
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.
Thank you, I have just been looking for information about this subject for ages and yours is the greatest I have discovered so far. But, what in regards to the bottom line? Are you sure about the source?
1win uz http://MAQOLALAR.UZ
каталог https://krab3a.at/
содержание кра
1win aviator hack uz http://MAQOLALAR.UZ
Выбор Подарков — это всегда интересно и захватывающе. Много людей стремятся подобрать уникальный подарок. Отлично, если Подарки, https://uberporno.ru/user/OZGBradly32/ будут выражать вашу заботу.
1win aviator ro‘yxatdan o‘tish MAQOLALAR.UZ
сюда кра
Sedot WC Indo merupakan spesialis jasa sedot wc di Bekasi, kami menyediakan layanan jasa sedot wc 24 jam untuk mengatasi segala macam masalah WC seperti wc mampet, saluran air mampet, dan saluran pembuangan macet.
marketlift.click – Bookmarked this immediately, planning to revisit for updates and inspiration.
marketlift.click – Overall, professional vibe here; trustworthy, polished, and pleasantly minimal throughout.
лучшие онлайн казино россии – https://best-online-casinos-russia-ru.com
marketlift.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
1вин техподдержка http://MAQOLALAR.UZ/
В Сочи клиника «Детокс» предлагает лечение запоя в стационаре с круглосуточным медицинским контролем. Здесь пациент получает безопасное и эффективное восстановление.
Подробнее можно узнать тут – наркологический вывод из запоя в сочи
пылесосы dyson официальный пылесосы dyson официальный .
нажмите здесь https://krab3a.at/
выпрямитель дайсон купить в спб выпрямитель дайсон купить в спб .
1win to‘lov usullari http://www.MAQOLALAR.UZ
здесь https://krab3a.cc
Hi there, I found your web site via Google while searching for a comparable topic, your site got here up, it looks great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hi there, simply became aware of your weblog thru Google, and found that it is truly informative. I’m gonna be careful for brussels. I’ll be grateful if you proceed this in future. Lots of other people can be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
читать магазин
Thanks for any other great article. Where else may just anyone get that type of information in such a perfect method of writing? I have a presentation subsequent week, and I am at the look for such information.
кликните сюда капча
Bài này không chạy theo quảng cáo mà tập trung vào trải nghiệm thật. Với hi88 website, nhiều người phản hồi tốt về game bài và casino live vì luật rõ, dễ chơi. Điều này giúp người mới làm quen nhanh hơn.
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Nonetheless, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be bookmarking
and checking back frequently!
my web-site slot gacor terbaru
фен выпрямитель дайсон airstrait vypryamitel-dn-1.ru .
найти это kra
купить выпрямитель волос дайсон в москве vypryamitel-dn.ru .
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later. Many thanks
admiral casino offers wide assortment gaming entertainment, from classic one-armed bandits to tables with real croupiers.
Эта статья сочетает в себе как полезные, так и интересные сведения, которые обогатят ваше понимание насущных тем. Мы предлагаем практические советы и рекомендации, которые легко внедрить в повседневную жизнь. Узнайте, как улучшить свои навыки и обогатить свой опыт с помощью простых, но эффективных решений.
Смотрите также… – https://subsafan.com/topic/look-what-we-arrange-for-you-an-fascinatingoffers-lately-click-on-the-link-below-to-ready
узнать больше магазин
tim nasional sepak bola palestina – https://tim-nasional-sepak-bola-palestina.com
нажмите здесь https://krab3a.at
Hmm it looks like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any suggestions for first-time blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
Selain itu, kami memahami pentingnya menjaga kualitas dari setiap backlink yang kami buat. Tujuan kami bukan hanya untuk meningkatkan jumlah tautan, tetapi juga memastikan bahwa setiap backlink adalah relevan dengan niche Anda dan memiliki pengaruh positif dalam strategi SEO Anda secara keseluruhan.
«НоваМед Центр» организует экстренную помощь при алкогольной интоксикации без очередей и лишней огласки. Команда наркологов и анестезиологов работает круглосуточно, выезжает на дом и принимает в стационаре, сохраняя один стандарт качества: очная оценка состояния, индивидуально подобранная инфузионная терапия, контроль жизненно важных показателей и понятные рекомендации на первые сутки. Схемы не шаблонные: состав и скорость капельницы зависят от длительности запоя, возраста, сопутствующих болезней и уже принятых лекарств. Наша цель — безопасно прервать запой, снять тремор, тревогу и тошноту, вернуть сон и аппетит, снизить нагрузку на сердце и печень, а затем предложить маршрут последующей помощи по готовности пациента — от амбулаторного наблюдения до программ профилактики срывов.
Получить дополнительную информацию – вывод из запоя дзержинский
Here’s the harsh truth: nearly all HVAC failures take place because someone missed a step. Did not calculate the load correctly. Used undersized equipment. Miscalculated the insulation needs. We’ve personally fixed dozens of these disasters. And each time, we record another lesson. Like in 2017, when we began adding remote monitoring to every system. Why? Because Sarah, our senior tech, got sick of watching homeowners lose money on poor temperature control. Now clients save hundreds yearly.
https://www.flickr.com/people/203950890@N03/
нажмите, чтобы подробнее магазин
пылесос дайсон 2025 купить dn-pylesos.ru .
В Сочи клиника «Детокс» предоставляет услугу вывода из запоя в стационаре. Профессиональные врачи обеспечат комфортное и безопасное лечение. Минимальная стоимость услуги — 2000 ?.
Подробнее – вывод из запоя на дому в сочи
It’s really very difficult in this full of activity life to listen news on Television, therefore I only use web for that reason, and obtain the latest news.
Клиника «Похмельная служба» в Нижнем Новгороде предлагает капельницу от запоя с выездом на дом. Наши специалисты обеспечат вам комфортное и безопасное лечение в привычной обстановке.
Разобраться лучше – наркологический вывод из запоя
в этом разделе кра
Главная https://krab3a.cc
Thanks , I’ve just been looking for info approximately this topic for ages and yours is the best I’ve came upon till now. But, what in regards to the bottom line? Are you sure in regards to the source?
1вин скачать приложение https://www.MAQOLALAR.UZ
Suverent arbeid dere har i verden.
Here is my webpage; Synsreddende bidrag
marketlift.click – Navigation felt smooth, found everything quickly without any confusing steps.