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.
try here https://hyperliquid-wiki.cc
Unique Finds Hub – Well-laid-out items with clear visuals and effortless exploration.
playboy888
To safeguard user data and financial activities, the site utilizes state-of-the-art security protocols.
QuickDealsHub – Easy browsing, solid deals, and intuitive site navigation.
другие https://cryptocloud.club/threads/beefs-trend-futures-sliv-zakrytogo-kanala.17/
Apple products EU shipping В Испании мы предлагаем comprar iPhone Europa и iPhone reacondicionado Espana в нашей tienda de electronica online Europa.
linked here https://dexrp.wtf
read the full info here https://avalonfinance.cv
Для наглядности представлена таблица с основными направлениями терапии и их эффектами:
Ознакомиться с деталями – платная наркологическая клиника в краснодаре
пин ап ставки на спорт http://www.pinup5011.ru
пин ап блокировка аккаунта http://pinup5011.ru/
MoonGlow Boutique Hub – Minimalist layout with soft visuals ensures a smooth and appealing shopping journey.
пин ап ставки на теннис https://www.pinup5011.ru
купить фен дайсон официальный купить фен дайсон официальный .
Наркологическая клиника в Краснодаре специализируется на лечении алкогольной, наркотической и других видов зависимостей с использованием современных медицинских технологий и индивидуальных программ терапии. Работа специалистов направлена на устранение физической зависимости, восстановление психоэмоционального состояния и возвращение пациента к полноценной жизни. Все процедуры проводятся в безопасных условиях с соблюдением принципов анонимности и врачебной тайны.
Получить больше информации – наркологическая клиника наркологический центр в краснодаре
City Rainy Hub – Easy-to-use layout with great visual organization and smooth page loads.
я звонил седня.сказали либо номер не правлеьный..либо не отправили еще купить кокаин, мефедрон, гашиш, бошки, лирика Красиво делаете. Так держать!да иногда просто не можем находиться у компа,но мы стараемся всем ответить, пытаемся все оптимизировать, поймите нас тоже, у всех разные часовые пояса и находиться 24 часа в онлайн нереально…
Minimal Design Platform – Smooth navigation makes exploring products enjoyable.
Design Led Click Hub – Clean modern layout makes browsing feel effortless and smooth.
RainyCity Finds – Clean design with easy navigation and visually appealing product presentation.
пин ап бонус pinup5012.ru
pin up uzcard orqali pul olish pin up uzcard orqali pul olish
Next Level Lifestyle – Each item feels modern, and exploring the store is smooth and enjoyable.
Heya i’m for the primary time here. I found this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I’m hoping to provide one thing back and help others such as you helped me.
pin up depozit bonusi https://www.pinup5011.ru
MoonGlow Corner – Soft aesthetic combined with organized sections offers effortless exploration.
go https://plasma.credit/
heritagebuyzone – HeritageBuyZone delivers distinctive finds with a smooth and elegant browsing experience.
pin up uz kirish http://www.pinup5012.ru
index https://defi-money.cc/
пин ап мобильная версия пин ап мобильная версия
пояснения https://cryptocloud.club/threads/instarding-sliv-zakrytogo-kanala.33/
Curated Design Space – Clean visuals make product discovery enjoyable.
пин ап зеркало уз http://www.pinup5011.ru
Design Click Experience – Well-designed pages make exploring products easy.
check this site out https://d2finance.cv/
MoonGlow Select – Clean visuals and well-laid-out sections make shopping feel natural and easy.
find here https://hypperswap.cloud
Digital Clickping Market – A visually appealing marketplace with quick navigation and responsive pages.
pin up qanday pul yechiladi https://www.pinup5011.ru
this https://royco.cc/
Discover More Here https://unich.icu
Главная https://cryptocloud.club/forums/obsuzhdenie-de-fi-proektov.29/
C168 phát triển hệ sinh thái cá cược trực tuyến đa dạng, đáp ứng nhu cầu giải trí từ thể thao đến casino và game slot.
пин ап скачать приложение пин ап скачать приложение
click for source https://etherealtrade.lat
Daily Digital Hub – Clean interface ensures fast access and simple navigation.
Look At This https://dexrp.buzz
hop over to these guys https://royco.cc/
Contemporary Design Hub – Everything looks thoughtfully placed and easy to find.