
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.
you can find out more https://slop-club.org
visit their website https://hyperdrive.pw/
about his https://hyperdrive.pw
а что с магазином в Петрозаводске,работать то будете дальше,а то уже неделю не какой активности. Купить Кокаин, Бошки, Мефедрон, Гашиш это зависит на сколько ты прикурен .магаз ровный!!! все на высшем уровне!!! работаю с ними много лет!!!
перейти на сайт photmagicai
More about the author https://upshift.ltd
her latest blog https://elara.cc
This Site https://perena.cc
веб-сайт крутить кейсы
visit the website https://elara.uno/
Как отмечает руководитель клинико-диагностического отдела ФГБУ «Национальный центр наркологии», «участие в терапии нескольких специалистов разных направлений позволяет учитывать не только симптомы, но и глубинные причины зависимости». Именно такой подход снижает риск рецидивов и повышает эффективность лечения.
Подробнее можно узнать тут – http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-yaroslavl0.ru
my company https://xmaquina.cc/
click over here https://flaunch.ink
I like the helpful info you provide for your articles. I will bookmark your blog and take a look at again here regularly. I am fairly certain I’ll be informed many new stuff proper here! Best of luck for the next!
navigate to these guys https://blendfun.xyz
Здесь собраны разрозненные сведения и неопределённые мысли, которые могут заинтересовать, даже если их важность сомнительна.
Дополнительная информация – деньги в долг
page https://orbitcryptoai.org/
Промокоды для 1хслотс учитывают специфику региональных предпочтений пользователей. https://telegra.ph/1Win-Bonus-Code-Today-01-18 1хслот Промокод
Фигурки кульные))))))
казино мостбет, mostbet-t99n8.lol доступно игрокам оригинальные возможности для развлечения. Здесь вы можете насладиться многообразными азартными играми и бонусами. Яркий интерфейс позволяет легко ориентироваться.
Наши врачи используют только проверенные и сертифицированные медикаменты, индивидуально подбираемые для каждого пациента. В состав лечебного курса входят:
Подробнее тут – вывод из запоя на дому круглосуточно
Привет! Решил собрать только те игровые клубы, где лично получил выплату. Критерии: вывод до 10 минут. Все рабочие ссылки — по адресу: Mellstroy. Кто уже тестировал эти площадки?
真实的人类第三季高清完整官方版,海外华人可免费观看最新热播剧集。
Всем привет! Уже третий год играю в онлайн казино, и за это время понял главное: выбирайте площадки с честными условиями. Избегайте тех, где требуют паспорт или тормозят с выводом. Лучшие казино РФ с поддержкой ЮMoney собрал здесь: mellstroy game. Кто что может добавить?
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point.
You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away
your intelligence on just posting videos to your
site when you could be giving us something informative to read?
online casino win real money best online casinos for us players online casino deposit bonus
his comment is here https://cwap.xyz
additional hints https://exponent.bond
learn the facts here now https://alchemistai.buzz
tim nasional sepak bola serbia – https://tim-nasional-sepak-bola-serbia.com
Find Out More https://heyanon.pro
like this https://askthehive.org
check that https://elara.uno
go to these guys https://tophat.space
of course like your website but you need to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to tell the reality on the other hand I will surely come back again.
Recommended Reading https://cwap.us
check out here https://heyanon.lat
На Вашем месте я бы попросил помощи у пользователей этого форума.
мониторинг цен конкурентов, https://oda-radio.com/poleznoe/luchshie-instrumenty-dlya-avtomaticheskogo-sbora-cen-konkurentov-v-internete-v-2026-godu.html позволяет отслеживать рыночные параметры и изменять стратегические решения для улучшения бизнеса. Эффективный подход помогает улучшению конкурентоспособности вашей компании.
adsparkhub.click – Appreciate the typography choices; comfortable spacing improved my reading experience.
Особенность подхода заключается в сочетании медицинской и психологической поддержки. После кодирования пациент получает консультации психотерапевта, рекомендации по восстановлению и профилактике рецидивов. Это снижает риск повторного срыва и помогает закрепить результат на долгий срок.
Получить дополнительную информацию – кодирование от алкоголизма отзывы
dig this https://blendfun.xyz
adsparkhub.click – Mobile version looks perfect; no glitches, fast scrolling, crisp text.
Wonderful post! We are linking to this great content on our site.
Keep up the great writing.
купить аттестат в липецке купить аттестат в липецке .
I appreciate how honest and thoughtful this post is.
Your talent is showing BIG TIME — wow!
Everything about this post screams passion — incredible work!
I love how clear and comprehensive your posts are.
Здесь собраны разрозненные сведения и неопределённые мысли, которые могут заинтересовать, даже если их важность сомнительна.
Дополнительная информация – рулетка онлайн
check my blog https://universalx.us
Read Full Report https://agents-land.org