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.
каталог vodkabet онлайн казино
Если при первичном звонке выявляются «красные флаги» — неукротимая рвота, одышка, спутанность, «скачущий» ритм, подозрение на травму — мы немедленно резервируем палату усиленного наблюдения. При низком риске стартуем амбулаторно или на дому с бесшовным переводом в стационар, если динамика меняется. В любом случае цель одна: безопасно стабилизировать состояние, вернуть питьё и физиологичный сон, объяснить семье и пациенту короткий «язык фактов», по которому судим об эффективности.
Подробнее тут – https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-v-petrozavodske15.ru/chastnaya-narkologicheskaya-klinika-petrozavodsk
индивидуалки Анкеты эскортниц в Челнах — это возможность окунуться в мир роскоши и чувственности. Эти девушки знают, как доставить удовольствие и создать неповторимую атмосферу. Они следят за собой, обладают безупречными манерами и готовы поддержать любую тему разговора. Встречи в Челнах с эскортницами — это выбор тех, кто ценит качество, комфорт и незабываемые эмоции.
Trendy Finds Online – Items are well displayed, making it easy to browse different styles quickly.
Modern Trend Picks – Smooth navigation and well-presented trendy items made the experience pleasant.
1xbet yeni giri? adresi http://1xbet-12.com .
Your Favorite Trend – Loved the trendy selection, and scrolling through the items was smooth and easy.
1xbet mobil giri? http://www.1xbet-12.com/ .
ссылка на сайт зеркало водка бет
Your Style Trend – Browsing felt natural, with modern and trendy items easy to explore.
1xbet turkey http://www.1xbet-12.com/ .
Nice post. I was checking continuously this blog and
I’m impressed! Extremely useful information particularly the last part :
) I care for such information a lot. I was seeking this certain information for a very long time.
Thank you and good luck.
диплом пту купить диплом пту купить .
manchester cigarettes
Australian Cigarette Delivery became a reliable online tobacco retailer in Australia. Founded in 2024, the service quickly gained customer confidence through affordable pricing and fast shipping. The company focuses on customer ease with: Free delivery across the country, no base amount; Day-of processing for orders before 5:00 AM (AET); Discreet packaging with no signs of contents; Versatile payments: PayPal.
Why Choose Australia Cig Delivery? A authorised store dedicated to authentic products at fair prices. All items comply with Australian regulations. Sales for adults 18+ only. The featured brands include a broad selection: Marlboro — globally respected for smooth taste (includes Gold); Manchester — delicate to cool-flavoured blends; the brand — luxury with refined flavour; Dunhill — UK-origin with cultured experience; the brand — classic Asian brand with full aroma.
Frequently Asked Questions: Delivery times? Orders before 5:00 AM (GMT+11) dispatched same day. Delivery takes 2–5 business days. Ship internationally? Delivery available only within Australia. Track orders? Tracking number provided via email after dispatch. Payment methods? Receive PayPal. All payments processed safely. Return policy? Refunds for flaws only. Sealed items not returned for change of mind. Cancel orders? Annulled only before execution. Reach service? Accessible seven days. Questions via email, responses within hours.
Summary: Australian Cigarette Delivery distinguishes through authenticity and affordability. With day-of processing, free shipping and private packaging, it offers a trustworthy solution for adult smokers. Sales strictly for 18+ persons.
FashionPulseHub – Fresh, stylish options with great visual layout throughout.
https://sluzhba-po-kontrakty.ru/
BeautyStyleSpot – Vibrant and modern fashion pieces showcased beautifully for shoppers.
Wonderful blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Many thanks
Wow, marvelous weblog format! How long have you been running a blog for?
you make blogging look easy. The full glance of your website is excellent, let alone the content!
FashionBeautyWorld – Well-presented collection of trendy items with a modern touch.
диплом магистратуры купить диплом магистратуры купить .
FashionStyleBeauty – Eye-catching collection with trendy pieces that stood out immediately.
1xbet com giri? http://www.1xbet-12.com .
BeautyFashionZone – Stylish selection with clean presentation that makes browsing simple.
you can find out more gmgn
click over here now gmgn
Ищете взлом вк недорого? Сервис vzlomvk.io предлагает профессиональное решение для восстановления доступа к страницам ВКонтакте в случае утраты пароля или взлома аккаунта. Ресурс применяет надежные методы и актуальные инструменты для оперативного восстановления управления страницей с полной защитой персональных сведений. Специалисты сервиса работают круглосуточно, гарантируя оперативную помощь в критических ситуациях, когда доступ к личным данным и переписке оказывается заблокирован.
мне все пришло, магаз ровный. 5+ https://segun42.ru У меня пришел чисто белый зернистый как крупа порошок.Кал.
купить диплом о высшем образовании в тюмени недорого http://www.r-diploma31.ru .
вывод из запоя
vivod-iz-zapoya-kaluga016.ru
экстренный вывод из запоя
сайт водка бет
ссылка мега без тор
МЕГА ссылка
Hi there all, here every one is sharing such knowledge, so it’s nice to read this weblog, and I used to pay a quick visit this blog every day.
look these up gmgn ai
Что делаем
Получить больше информации – vyvod-iz-zapoya
1xbet giri? 1xbet giri? .
Наша философия — минимально достаточные вмешательства и измеримые цели. Вместо «усилить всё сразу» мы меняем один параметр (скорость/последовательность/объём инфузии) и проверяем ответ в согласованное окно. Такой «тонкий ремонт» снижает риск побочных эффектов, сохраняет ясность днём и делает ночь предсказуемой. Семья и пациент получают короткую памятку на 72 часа с «зелёными зонами» (что считать нормой сегодня) и понятными поводовыми триггерами для немедленного контакта с дежурным врачом.
Изучить вопрос глубже – нарколог вывод из запоя
«АльфаДетокс» в Чехове — это стационарный маршрут вывода из запоя с круглосуточным наблюдением и быстрыми медицинскими решениями. Мы принимаем без очередей, проводим очную оценку, допускаем к терапии и запускаем управляющий детокс с аппаратным контролем и лабораторными исследованиями по показаниям. Наша цель — не просто поставить капельницу, а безопасно стабилизировать давление и пульс, снять интоксикацию и абстиненцию, наладить сон и дать понятный план ближайших дней. Анонимность встроена в процесс, вы общаетесь с командой спокойно и без лишней огласки, а все назначения объясняются простым языком, чтобы вы понимали логику каждого шага.
Подробнее – vyvod-iz-zapoya-v-stacionare
Hi! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no backup. Do you have any methods to stop hackers?
читать водка бет
посетить сайт vodkabet
For the reason that the admin of this web site is working, no question very shortly
it will be well-known, due to its quality contents.
подробнее здесь водка бет
opportunity navigator – Platform helps uncover new concepts and creative opportunities.
betfinal bahrain https://wombafurnitures.com/betfinal-%d9%8a%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%ad-%d8%aa%d8%ac%d8%b1%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d9%85%d8%aa%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84%d8%a9-%d9%85%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b2%d8%a9-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%81/
يُعتبر betfinal online casino الخيار المثالي للاعبين في مصر بفضل تنوع الألعاب وسهولة الاستخدام.
يُوفّر betfinal casino review خيارات لعب تناسب المبتدئين والمحترفين على حدٍ سواء.
يحتوي الموقع على مئات الألعاب بما في ذلك الكازينو المباشر إضافة إلى قسم betfinal sports المخصص لعشاق الرهانات الرياضية.
When some one searches for his necessary thing, therefore
he/she needs to be available that in detail, so that thing
is maintained over here.
creative ideas hub – Inspiring site that encourages exploring new possibilities easily.
Trendy Marketplace Daily – Discover new arrivals and trendy items with convenient browsing.
world of opportunities – Engaging and inspiring site for exploring innovative concepts.
Trendy Picks Daily – Handpicked products for a seamless and convenient shopping experience.