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.
news netx360+
https://urologymax.com/conditions/prostate-cancer.html# online ed treatments
clickrly – Mobile version looks perfect; no glitches, fast scrolling, crisp text.
В том случае если вы готовите путешествие между Берлином и Польшей, полезно знать отдаление и возможности добраться. В частности, познань берлин расстояние равняется около 270 км, а доехать можно поездом, что приятно и быстро. Вдобавок многие интересуются, как доехать из берлина в потсдам или как добраться до берлин-бранденбург аэропорт — есть несколько способов, охватывая поезд и автобус.
Для энтузиастов истории нужно заглянуть в берлинский дворец или усадьбы в предместьях берлина, а если хочется больше деталей о путях и передвижении, предлагаю изучить лодзь берлин поезд . Ежели вам необходимо переместиться из аэропорта берлина до автовокзала или прояснить подробности про поезда днепр-берлин или ужгород-берлин поезд, на сайте часто обсуждают такие курсы и дают ценные наставления.
leeftijd-casino-nederland
Also visit my web page: demo
YOURURL.com netx360 login
Link exchange is nothing else except it is simply placing the other person’s weblog link on your page at proper place and other person will also do same in support of you.
Hello, just wanted to tell you, I liked this post. It was helpful.
Keep on posting!
What’s up, this weekend is nice in support of me, because this occasion i am reading this fantastic informative article here at my residence.
It’s very simple to find out any topic on web as compared to books,
as I found this article at this web page.
hey there and thank you for your information – I’ve definitely picked up
something new from right here. I did however expertise some technical points using this site, since I
experienced to reload the website a lot of times previous to
I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK?
Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will very
frequently affect your placement in google and can damage your high-quality score if
advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and can look
out for much more of your respective fascinating content.
Ensure that you update this again very soon.
I will immediately clutch your rss as I can not find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly allow me recognise so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
Online casinos are revolutionizing entertainment with their wide selection of Casino Online Games, https://hamishpat.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-online-casino-casinoist-6/. Players can experience thrilling gameplay anytime, anywhere. Including classic slots to live dealer options, options abound for every taste. Take part in the fun and discover new favorites!
My family all the time say that I am wasting my time here at web, except I know I am getting know-how daily by reading thes fastidious posts.
FanDuel Casino is America’s #1 online casino, delivering direct thrills with ignition casino bitcoin , upper-class slots like Huff N’ Huff, and actual merchandiser undertaking right at your fingertips. Hip players get 500 Largesse Spins added $40 in Casino Bonus decent in return depositing $10—with the addition of up to $1,000 fail on first-day reticle losses. Line all Thrillionaires: accompany at present, butter up your way, and drive every blink into epic wins!
After exploring a few of the articles on your website, I honestly appreciate your way of
blogging. I saved it to my bookmark webpage list and will
be checking back soon. Please check out my web site as well and let me know your opinion.
browse around this website netx360
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 website to come back later on. All the best
И что из этого следует?
Les maisons de jeu Skrill offrent une opportunitГ© unique aux clients de remporter de l’argent rapidement. Avec plusieurs activitГ©s disponibles, les casinos skrill, casinos skrill interpellent un auditoire toujours en quГЄte de inГ©dites expГ©riences de hasard.
newest-online-casinos-australia
Also visit my blog post: chips
stake casino en ligne
betnano betnano
Дубликаты государственных номеров на авто в Москве доступны для заказа в кратчайшие сроки дубликат номера автомобиля цена москва с доставкой недорого
обращайтесь к нам для получения надежной помощи и гарантии результата!
My partner and I stumbled over here different website and thought I
might as well check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you.
Look forward to exploring your web page again.
vdcasino resmi giriş: vdcasino
fantastic issues altogether, you just received a emblem new reader.
What would you suggest about your publish that you simply made some
days in the past? Any positive?
my stake casino
https://betnano1st.top/# betnano
It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things or advice. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read more things about it!
This blog post is exceptional and offers such a refreshing depth of
https://matbet1st.online/# matbet giriş
Good day! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a
quick shout out and say I genuinely enjoy reading through your blog posts.
Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that deal with the same subjects?
Thank you!
I’m not sure exactly why but this web site is loading incredibly
slow for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a issue on my end?
I’ll check back later on and see if the problem still exists.
Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this site. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s difficult to get that “perfect balance” between usability and visual appeal. I must say you have done a superb job with this. In addition, the blog loads extremely quick for me on Firefox. Superb Blog!
This post will assist the internet users for setting up new webpage
or even a weblog from start to end.
This is a very informative post. I really appreciate how clearly everything is explained, especially for
people who are new to online casino platforms.
The way you describe the features, usability, and overall experience makes it easy to understand and compare
with other websites. I also like that the content focuses on safety, convenience, and user experience.
Thanks for sharing such useful information. I will definitely check out more articles on this site.
non GamStop websites, https://www.crownmutual.com/2026/03/08/the-best-casinos-not-on-gamstop-uk-a-comprehensive/ offer players an opportunity to enjoy online gaming without the restrictions imposed by GamStop. These platforms allow freedom in wagering, appealing to many gamblers. Enjoy engaging experiences with no limitations.
When someone writes an article he/she maintains the image of a user
in his/her mind that how a user can know it. Thus that’s why this article
is great. Thanks!
Hello to every single one, it’s truly a good for me to visit this
web site, it consists of valuable Information.
stake casino deutschland
If some one needs to be updated with most recent technologies
therefore he must be pay a visit this web page and be up to date
all the time. https://url.qwhosting.com/freddieburch65
Hey there, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your website in Firefox, it looks fine but
when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Other then that, very good blog!
What a stuff of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious know-how about unexpected emotions.
stake casino
great post, very informative. I ponder why the other specialists of this sector don’t notice this.
You must continue your writing. I’m confident, you have a great readers’ base already!
Casinos Non Gamstop, http://getantlers.com/discovering-exciting-new-non-gamstop-casino-sites/ offer players countless options for entertainment. With special games and offers, these casinos provide an captivating experience. Users can enjoy the flexibility of playing without restrictions. Explore the thrilling world of Casinos Non Gamstop today!
Замечательно, это очень ценная штука
Каждый любитель корейских сериалов может найти что-то интересное. Чтобы с комфортом любоваться любимыми историями, рекомендуем выбрать удобные платформы. дорамы смотреть онлайн, http://cycleparking.ru/2017/02/01/1/ — это отличный способ познакомиться новые жанры и персонажей, которые увлекут вас.
convertcraft – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
boostsignals – Appreciate the typography choices; comfortable spacing improved my reading experience.
convertcraft – Navigation felt smooth, found everything quickly without any confusing steps.