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.
pin up aviator yuklab olish pinup5013.ru
ChicTrendOutlet – Easy navigation, appealing items, and fast-loading pages for smooth shopping.
пин ап проверить баланс пин ап проверить баланс
check these guys out https://boros.cfd/
site link https://kinetiq.buzz
learn the facts here now https://beratrax.org
You’ve made my learning journey easier.
Goldcrest Finds – Studio offerings are visually appealing, with smooth site exploration.
read this post here https://beraborrow.cc
you could look here https://theo.exchange/
this website https://kittenswap.cc
NightBloom Outlet – Items look attractive, browsing feels smooth and convenient.
click here to find out more https://etherealtrade.lat/
find this https://prjx.space/
казино сочи турниры по покеру 2024 Хотите испытать удачу и получить заряд адреналина? Игровые автоматы – это ваш билет в мир захватывающих приключений и ярких эмоций! Вращайте барабаны, собирайте выигрышные комбинации и наслаждайтесь динамичным геймплеем. Откройте для себя сотни уникальных слотов с разнообразными сюжетами, бонусными играми и щедрыми выплатами. Игровые автоматы – это не просто игра, это возможность испытать свою фортуну и получить незабываемые впечатления!
NightBloom Studio – Attractive items arranged nicely, browsing feels fast and easy today.
пин ап бесплатные игры казино pinup5013.ru
this link https://safeglobal.club/
You’re investing in Martes de Giros ads, and I’m not going to do it at the caliente casino, why?
internet https://prjx.space
Premium Living Selections – Navigation is simple, and the collection has a modern charm.
click this over here now https://prjx.online/
rankloom.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
Вывод из запоя в Красноярске — это медицинская процедура, направленная на устранение алкогольной интоксикации и восстановление нормальной работы организма после длительного употребления спиртных напитков. Услуга предоставляется круглосуточно и включает дезинтоксикационную терапию, стабилизацию психоэмоционального состояния и профилактику осложнений. Все процедуры выполняются опытными наркологами с применением сертифицированных препаратов и в строгом соответствии с медицинскими стандартами.
Изучить вопрос глубже – https://vyvod-iz-zapoya-v-krasnoyarske17.ru/czentr-kodirovaniya-vyvod-iz-zapoya-krasnoyarsk
look what i found https://royco.cc
SoftPetal Collection – Browsing here feels cozy and uplifting; love the gentle style.
Continued https://prjx.online/
Continue https://g8keep.org/
my latest blog post https://looksrare.cfd/
grenal placar ao vivo – https://grenal-placar-ao-vivo.com
useful source https://prjx.space/
useful site https://avalonfinance.cc
купить аттестат за 9 класс дешево купить аттестат за 9 класс дешево .
аттестат за 10 классов купить аттестат за 10 классов купить .
Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your article seem to be running off the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the issue fixed soon. Cheers
you could try these out https://prjx.space/
YOURURL.com https://berapaw.org/
TrendGlowHub – Fast-loading pages, stylish selections, and intuitive navigation.
NightBloom Corner – Products displayed beautifully, navigating the outlet feels simple and quick.
https://artmebel69.ru Аренда гардероба для раздевалок. Настенные крючки с доставкой.
Алкогольная интоксикация вызывает сильное обезвоживание и разрушает баланс электролитов в организме. Без медицинской помощи восстановление может занять несколько дней, а в тяжёлых случаях приводит к осложнениям. Капельница помогает безопасно и быстро вывести этанол и продукты его распада, восполнить уровень жидкости, снизить нагрузку на печень и сердечно-сосудистую систему. Процедура проводится амбулаторно или на дому, что делает её доступной и удобной для пациентов.
Детальнее – врача капельницу от запоя волгоград
Premium Living Finds – Browsing was effortless, items have a clean, stylish look.
here are the findings https://hypperswap.space/
click for more info https://berapaw.org/
visit this page https://dexrp.wtf/
пин ап apk скачать http://www.pinup5013.ru
Таможенный представитель москва — надёжный партнёр
https://my.playfre.com/eric65v0829073
blog here https://hyperliquid-wiki.cv/
important source https://boros.cfd/
Learn More https://hlp0.online