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.
SHBET is committed to providing a high level of customer support, with SHBET team members available to assist users with any questions or issues they may have, and with SHBET continually gathering feedback, the platform is always improving and becoming more user-friendly for all SHBET users to enjoy.
Сервис доставки питьевой воды работает для жителей Махачкалы и Каспийска с удобным мобильным приложением. В ассортименте представлены бутыли различного объема, кулеры, соки и консервация от проверенных производителей. Заказать воду можно на сайте https://voda-s-gor.ru/ или через приложение для смартфонов в любое удобное время. Быстрая доставка на дом и в офис, гибкая система скидок и качественный сервис делают сотрудничество максимально комфортным.
В этой статье собраны факты, которые освещают целый ряд важных вопросов. Мы стремимся предложить читателям четкую, достоверную информацию, которая поможет сформировать собственное мнение и лучше понять сложные аспекты рассматриваемой темы.
Получить исчерпывающие сведения – https://www.bolgernow.com/blog/2023/03/31/indicted-republican-melt-down
Этот информативный текст отличается привлекательным содержанием и актуальными данными. Мы предлагаем читателям взглянуть на привычные вещи под новым углом, предоставляя интересный и доступный материал. Получите удовольствие от чтения и расширьте кругозор!
Только факты! – https://mulhouse800ans.fr/agenda/visite-histoire-connexions
From a technical standpoint, the site loads extremly fast even on slower connections, the mobile version is fully responsive without any lag, and the UI is clean with logical navigation paths. Page performance stays consistent across different browsers and the checkout flow is streamlined without unnecessary steps. skycrown online partnership gogopokies.live
Hey! I understand this is sort of off-topic however I
had to ask. Does operating a well-established blog
such as yours require a massive amount work? I am brand new to
running a blog but I do write in my diary everyday.
I’d like to start a blog so I will be able to share my
personal experience and thoughts online. Please let me know if you have any ideas or tips for new aspiring blog owners.
Thankyou!
В этом обзорном материале представлены увлекательные детали, которые находят отражение в различных аспектах жизни. Мы исследуем непонятные и интересные моменты, позволяя читателю увидеть картину целиком. Погрузитесь в мир знаний и удивительных открытий!
Что ещё? Расскажи всё! – https://desibuzzbc.com/rampant-extortion-threats-in-surrey-leads-to-police-agencies-partnering-to-stop-the-criminal-racket
compelling, beautifully expressed, and genuinely inspiring to read.
discount pet meds: pet pharmacy online – online vet pharmacy
My relatives all the time say that I am killing my time here at web, except I know I am getting familiarity every day by reading thes nice content.
Usually I don’t learn post on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to take a look at and do it! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thank you, very nice article.
проверить сайт https://slon4-at.at/
Эта статья предлагает захватывающий и полезный контент, который привлечет внимание широкого круга читателей. Мы постараемся представить тебе идеи, которые вдохновят вас на изменения в жизни и предоставят практические решения для повседневных вопросов. Читайте и вдохновляйтесь!
Эксклюзивная информация – https://www.fernandomorenoherrero.com/funding/attachment/image_preview
Great post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Very useful information particularly the last part :) I care for such information a lot. I was looking for this certain info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.
Меня один магазин вчера мурыжил с 5 вечера, никак не мог дать реквизиты, хотя чего уж проще? Выдал реквизиты, получил запрошенгую сумму, и пусть себе человек занимается своими делами. И адекватный же был сервис в прошлом году. Ну да ладно. https://concept-d.ru Послезавтра запрет в силу вступаетотпишите народ за 5 iai кто брал спс заранее
This blog post is exceptional and offers such a refreshing depth of
перейти на сайт кракен ссылка
I’m really loving the theme/design of your blog. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility problems? A couple of my blog readers have complained about my blog not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any ideas to help fix this problem?
здесь kraken сайт зеркала
здесь сайт kraken darknet
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was curious what all is required to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% sure. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
веб-сайте https://slon4-at.at
опубликовано здесь slon5.cc
Эта публикация погружает вас в мир увлекательных фактов и удивительных открытий. Мы расскажем о ключевых событиях, которые изменили ход истории, и приоткроем завесу над научными достижениями, которые вдохновили миллионы. Узнайте, чему может научить нас прошлое и как применить эти знания в будущем.
Узнать напрямую – https://iphone-yukari.com/archives/317
A platform for searching https://grand-screen.com and comparing mobile apps. Explore features, reviews, ratings, and user feedback. The Android and iOS app catalog helps you find the best services for work, communication, and entertainment.
Your passion makes every paragraph shine — beautiful work!
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Firefox.
I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something
to do with browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know.
The layout look great though! Hope you get the issue fixed soon. Many thanks
здесь 2fa blacksprut
нажмите, чтобы подробнее https://slon4-at.at/
Свежие новости сайт сми с оперативными новостями из России и мира. Политика, экономика, технологии, общество, культура и другие важные темы. Актуальная информация, аналитика и комментарии экспертов.
Продолжение кракен зеркало
piece engaging from beginning to end. Every point you make is
insight. The clarity, flow, and passion in your writing make the entire
другие slon3.cc
здесь kraken войти
roulette-single-number-odds
Take a look at my webpage: paypal – Filomena –
Эта информационная статья содержит полезные факты, советы и рекомендации, которые помогут вам быть в курсе последних тенденций и изменений в выбранной области. Материал составлен так, чтобы быть полезным и понятным каждому.
Это ещё не всё… – http://mail.pa-pagaralam.go.id/index.php/component/k2/item/6-you-only-live-once-live-well?iccaldate=2020-01-1&start=1850
https://sexchat18.ru/
insight. The clarity, flow, and passion in your writing make the entire
Портал о строительстве https://sdhhbsteel.com и промышленности: новости отрасли, технологии, оборудование, строительные материалы и производственные решения. Полезная информация, аналитика и обзоры для специалистов и компаний.
Обзоры дрелей https://drel-interskol.ru и электроинструмента для дома и профессиональной работы. Сравнение моделей, характеристики, преимущества и недостатки популярных дрелей. Полезные советы по выбору инструмента для ремонта, строительства и бытовых задач.
https://truelectronica.ru/
Узнать больше kraken вход
compelling, beautifully expressed, and genuinely inspiring to read.
каталог kraken войти
The CloudKit service synchronizes structured data between devices using private or public databases with built-in user authentication.
Discover this:
brew install system wide screenshot annotation tool
Our top recommendation:
The Finder’s Quick Look feature generates file previews without opening applications using plug-ins that extract metadata and render thumbnails.
This blog post is exceptional and offers such a refreshing depth of
нажмите здесь блэкспрут не работает
https://petmedsmonitor.com/# pet med
Совершил заказ снова!и буду продолжать это делать,продавец ОЧЕНЬ понимающий человек!:hello::monetka: огромный респект! https://kayhan.ru РОВНЫЙ МАГАЗ!!!УСПЕХОВ И ПОЗИТИВНОГО РАЗВИТИЯ!!новый запрет вступает через 7 дней. читай список бро,там это вещество есть)