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.
мелбет кто владелец http://www.melbet5004.ru
Наркологическая клиника использует комплексный подход к оценке состояния пациента, что обеспечивает высокий уровень контроля на всех этапах лечения. Такой формат работы позволяет детально изучать динамику процессов и своевременно корректировать вмешательства. В клинике применяется принцип последовательного наблюдения, при котором особое внимание уделяется соматическим и неврологическим проявлениям. Выбор терапевтических мер основывается на анализе объективных данных, что повышает предсказуемость результата. Подход ориентирован на постепенное восстановление функций организма с учетом индивидуальных особенностей.
Исследовать вопрос подробнее – наркологическая клиника цены в томске
бк melbet http://melbet5004.ru/
CorPharmacy CorPharmacy Cor Pharmacy
melbet apk latest version https://melbet5004.ru
Nice breakdown. Many players stay with Hi88 due to its strong reward system—casino games with active promos, slot rooms with reliable hits, and consistent rebates.
Наркологическая клиника — это место, где человек получает не просто медицинскую помощь, а возможность начать жизнь заново. В клинике «АстраМед Трезвость» в Астрахани создана система комплексного лечения алкогольной и наркотической зависимости, включающая диагностику, детоксикацию, медикаментозную терапию и психотерапию. Пациент получает поддержку на каждом этапе: от вывода из запоя до социальной адаптации после реабилитации. Лечение проводится круглосуточно, в комфортных условиях и с соблюдением полной конфиденциальности.
Подробнее – наркологическая клиника вывод из запоя
Viagra Newark: Viagra Newark – ViagraNewark
Orchard Select – Products are neatly displayed and the menu is intuitive — very convenient to navigate.
https://letterboxd.com/1xbetfreebet6/list/1xbet-free-promo-code-130-sports-bonus/
Go to the official company site — https://kanctanta.ru/
выберите ресурсы tripskan
seo рейтинг seo рейтинг .
мелбет казино официальный сайт скачать http://melbet5004.ru
написание курсовых работ на заказ цена http://www.kupit-kursovuyu-9.ru/ .
happyhomepick – Browsing is effortless, interface is tidy, and items are clearly visible.
Hmm it appears like your website ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to the whole thing. Do you have any suggestions for rookie blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you will be a great author. I will make sure to bookmark your blog and will come back later on. I want to encourage that you continue your great job, have a nice day!
Visit our website to discover the full range of our services, explore available options, and stay up to date
with the latest updates. A clear, easy-to-navigate layout will help you quickly see how we can meet
your needs and choose the best solution for you. Explore our
site today and find exactly what you’ve been looking for.
рейтинг seo студий https://reiting-seo-kompanii.ru/ .
курсовая заказать курсовая заказать .
happyhomecornerhub – Layout is user-friendly, products are well displayed, and browsing was seamless.
mountainhavenstore – Navigation is simple, shopping feels effortless and pleasant.
Ваше устройство не работает. С этой проблемой вам нужно обратиться в специализированный сервисный центр, прочитайте этот гайд если симптомы подвердились из этого списко то, смело сдавайте в сервис на диагностику
Hi, its good piece of writing on the topic of media print, we all be aware of media is a fantastic source of data.
топ seo агентств мира https://www.reiting-seo-kompanii.ru .
курсовая работа недорого курсовая работа недорого .
Good to have you here. something interesting usually starts with a simple hello.
Step through a gateway offering quality Canadian gaming with intuitive controls, modern design, and consistent enjoyment.
п»їhttps://besthotcasino.ca
перейти на сайт трипскан
Как вести за собой команду в условиях неопределенности. Преимущества и уязвимости. «Дизайн человека». Генераторы — в работе, которая приносит им удовлетворение. Что мною движет? Дизайн человека не предсказывает будущее, а помогает описать уникальную природу каждого человека. Устойчивость к кризисам. Стратегические решения и приоритеты.
https://jch-human-design-wcqq-ru-ros.hdsb.ru
melbet owner https://melbet5009.ru/
здесь trip scan
Spot on with this write-up, I actually believe this website needs much more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the information!
how to use melbet bonus http://www.melbet5009.ru
제 아버지가 이 웹페이지에 대해 말해줬습니다, 이 블로그는 사실 대단합니다.
Thanks on your marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, you might be a great author.I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will come back
very soon. I want to encourage you continue your great job, have a
nice day!
Your website is a treasure trove of practical information! I especially enjoyed this post—it’s
clear you know your stuff. Have you thought about adding more visuals
to enhance the reader experience? Great job!
드래곤피아를 검색하다가 이 웹사이트를
발견했는데, 정말 대박이에요! 내용이 도움이 되고, 디자인이 깔끔합니다.
뉴스레터 구독 기능이 있으면 좋을 것 같아요.
멋진 작업 계속해 주세요!
Amazing issues here. I am very satisfied to peer your article.
Thank you so much and I am having a look forward to touch you.
Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
горизонтальные жалюзи с электроприводом горизонтальные жалюзи с электроприводом .
puremeadowmarket – Really liked how easy everything was to find while browsing today.
mountainvibehub – Products are easy to explore, and the interface is calm and organized.
алюминиевые электрожалюзи https://elektricheskie-zhalyuzi5.ru/ .
puremeadowmarket – Was impressed by how fast the site responds, no lag at all.
Excellent way of explaining, and fastidious post to obtain data about my presentation topic, which i am going to deliver in school.
MountainMistStudio Hub – Clear product arrangement and smooth scrolling improved shopping.
скачать melbet ios скачать melbet ios
2023 y?l? icin en guncel ic tasar?m ve mobilya trendlerini ogrenmek ister misiniz?
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Guzelligin S?rr?: Cilt ve Sac Bak?m Ipuclar?”, там просто кладезь информации.
Смотрите сами:
https://turkbakimi.com
Mobilya ve dekorasyon hakk?nda baska merak ettikleriniz mi var? Biz buraday?z!
мелбет казахстан промокод https://melbet5004.ru
жалюзи на пульте жалюзи на пульте .
https://e-bookmarks.com/story6375721/jonathan-little-poker
puremeadowmarket – The shop feels welcoming, product descriptions read naturally and clearly throughout.
сюда tripscan top