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.
Appreciating the hard work you put into your site and in depth information you offer. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same outdated rehashed material. Excellent read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.
byueuropaviagraonline
усиление проемов цена усиление проемов цена .
point resonated strongly and was presented beautifully. It is remarkable
Comment 49: This blog post is truly outstanding and provides such a
how effectively you communicate your ideas, and this piece genuinely
Greate pieces. Keep writing such kind of information on your site. Im really impressed by it
Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to assert that I get in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently rapidly.
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be useful to read through content from other authors and practice a little something from other sites.
byueuropaviagraonline
http://mafiaclans.ru/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=10347
Greetings I am so grateful I found your webpage, I really found you by error, while I was researching on Digg for something else, Regardless I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a fantastic post and a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the moment but I have saved it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the superb work.
нажмите [url=https://vodkabet.de.com/]зеркало водкабет[/url]
вот вот такая же история! надо разобраться с этим вопросом! купить кокаин, мефедрон, бошки, марихуану А как вы объясните такой факт, месяц назад я оплатил посылку и статус в обработке был более чем 11 дней да еще и ждал я посылку дней 10, я нечего не имею против вашей работы и вообще против вас в целом, вы отличный магазин, но согласитесь “ЛАЖИ” у вас все таки бывают, я говорю это к тому что бы в следующий раз такого не повторялось, без обидотзовусь о магазине, хороший,надежный)
Критерий
Углубиться в тему – https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-murmansk0.ru/narkologicheskaya-klinika-otzyvy-marmansk/
нажмите здесь [url=https://vodkabet.de.com]зеркало водкабет[/url]
Мы предлагаем дипломы любой профессии по невысоким ценам. Приобрести диплом ВУЗа dui.forum-top.ru/login.php?action=in
Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had to tell someone!
byueuropaviagraonline
Расширенный обзор: https://dzen.ru/a/aVy46x51Ij69QU-u
Right away I am ready to do my breakfast, afterward having my breakfast coming yet again to read additional news.
SUV electric vehicles are battery-powered SUVs that combine spacious interiors with long driving range and modern tech. They are ideal for families, road trips, and drivers who want versatility with low running costs: Denza EV Charging Stations
посмотреть на этом сайте зеркало vodkabet
посетить веб-сайт сайт vodka bet
Hello Dear, are you really visiting this site daily, if so after that you will without doubt obtain pleasant experience.
byueuropaviagraonline
Кракен логин не проходит, может у кого есть актуальная инструкция?
https://ivebo.co.uk/read-blog/233334
Покупка базы ссылок Хрумер — эффективное решение для автоматизированного постинга и наращивания ссылочной массы. Перейдя по запросу боевая база Хрумер Вы получите актуальную и проверенную базу, которая позволит ускорить продвижение сайтов, повысить охват и сэкономить время на ручном поиске площадок. Готовые списки ресурсов подходят для различных тематик и обеспечивают стабильный результат при работе с Xrumer.
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have you book marked to check out new things you post…
http://skazka.g-talk.ru/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7341
Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads
up. The words in your article seem to be running off the screen in Internet explorer.
I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something
to do with web browser compatibility but I figured I’d post
to let you know. The design and style look great though!
Hope you get the issue fixed soon. Kudos
my page … zupacescu01
Ищу Кракен зеркало, которое реально работает, поделитесь, пожалуйста.
Amazing things here. I am very happy to peer your article. Thanks so much and I’m taking a look ahead to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
byueuropaviagraonline
В каталогах представлены дома разных размеров, форм и планировок.
проекты готовых домов из газобетона https://proekty-domov2.ru/gazobeton/
Grandpasha güncel adresi arıyorsanız doğru yerdesiniz. Sorunsuz erişim için Hemen Oyna Deneme bonusu bu sitede.
Пробовал зайти на Кракен через тор, но сайт не открывается, что делать?
Good day! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!
I blog often and I seriously thank you for your content. This article has really peaked my interest. I will bookmark your site and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed as well.
Hi there colleagues, how is all, and what you desire to say about this piece of writing, in my view its in fact awesome in favor of me.
Gencler, Grandpashabet Casino yeni adresi belli oldu. Giremeyenler su linkten giris yapabilir https://grandpashabet.in.net/#
Magnificent website. A lot of useful info here. I am sending it to a few pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you to your effort!
I’ve been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this website. Studying this information So i am happy to show that I’ve an incredibly just right uncanny feeling I discovered exactly what I needed. I so much indubitably will make certain to don?t forget this web site and give it a look on a continuing basis.
https://hoomet.com/blogs/10004/3957/1xbet-south-africa-promo-code-2026-1x200gold-bonus-130
point resonated strongly and was presented beautifully. It is remarkable
Please let me know if you’re looking for a article author for your blog. You have some really great articles and I think I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please shoot me an email if interested. Kudos!
The other day, while I was at work, my cousin stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a
40 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad
is now broken and she has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
страница водка бет
Ребята, не тратьте время на левые сайты! Чтобы выбрать проверенное казино, обращайте внимание на: русскоязычную службу поддержки, а также на отзывы. Я лично протестировал десятки платформ и оставил только те, где выводят за час. Весь список — по ссылке: mellstroy game сайт. Делитесь опытом!
https://unique-by-k.mn.co/posts/96610054
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Comment 232: This blog post is truly outstanding and provides such a
ремонт бетонных конструкций компания ремонт бетонных конструкций компания .
Its such as you learn my mind! You seem to understand a lot approximately this, such as you wrote the e-book in it or something. I think that you simply could do with a few % to power the message home a bit, but other than that, that is magnificent blog. An excellent read. I’ll definitely be back.