
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.
This page looks like a specific Buick Enclave technical reference entry, focused on “tachometer fuel gauge engine coolant temperature gauge 1690” as part of a service/owner guide. It’s useful for troubleshooting, maintenance context, or understanding how a system works. Read here: https://www.benclave.com/tachometer_fuel_gauge_engine_coolant_temperature_gauge-1690.html
Программы вывода из запоя в клинике разрабатываются с учётом состояния пациента. Для тяжёлых случаев назначается интенсивный курс с инфузионной терапией и контролем электролитов. При лёгких формах применяются мягкие препараты с постепенным выведением токсинов. Все процедуры проходят с соблюдением медицинских стандартов и полным сохранением анонимности.
Получить дополнительные сведения – http://vyvod-iz-zapoia-v-volgograde17.ru/vyvod-iz-zapoya-na-domu-volgograd/
published here https://badai.one
adnivo.click – Bookmarked this immediately, planning to revisit for updates and inspiration.
xo88 – https://xo88-vi.com
1win bonus şərtləri 1win bonus şərtləri
Всем здравия! Недавно искал честную площадку для игры на рубли, и понял: половина сайтов — скам. Советую обращать внимание на наличие лицензии и читать обзоры. Свой топ-7 с моментальным выводом оставил здесь: казино эльдорадо РІС…РѕРґ. Пишите, кто что знает по теме!
https://telrostov.ru/virtualnyy-nomer-v-velikobritanii-kak-vybrat-i-ispolzovat.html
сайт заказать курсовую работу kupit-kursovuyu-41.ru .
Ниже приведена таблица с типовыми компонентами капельницы и их назначением:
Изучить вопрос глубже – капельница от запоя анонимно на дому
Этот информационный набор привлекает внимание множеством мелочей и странных ракурсов. Мы предлагаем взгляды, которые редко бывают полезны, но могут слегка разнообразить ваше знакомство с темой.
Вот – блекджек
my review here https://elara.cfd/
Современная наркологическая клиника — это не просто медицинское учреждение, а пространство комплексной помощи, где врачи помогают человеку восстановиться физически, психологически и социально. В клинике «РязаньМед Альянс» создана система непрерывного наблюдения, включающая диагностику, выведение из запоя, детоксикацию, кодирование и постреабилитационную поддержку. Здесь работают квалифицированные наркологи, психиатры и терапевты, а помощь оказывается круглосуточно — как в стационаре, так и на дому. Главная цель специалистов — вернуть пациенту контроль над своим состоянием и избавить от зависимости без стресса и боли.
Получить дополнительную информацию – https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-v-ryazani17.ru/narkologiya-v-ryazani
read this https://badai.sbs/
klickivo.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
I am sure this post has touched all the internet visitors, its really really good paragraph on building up new weblog.
onpagelab.click – Mobile version looks perfect; no glitches, fast scrolling, crisp text.
try these out https://alchemistai.cc
onpagelab.click – Pages loaded fast, images appeared sharp, and formatting stayed consistent.
Сразу после вызова нарколог прибывает на дом для проведения детального осмотра. На этом этапе специалист измеряет жизненно важные показатели, собирает анамнез и оценивает степень алкогольной интоксикации, что является основой для составления персонального плана лечения.
Подробнее тут – вывод из запоя круглосуточно в туле
seo аудит веб сайта prodvizhenie-sajtov-v-moskve113.ru .
you can try this out https://colend.tech
усиление ссылок переходами prodvizhenie-sajtov-v-moskve225.ru .
This Site https://upshift.ltd
check here https://astake.org/
Ребята, не тратьте время на левые сайты! Чтобы выбрать платящее казино, обращайте внимание на: лицензию Curacao или Мальты, а также на условия бонусов. Я лично протестировал десятки платформ и оставил только те, где дают фриспины сразу. Весь список — по ссылке: Болливуд. Делитесь опытом!
site web https://agentsland.org/
this link https://prismagent.agency/
this content https://agents-land.org
rankvanta.click – Loved the layout today; clean, simple, and genuinely user-friendly overall.
1win tətbiqi 1win5762.help
wikipedia reference https://flaunch.ink
onpagelab.click – Mobile version looks perfect; no glitches, fast scrolling, crisp text.
his comment is here https://heyanon.pro
You have an incredible ability to communicate complex ideas.
onpagelab.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
onpagelab.click – Pages loaded fast, images appeared sharp, and formatting stayed consistent.
klickivo.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
The using the API tools are useful analytics and great support.
adnivo.click – Found practical insights today; sharing this article with colleagues later.
see this site https://astake.org/
navigate here https://astake.org
find more https://universalx.cc
adnivo.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
профессиональное продвижение сайтов профессиональное продвижение сайтов .
оптимизация сайта франция цена prodvizhenie-sajtov-v-moskve223.ru .
Зависимость от психоактивных веществ — серьёзное заболевание, затрагивающее как физическое, так и психологическое состояние человека. При отсутствии своевременной наркологической помощи в клинике возможно ухудшение здоровья, развитие тяжелых осложнений и социальная деградация пациента.
Разобраться лучше – вызвать наркологическую помощь в новокузнецке
bitstarz casino – https://bitstarz-casino-77.com
This Site https://orbitcryptoai.cloud/
интернет раскрутка prodvizhenie-sajtov-v-moskve214.ru .