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.
Ucla Metformin: Ucla Metformin – 494829 metformin
I totally share your viewpoint. It’s great to see someone else thinking the same way! https://3nz9f.icu/leeds-aaronson-was-wasteful-v-southampton/
сайт водка бет
melbet dispute plăți http://melbet5015.ru
Modern Ridge Picks – The layout is clear, and products are easy to locate.
melbet promo 2025 http://melbet5015.ru
dealhubcentral – Loved the variety of deals, browsing the site was effortless.
Harbor Studio Finds – Browsing feels natural, and the interface is clean.
Главная vodkabet прямо сейчас
веб-сайт Адвокат по жилищным вопросам
San Quentin 2 by Nolimit City. If you thought the original San Quentin was intense san quentin slot free
Modern Ridge Boutique – The interface is tidy, making browsing enjoyable.
«Как отмечает врач-нарколог Андрей Николаевич Селиванов, «своевременный визит специалиста на дом позволяет избежать тяжёлых осложнений и ускоряет стабилизацию состояния»».
Ознакомиться с деталями – нарколог на дом недорого санкт-петербург
смотреть здесь [url=https://vodka-enjoyer.com]casino vodka[/url]
купить диплом капитана судна купить диплом капитана судна .
serenespot – Found what I needed quickly, the website responds well.
купить диплом с водяными знаками купить диплом с водяными знаками .
innerbalance – Smooth browsing experience, really enjoyed checking out items.
купить диплом геолога купить диплом геолога .
melbet număr de contact melbet număr de contact
перенаправляется сюда кракен маркетплейс
на этом сайте водкабет
здесь vodkabet новый сайт
скачать мелбет на ios http://melbet5005.ru/
BrightRoot Market Place – Loved the speed and clean, simple layout of the store.
Modern Ridge Essentials – Everything is easy to explore, and shopping feels smooth.
АНО «Аргумент» https://anoargument.ru/ — бюро судебной экспертизы и оценки, которое проводит более 15 видов экспертиз для юристов и руководителей предприятий. Компания выполняет автотехнические, бухгалтерские, строительно-технические, финансово-экономические, налоговые и прочие экспертизы как для суда, так и вне судебного процесса. Специалисты обладают учёными званиями, действуют во всех регионах страны и эффективно отстаивают свои выводы в судебных инстанциях.
узнать больше Здесь водка бэт
содержание vodkabet онлайн казино
Modern Ridge Online – Everything loads quickly, and shopping feels seamless.
веб-сайте водкабет
It’s really a nice and useful piece of info. I am happy that you just shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
интернет Адвокат по алиментам
mel bet сайт http://melbet5005.ru/
Для удаления большого количества мусора часто используется контейнер 8 кубов для мусора заказать цена, что позволяет эффективно решить проблему утилизации отходов.
популярным выбором для многих компаний и организаций из-за своей вместимости и практичности. Эти контейнеры позволяют сэкономить место на территории . При этом цена контейнера 8 кубов для мусора остается доступной для широкого круга клиентов .
Контейнеры для мусора объемом 8 кубов используются в различных сферах деятельности . Они обеспечивают снижение затрат на утилизацию отходов . При заказе контейнера 8 кубов для мусора необходимо подбирать контейнер в соответствии с конкретными потребностями организации .
Использование контейнеров 8 кубов для мусора предоставляет ряд преимуществ для организаций и компаний . Эти контейнеры обеспечивают возможность безопасного и эффективного хранения отходов . Цена контейнера 8 кубов для мусора остается относительно низкой по сравнению с другими вариантами .
При заказе контейнера 8 кубов для мусора необходимо подбирать контейнер в соответствии с конкретными потребностями организации. Контейнеры для мусора объемом 8 кубов помогают поддерживать чистоту и порядок на территории. Они могут быть легко установлены и перемещены .
Заказ контейнера 8 кубов для мусора требует предварительного согласования условий поставки и установки . Цена контейнера 8 кубов для мусора остается доступной для широкого круга клиентов. При заказе контейнера необходимо учитывать объем и тип генерируемых отходов .
Установка контейнера 8 кубов для мусора требует предварительного согласования условий установки . Контейнеры для мусора объемом 8 кубов представляют собой эффективное решение для сбора и хранения отходов . Они обеспечивают возможность безопасного и эффективного хранения отходов .
Использование контейнеров 8 кубов для мусора позволяет оптимизировать процесс управления отходами. При заказе контейнера 8 кубов для мусора необходимо учитывать объем генерируемых отходов . Цена контейнера 8 кубов для мусора может быть компенсирована за счет экономии на утилизации отходов.
Контейнеры для мусора объемом 8 кубов представляют собой эффективное решение для сбора и хранения отходов . Они могут быть легко перемещены или установлены в необходимом месте. При заказе контейнера 8 кубов для мусора необходимо подбирать контейнер в соответствии с конкретными потребностями организации.
автоматические шторы на окна автоматические шторы на окна .
на этом сайте kraken ссылка
mindbodyshop – Fast loading pages, and searching for items was effortless.
Смотреть здесь водка бет
mindfulchoices – Loved how straightforward it was to check different products.
This post practically sparkles — incredible writing!
I’m not sure exactly why but this web site is loading extremely slow for
me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a
problem on my end? I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
fashiontrendhub – Really easy to locate trendy products, shipping was smooth and reliable.
glamhubonline – Items were easy to find, delivery was fast and dependable.
автоматические рулонные шторы с электроприводом http://rulonnye-zhalyuzi-avtomaticheskie.ru .
melbet ultima versiune apk melbet ultima versiune apk
узнать Юрист(ы) Севастополь
рулонные шторы на пластиковые окна с электроприводом рулонные шторы на пластиковые окна с электроприводом .
If some one wishes expert view about blogging afterward i propose him/her to
pay a quick visit this blog, Keep up the nice job.
This post absolutely SPARKLES with enthusiasm!