
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.
как долететь до краби краби прогноз — сезонные прогнозы погоды и волн
I have read some just right stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how a lot attempt you set to create this kind of great informative site.
посетить сайт kush casino зеркало
продолжить куш казино играть
продолжить
купить авто категория с
Antipublic – Stop Attacks Before They Start.
Your accounts may already be targeted — find out now with Antipublic, the fastest real-time security alerting tool.
Scan 33B+ stolen passwords and 50M fresh breaches daily to detect credential stuffing risks instantly.
Check if your email is exposed, get instant hack alerts, and stay ahead of attackers with real breach notifications — all in one click.
Protect your identity, secure your accounts, and block automated login attacks before they succeed.
Total access for only $2 — your full-power breach alert and account-protection system starts now.
Activate Your Alerts Now: Password in cyber security
|
Soft Summer Finds – Smooth page transitions paired with a gentle design made browsing relaxing.
кто уже купил диплом на форуме кто уже купил диплом на форуме .
Find useful game guides and tips on LJShopch. Learn how to tackle difficult levels, understand game mechanics, and discover hidden features.
Soft Summer Essentials – Light and airy layout with a calming flow for a pleasant experience.
скачать купил диплом таксиста скачать купил диплом таксиста .
Simple Trend Portal – Very pleasant experience with clean and accessible layouts.
Fashion Picks Hub – Smooth scrolling and items are well-arranged and easy to find.
купить диплом об окончании 11 классов в спб купить диплом об окончании 11 классов в спб .
Soft Summer Page – Gentle theme and smooth browsing created a calm, user-friendly experience.
Первые часы определяют траекторию. Мы работаем по карте — у каждого окна есть цель, действия, маркеры контроля и критерий перехода. Если ответ «плоский», меняем один элемент и назначаем повторную оценку. Это дисциплинирует решения и защищает от полипрагмазии.
Разобраться лучше – http://www.domen.ru
Season Store Online – Smooth navigation and a well-presented selection of seasonal items.
Seasonal Finds Hub – Clean design and an enjoyable browsing experience overall.
В «Центр Трезвости Воронеж» приватность не обсуждается — она проектируется. Выбор нейтральных формулировок в чеках, немаркированные выезды, «беззвучные» уведомления, отдельные входы и доступ к карте наблюдения только по ролям — это норма, а не «услуга». Пациент может назначить доверенное лицо, чтобы получать краткие апдейты в согласованные временные окна.
Разобраться лучше – запой наркологическая клиника воронеж
Источник казино куш
SunlitValleyMarket Finds – Everything was organized clearly, helping me explore effortlessly.
Nội dung bài khá khách quan. Nhiều người chọn Hi88 nhờ ưu đãi theo từng game, đặc biệt là slot mini–major và casino live hoạt động ổn định.
страница
автоновости казахстана
бездепозитные бонусы за регистрацию в казино 2025 с выводом без пополнения
Top Trend Store – Fast loading pages and the design is simple yet modern.
Shop SunlitValleyMarket – Products were clearly displayed, making exploring straightforward.
Таможенное оформление в домодедово москва — быстро и дёшево
https://date-duell.de/@donnellmcdonou
Seasonal Goods Online – Clean interface and browsing felt very comfortable today.
ссылка на сайт купить права казань
Hi there, yeah this post is actually fastidious and I have learned lot of things from it on the topic of blogging. thanks.
We specialise in providing professional CCTV installation services using 100% original HIKVISION cameras and DVR/NVR systems.
With years of experience and certified technicians, we deliver crystal-clear surveillance, AI-powered protection,
and reliable security solutions tailored for homes, offices,
shops, factories, and industrial facilities.
Thanks very nice blog!
Your method of describing everything in this article is in fact good, all
be able to effortlessly be aware of it, Thanks a lot.
SunlitValleyMarket Online – Easy navigation and tidy sections helped me explore items quickly.
Simple Fashion Store – Pleasant interface with well-structured product sections.
SunlitValleyMarket Goods – Fast-loading pages and tidy layout improved the shopping flow.
Appreciate this post. Will try it out.
Магазин достоин внимания!! цены сладкие))) https://chainfo.xyz Магаз качественный ни разу не подводил!!!Море клиентов и процветания !
Latest Trend Hub – Fast loading pages with a visually appealing layout.
Вывод из запоя — это управляемый медицинский процесс, в котором важны скорость запуска, точность вмешательств и тишина вокруг пациента. В наркологической клинике «СтаврВита» мы соединяем капельницы с объективным мониторингом и бережной организацией пространства: приглушённый свет, понятные инструкции без жаргона, «тихие окна» для связи и пошаговый план на первые трое суток. Наша задача — не «перебить» симптомы, а последовательно вернуть предсказуемость: ровный пульс, уменьшающийся тремор, переносимость воды и тёплой пищи малыми порциями, физиологичный сон без тяжёлой седации. Работаем круглосуточно — выездные бригады, амбулаторные слоты без очередей и стационарный блок с ночным постом объединены общей картой наблюдения, поэтому пациент не «начинает историю заново», когда формат меняется.
Детальнее – вывод из запоя цена ставрополь
Penn Ivermectin PennIvermectin PennIvermectin
Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your blog. You have some really good articles and I feel I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d really like to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please send me an e-mail if interested. Thanks!
бездепозитный бонус в казино за регистрацию по номеру телефона
Seasonal Choice Hub – The site feels reliable, with neatly displayed seasonal products.
нажмите, чтобы подробнее
купить стоит водительские права водительские
Узнать больше
купить оригинальные права
I know this web site offers quality depending content and other data, is there any other web site which gives these kinds of data in quality?
DailyPickStore – Easy-to-browse layout, found everything quickly.
Season Shop Picks – Well-laid-out pages and a great variety of seasonal products.
Season Essentials Hub – Pages load quickly and the site feels modern and reliable.