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.
https://odysee.com/@Yoshhifumiros33ightl
https://www.metooo.io/u/689b16e740422e2b8014c4f3
п»їlegitimate online pharmacies india: reputable indian online pharmacy – Indian Meds One
вывод из запоя цена
vivod-iz-zapoya-orenburg005.ru
экстренный вывод из запоя оренбург
Gametoto
консультация юриста адвоката помощь юриста чат
подключить домашний интернет воронеж
voronezh-domashnij-internet006.ru
интернет провайдер воронеж
https://kemono.im/zycofedygxr/pekin-kupit-kokain-mefedron-marikhuanu
дизайн человека что это кто я по хьюман дизайну построить бодиграф бесплатно онлайн
Sell My House Fast in Tampa, FL
https://bio.site/gjabacsy
Asian4d
нужен юрист адвокат нужен юрист бесплатный
Нужны пластиковые окна: изготовление пластиковых окон
Hey! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after checking through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
Нужен вентилируемый фасад: оцинкованная подсистема для вентилируемых фасадов
https://beteiligung.stadtlindau.de/profile/%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C%20%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%B8%20%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85%D1%83%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%83%20%D0%93%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B8%D1%88%20%D0%A1%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82/
Нужны пластиковые окна: пластиковые окна алматы
Нужен вентилируемый фасад: подсистема для вентилируемого фасада купить
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both
equally educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you
have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that too few people are speaking intelligently about.
I am very happy that I came across this during my search for something regarding this.
помощь юриста круглосуточно спросить адвоката по телефону
https://beteiligung.stadtlindau.de/profile/%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C%20%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%20%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%84%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%20%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85%D1%83%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%83%20%D0%9B%D0%B8%D1%85%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%BD/
https://beteiligung.stadtlindau.de/profile/%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C%20%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%20%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%84%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%20%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85%D1%83%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%83%20%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD/
Нужен вентилируемый фасад: стоимость подсистемы для вентилируемых фасадов за м2
Нужны пластиковые окна: пластиковые окна алматы цена
Лечение зависимостей – это важная область медицины‚ направленная на борьбу с зависимостями. Если вы или ваши близкие переживаете проблемы наркомании‚ важно знать о возможностях анонимного лечения. Центры лечения зависимостей, такие как vivod-iz-zapoya-tula009.ru‚ обеспечивают поддержку нарколога и полную поддержку для зависимых. Поддерживающие сообщества и программы восстановления содействуют людям на пути к выздоровлению. Психологическая помощь при зависимости играет ключевую роль в восстановлении наркозависимых. Также важна профилактика наркомании и кризисная помощь. Не бойтесь обращаться за помощью — вы можете вернуться к нормальной жизни!
военнаЯ пенсиЯ 2025
Great blog! Do you have any recommendations for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
Any recommendations? Thanks!
https://hoo.be/uufuuhxhice
I really like what you guys tend to be up too. This kind of clever work and reporting!
Keep up the awesome works guys I’ve you guys
to blogroll.
https://hoo.be/seoifagyfeda
Pokerace99
После завершения ремонта вам потребуется клининг в москве после ремонта, чтобы вернуть дому чистоту и порядок.
Уборка после проведения ремонта — ключевой процесс, который нередко обходят стороной. Эффективная уборка обеспечит не только чистоту, но и комфорт в новом интерьере.
Сначала необходимо убрать крупные строительные отходы, оставшиеся после ремонта. После этого важно заниматься более серьезной уборкой, которая предполагает вытирание пыли с мебели и мытье полов.
Не стоит забывать о сложных для очистки местах, где может скапливаться грязь. Часто такие места остаются незамеченными и могут стать источником неприятных запахов.
Когда уборка окончена, нужно подумать о добавлении приятных ароматов в пространство. Ароматические масла или свечи могут существенно улучшить общее впечатление от нового интерьера.
Gametoto
Asian4d
https://git.project-hobbit.eu/edobifydaaag
Saudaratoto
юридическая консультация юридическая консультация онлайн круглосуточно
После завершения ремонта вам потребуется генеральная уборка квартиры после ремонта, чтобы вернуть дому чистоту и порядок.
Уборка после ремонта — важный этап, который часто игнорируется. Комплексная уборка позволит не только убрать строительный мусор, но и обеспечить уют в обновленном пространстве.
Сначала необходимо убрать крупные строительные отходы, оставшиеся после ремонта. После этого можно перейти к более тщательной уборке, которая включает в себя вытирание пыли и мытье полов.
Не забудьте уделить внимание труднодоступным местам, где может скопиться пыль. Часто такие места остаются незамеченными и могут стать источником неприятных запахов.
Когда уборка окончена, нужно подумать о добавлении приятных ароматов в пространство. Использование эфирных масел или ароматических свечей поможет создать более комфортную атмосферу.
https://www.montessorijobsuk.co.uk/author/ofegabhy/
Sell My House Fast in Tampa, FL
как воспользоваться бонусами 1win https://1win1173.ru/