
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.
сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/b872/81831/dostup-k-postgresql-iz-c-s-ispolzovaniem-biblioteki-libpq.html
подробнее https://forum.hpc.name/thread/i742/66323/kak-realizovat-ssylku-podrobnee-pri-perepolnenii-teksta-v-bloke-div-na-php.html
выберите ресурсы https://forum.hpc.name/thread/s380/77930/vnedrenie-zavisimostey-v-servlety-s-pomoshchyu-autowired-v-spring.html
посетить веб-сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/w680/85343/reshenie-problemy-otobrajeniya-russkogo-yazyka-v-ren-py.html
кракен официальный сайт
интернет https://forum.hpc.name/thread/v940/92029/postroenie-uml-diagrammy-variantov-ispolzovaniya-dlya-scada-sistemy.html
опубликовано здесь https://forum.hpc.name/thread/x252/103125/kak-sozdat-prostuyu-programmu-v-labview-s-odnoy-knopkoy-dlya-upravleniya-svetodiodom-cherez-com-port.html
Главная https://forum.hpc.name/thread/p660/138085/kak-otobrazit-polzunki-trackbar-na-stranice-s-ispolzovaniem-django.html
kraken tor зеркало
Обсуждение нейросетей всё заметнее затрагивает интерактивных платформах. Сейчас такие решения используются для плавного процесса. Внутри платформы механизмы joycasino вход поддерживают повышать стабильность, не нарушая классический формат. В итоге участие воспринимается более предсказуемой, что ценно для пользователей.
Перейти на сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/e872/67741/sposoby-podklyucheniya-vneshnih-bibliotek-k-klassu-na-php.html
https://biiut.com/read-blog/34074
https://www.diveboard.com/rixoyec871/posts/1xbet-bonus-promo-code-india-2026-1xbig2026-B71bKKO
ссылка на сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/n961/96449/kak-razdelit-kod-extjs-prilojeniya-na-moduli.html
узнать больше https://forum.hpc.name/thread/v121/135981/kak-programmno-navesti-kursor-na-obekt-v-veb-prilojenii.html
выберите ресурсы https://forum.hpc.name/thread/e012/128979/kak-nastroit-staticheskiy-ip-adres-na-raspberry-pi.html
зайти на сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/h140/106586/kak-vyvesti-spisok-vseh-faylov-v-kataloge-i-ego-podkatalogah-v-csv-fayl-s-pomoshchyu-powershell.html
Смотреть здесь https://forum.hpc.name/thread/y282/76184/pixel-color-detection-bot-na-python-dlya-poiska-i-klika-po-belomu-pikselyu.html
Путешествие на лайнере из Китая запомнилось отличной атмосферой, чистотой, сервисом и красивыми морскими пейзажами https://kruizy-iz-kataya.ru/
ссылка на сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/q721/89049/modifikaciya-programmy-umnojeniya-dlya-dvuhbaytovyh-chisel-kr580.html
продвижение наркологии seo-kejsy8.ru .
QQ88 Casino mang đến không gian cá cược hiện đại với dealer live chuyên nghiệp, tỷ lệ thưởng cạnh tranh và hệ thống bảo mật cao cấp dành cho người chơi sành giải trí.
веб-сайте https://forum.hpc.name/thread/y592/98701/kak-sozdat-i-razmestit-fayl-vklyuchaemoy-oblasti-i-knopki-socsetey-v-1s-bitriks.html
страница https://forum.hpc.name/thread/i462/97577/napishite-regulyarnoe-vyrajenie-dlya-poiska-poziciy-daty-v-tekste.html
нажмите https://forum.hpc.name/thread/j091/140283/kak-dodelat-veb-interfeys-v-django-s-ispolzovaniem-postgresql.html
содержание https://forum.hpc.name/thread/e051/123726/kak-proshit-ofisnyy-telefon-siemens-openstage-20-hfa-shag-za-shagom.html
продолжить https://forum.hpc.name/thread/r832/89086/perehvat-preryvaniya-int-09h-v-assembler.html
посетить сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/u400/121990/kak-byt-esli-posle-peregreva-noutbuka-dell-n5010-poyavlyayutsya-artefakty.html
Genuinely no matter if someone doesn’t understand then its up to other people that they will help, so here it takes place.
зайти на сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/q601/116000/oborudovanie-dlya-servera-1s8.html
Remarkable things here. I’m very satisfied to peer your article. Thank you a lot and I’m looking forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a mail?
Продолжение https://forum.hpc.name/thread/t481/79707/laboratornaya-rabota-na-turbo-pascal-generaciya-parolya.html
Первым шагом при лечении зависимости является детоксикация — очищение организма от токсинов, накопившихся в результате употребления алкоголя или наркотиков. Врач подбирает состав инфузионных растворов и лекарственных препаратов индивидуально. Процедура направлена на восстановление обмена веществ, улучшение работы печени и сердца, нормализацию сна и аппетита. После завершения детоксикации пациент чувствует облегчение, снижается тревожность и повышается концентрация внимания.
Изучить вопрос глубже – https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-v-volgograde17.ru/narkologi-volgograda
I’m not positive the place you’re getting your information, however good topic. I must spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent information I used to be on the lookout for this information for my mission.
узнать больше https://forum.hpc.name/thread/l781/138837/kak-opredelit-fizicheskiy-adres-yacheyki-op-pri-vypolnenii-instrukcii-mov-dh-bp-10.html
этот сайт https://forum.hpc.name/thread/u782/126170/reshenie-problemy-s-usb-mikroskopom-opredelyaemym-kak-veb-kamera.html
This post had me smiling from start to finish — thank you!
My brother recommended I may like this website. He was totally right. This put up truly made my day. You can not consider simply how so much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
подробнее https://forum.hpc.name/thread/f852/132862/kondensat-ne-uhodit-perelivaetsya-vnutr-pomeshcheniya-prichiny-i-resheniya.html
выберите ресурсы https://forum.hpc.name/thread/f572/129713/razrabotka-stop-signala-dlya-elektrovelosipeda-s-ispolzovaniem-datchika-holla.html
нажмите https://forum.hpc.name/thread/u400/84649/kak-peredavat-izobrajenie-s-kamery-na-ekran-v-prilojeniyah-dlya-windows-phone-8-1-i-10.html
найти это https://forum.hpc.name/thread/t582/108196/kak-ispravit-oshibku-cannot-import-registry-not-all-data-was-successfully-written-to-the-registry-v-windows.html
https://solo.to/bonusxbet26
другие https://forum.hpc.name/thread/d861/121269/vybor-noutbuka-do-55k-dlya-chego-nujen-opishu-nije.html
Смотреть здесь https://forum.hpc.name/thread/d802/138433/kak-sozdat-bota-dlya-torgovli-na-kriptovalyutnoy-birje.html
Quick Switch Panel – Swipe down to edit the betting lists, change the odds format, https://orderthailand.com/exploring-the-1xbet-logo-png-a-symbol-of-online/, or set limits on responsible game without leaving an active market.
whoah this blog is magnificent i like reading your posts. Stay up the good work! You understand, lots of people are looking round for this info, you could aid them greatly.
I am no longer certain where you’re getting your information, however good topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or working out more. Thanks for fantastic information I used to be looking for this info for my mission.
смотреть здесь https://forum.hpc.name/thread/h301/115393/ocenka-konfiguracii-igrovogo-pk-sovety-i-rekomendacii.html
опубликовано здесь https://forum.hpc.name/thread/y991/103979/pochemu-ne-rabotaet-bezopasnaya-zagruzka-v-windows-11-i-kak-eto-ispravit.html