисного: короткі висновки, посилання джерела, інструменти для действий.
Howdy I am so excited I found your web site, I really found you by error, while I was researching
on Bing for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say thank
you for a incredible post and a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it
all at the minute but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep
up the great jo.
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?”, там просто кладезь информации.
Смотрите сами:
https://aynakirildi.com
Tarz?n?zda 90’lar?n esintilerini hissetmeye baslad?g?n?za eminim. Gecmisin izlerini tas?maktan korkmay?n!
устранение протечек в подвале http://www.gidroizolyaciya-podvala-cena.ru .
частный вытрезвитель https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-27.ru/ .
Liberez le potentiel de revenus passifs Quantum AI https://livevalidation.com/quantum-ai-retour-a-la-realite-revenus-risques-et-avis-des-investisseurs/
казино мостбет скачать http://www.mostbet12036.ru
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
For those who are looking for information 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!
гардина с электроприводом http://www.elektrokarniz797.ru/ .
мостбет скачать андроид https://www.mostbet12036.ru
Sizi gecmisten ilham alan guzellik ipuclar?yla dolu bu nostaljik yolculuga davet ediyoruz. 90’lar modas?n?n s?rlar?na goz atal?m m??
Зацепил раздел про Ev Dekorasyonunda Modern ve Estetik Cozumler.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://evimturk.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.
For those who are looking for information on the topic “Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely”, there is an excellent article.
The link is below:
https://cacticarely.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
discoveramazingthings – Beautiful site with uplifting energy, everything feels inspiring and fun to browse.
promoverse.click – Overall, professional vibe here; trustworthy, polished, and pleasantly minimal throughout.
mostbwt https://mostbet12037.ru/
Tarz?n?z? 90’lar?n unutulmaz modas?ndan esinlenerek gunumuze tas?mak ister misiniz? Oyleyse bu yaz?m?z tam size gore!
Особенно понравился раздел про Guzellik ve Kozmetik: Trendler ve Ipuclar?.
Вот, делюсь ссылкой:
https://guzellikturk.com
90’lar?n guzellik s?rlar?yla tarz?n?za yeni bir soluk kazand?rabilirsiniz. Eski moda, yeni size ilham olsun!
В этом информативном тексте представлены захватывающие события и факты, которые заставят вас задуматься. Мы обращаем внимание на важные моменты, которые часто остаются незамеченными, и предлагаем новые перспективы на привычные вещи. Подготовьтесь к тому, чтобы быть поглощенным увлекательными рассказами!
Детали по клику – https://alnexport.com/this-is-indonesias-dried-grated-coconut-export-market-potential-in-bulgaria
clickvelocity.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
1xbet g?ncel giri? 1xbet g?ncel giri? .
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
I want to highlight the section about Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools.
See for yourself:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
Развитие технологий — двигатель прогресса kraken зеркало kraken актуальные ссылки кракен ссылка kraken kraken официальные ссылки
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
Incidentally, if you are interested in Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely, check out here.
Here, you can read it:
https://cacticarely.com/
Use this knowledge to achieve your financial goals!
карниз с приводом https://www.elektrokarniz797.ru .
Dogal ve etkili cilt bak?m yontemlerine dair tuyolar? kesfedin.
Bu arada, eger Guzellik ve Bak?mda Yenilikci Yaklas?mlar ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya bir bak?n.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
[url=https://zariften.com]https://zariften.com[/url]
Cilt bak?m?n?n buyusu ile tan?s?n ve hayat?n?za kazand?r?n.
торкретирование бетона цена торкретирование бетона цена .
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
On the topic “Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely”, it’s a real treasure trove of information.
Here, you can read it:
https://cacticarely.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
медицинский наркологический центр http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru/ .
clickvelocity.click – Bookmarked this immediately, planning to revisit for updates and inspiration.
steel sailboat builder – specialized explorer vessel company with experience
рейтинг провайдеров интернета в Москве – изучить активных интернет-провайдеров с проверкой возможности с положительными отзывами
Dogal guzelliginizin s?rlar?n? ortaya c?karmaya var m?s?n?z?
Bu arada, eger Modern Moda: Zarafet ve Stil Ipuclar? ile ilgileniyorsan?z, buraya goz at?n.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://modaevreni.com
Sagl?kl? ve dogal bir cilt icin duzenli bak?m sart.
mostbet скачать бесплатно http://www.mostbet12036.ru
mostbet kg http://www.mostbet12037.ru
clickexpand.click – Loved the layout today; clean, simple, and genuinely user-friendly overall.
гидроизоляция цена за рулон гидроизоляция цена за рулон .
Learn how gamers can improve their financial management skills.
I especially liked the section about Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://esportsgrind.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
Dogal ve etkili cilt bak?m yontemlerine dair tuyolar? kesfedin.
“Moda ve Konforun Zirvesi: Trendler ve Ipuclar?” konusuyla ilgili olarak harika bir makale var.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://sadesik.com
Cilt bak?m?n?n buyusu ile tan?s?n ve hayat?n?za kazand?r?n.
Discover practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
I especially liked the material about Master financial management with TaleStrucker.
Here, you can read it:
https://talestrucker.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
клиника наркологии клиника наркологии .
скачать mostbet casino http://mostbet12037.ru/
автоматические гардины для штор http://www.elektrokarniz499.ru .
скачать мостбет http://mostbet12037.ru/
Dogal ve etkili cilt bak?m yontemlerine dair tuyolar? kesfedin.
“Faydal? Dekorasyon ve Mobilya Ipuclar?” konusuyla ilgili olarak harika bir makale var.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://cilginmobilya.com
Unutmay?n, her cilt tipi guzeldir ve dogru bak?m ile daha da guzellesir.
провайдеры интернета по адресу в Воронеже – активировать подключенных телекоммуникационных провайдеров с проверкой возможности в Воронеже
управление жалюзи смартфоном http://www.avtomaticheskie-zhalyuzi.ru .
Je suis bluffe par Viggoslots Casino, il offre une experience dynamique. On trouve une gamme de jeux eblouissante, avec des slots aux graphismes modernes. Avec des transactions rapides. Disponible a toute heure via chat ou email. Les paiements sont securises et instantanes, cependant quelques free spins en plus seraient bienvenus. En somme, Viggoslots Casino est une plateforme qui fait vibrer. Pour ajouter l’interface est simple et engageante, booste le fun du jeu. Egalement excellent les evenements communautaires engageants, propose des privileges personnalises.
DГ©couvrir les faits|
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
I was hooked by the section about Master financial management with TaleStrucker.
The link is below:
https://talestrucker.com/
Your financial well-being is in your hands!