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.
дайсон стайлер официальный сайт дайсон стайлер официальный сайт .
этот сайт https://cryptocloud.club/threads/booba-sliv-zakrytogo-kanala.23/
дайсон стайлер для волос цена с насадками официальный сайт купить http://www.fen-d-2.ru .
дайсон официальный сайт россия http://www.fen-ds-2.ru/ .
здесь https://cryptocloud.club/forums/zarabotok-na-memkoinax.34/
дайсон стайлер https://stajler-d.ru/ .
курсовая заказать курсовая заказать .
hop over to these guys https://wik.ipedia.pro/wiki/Documentation
Mountain Star Hub – Trendy selections look appealing, browsing feels smooth and intuitive.
dyson official dyson official .
For the reason that the admin of this web site is working, no uncertainty very shortly it will be well-known, due to its quality contents.
пин ап бонус за регистрацию https://pinup5012.ru/
TallCedar Studio – Loved the welcoming layout and thoughtfully arranged items.
your modern shopping – Selections appear fresh, browsing feels intuitive and pleasant.
modern shopping picks – Items are appealing, navigating the site is smooth and natural.
Elevated Web Hub – Modern aesthetics paired with easy-to-use navigation.
нажмите здесь https://cryptocloud.club/threads/aliev-aziz-sliv-zakrytogo-kanala.12/
пин ап регистрация по коду пин ап регистрация по коду
дайсон фен купить официальный http://www.dn-fen-1.ru .
check these guys out https://infokos.my.id/page/6/
Mountain Star Picks Hub – Well-arranged items look great, browsing the site feels enjoyable.
dyson официальный магазин http://www.dn-fen-3.ru/ .
pin up ilova promo bilan http://www.pinup5011.ru
Creative Market Studio – Vibrant items with organized displays, really enjoyed seeing the selections.
купить дайсон стайлер с насадками для волос цена официальный сайт http://www.dn-fen-2.ru/ .
BestValueHub – Shopping is convenient, products are displayed clearly, and layout is clean.
Creative Curations Studio – Every item feels thoughtfully selected, layout makes it easy to explore.
ValueSpotStore – Attractive selections, fast-loading pages, and intuitive navigation.
пин ап восстановить пароль http://pinup5011.ru/
QQ88 trực thuộc Liên Minh OKVIP và được đầu tư bài bản về giao diện, âm thanh cùng hiệu suất hoạt động mượt mà trên mọi nền tảng.
QQ88 đảm bảo tính minh bạch trong vận hành, tạo cảm giác kịch tính nhưng vẫn an toàn trong từng lượt chơi.
pin up shikoyatlar uz pinup5011.ru
Magnificent site. Lots of useful information here. I’m sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks on your effort!
official website http://optumpracticemanagementzumaguru.blogspot.com/2018/03/crest-asset-management.html
Мы не составляем «супер-смеси» «на всякий случай». Капельница — это набор модулей, каждый из которых отвечает за конкретную задачу: гидратация, электролиты, гастропротекция, антиоксидантная поддержка; при показаниях — мягкая анксиолитика. Порядок модулей зависит от ведущего симптом-кластера и времени суток.
Детальнее – сколько стоит капельница на дому от запоя мурманск
Full Article https://www.vki.ac.be/index.php/96-about-vki/links/industries
other https://anandapedia.com/en/Documentation
можно проверить ЗДЕСЬ https://cryptocloud.club/threads/crypto-daniel-sliv-zakrytogo-kanala.36/
Таможенные услуги москва на уровне европейских стандартов
https://kandkmanagementcorp.com/author/anneroundtree4/
Mountain Star Finds Hub – Trendy items displayed clearly, site navigation feels effortless today.
Mountain Star Online – Trendy collections presented clearly, shopping is smooth and convenient.
Wonderful web site. Lots of helpful info here. I am sending it to a few pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks on your effort!
Excellent site. Lots of helpful information here. I’m sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks on your sweat!
Fantastic site. Plenty of useful information here. I am sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks for your effort!
pin up savollar va javoblar http://www.pinup5012.ru
click over here now https://bafybeiemxf5abjwjbikoz4mc3a3dla6ual3jsgpdr4cjr3oz3evfyavhwq.ipfs.dweb.link/wiki/Documentation.html
Curated Creative Finds – Colorful, interesting, and well-presented products, browsing was enjoyable.
SmartDealsHub – Fast-loading, easy-to-use interface with great value items.
Magnificent site. Plenty of helpful info here. I’m sending it to a few buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you on your effort!
pin up xavfsizmi http://pinup5011.ru/
Смотреть здесь https://cryptocloud.club/