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.
Fortune Rabbit: quem acha que ele está consistente?
Wild Bandito sticky wilds: quem já viu muitos wilds fixos?
Читать далее https://drink.vodkabet-zercalo.com
Bônus de cadastro PG Soft: R$10 vira 150 giros grátis – qual cassino tá melhor hoje?
перейти на сайт https://drink.vodkabet-zercalo.com/
Mahjong Ways 2 cascades infinitos 2026 – já chegou a 80x multiplier? Conta aí!
Jogo do Tigrinho ao vivo no Pix: saque em tempo real!
посмотреть на этом сайте https://vodkabet.kz
Fortune Ox explodiu tudo ontem! Quem já limpou a tela com 18+ touros dourados?
Жаль, что сейчас не могу высказаться – вынужден уйти. Освобожусь – обязательно выскажу своё мнение.
mellstroy casino, https://mellstroy-casino-j1lg8.top/ — это удивительное место для азартных игр. Ставки здесь поддерживают множество развлечений. Не упустите уникальные бонусы каждого дня!
Часто предприниматели объединяют понятия тендер и госзакупки, так как обе процедуры связаны с конкурсным выбором поставщика. Однако между ними существуют определённые различия, которые важно понимать перед началом работы в этой сфере.
Узнайте, как это работает – https://tendernoe-soprovozhdenie-rostov-na-donu.ru
Mahjong Ways 2: quem prefere esse estilo de cluster pays?
Fortune Ox modo turbo: quem já viu a tela cheia de touros?
этот сайт https://spinvodka.com/
Wild Bandito sticky wilds: quem já ativou vários?
Very soon this website will be famous amid all blogging users, due to it’s nice articles
amoxil fast: buy amoxicillin online cheap – amoxicillin capsules online
Fortune Tiger R$20 no Pix: sai com 300 giros grátis + cashback imediato!
подробнее здесь https://vodkabet-vbt.com
подробнее https://vodkabet-vbt.com
посмотреть в этом разделе https://vodkabet-vbt.com
Каждое направление наблюдения играет важную роль в формировании терапевтической программы. Структурированный контроль помогает снижать уровень рисков и обеспечивает возможность оперативной адаптации. Для систематизации данных применяется таблица, отражающая ключевые параметры мониторинга.
Узнать больше – вывод из запоя в стационаре
Структурированное наблюдение позволяет поддерживать согласованность лечебных мероприятий и своевременно реагировать на изменения. Такая система создаёт единый аналитический подход для оценки состояния и обеспечивает целостность терапевтического процесса.
Исследовать вопрос подробнее – http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-v-vdk18.ru
Клиника «ВладТрезвие Центр» работает в круглосуточном режиме и готова оказать помощь жителям Владивостока и прилегающих районов в любое время суток. Врачи-наркологи прибывают по вызову в течение часа, имеют при себе все необходимые препараты и оборудование для проведения детоксикации на дому. При необходимости пациента доставляют в стационар, где лечение проходит под постоянным контролем медицинского персонала.
Выяснить больше – наркология вывод из запоя
“I completely agree with your analysis of the sports algorithm, it’s truly a game-changer. For those looking for a reliable platform to bet on sports, I highly recommend checking out this website, especially for its user-friendly interface and excellent customer support. red88“
PG Slot 2026: qual jogo tá dando mais big win agora?
этот контент https://vodkabet-vbt.com
посмотреть на этом сайте https://vodkabet-vbt.com/
https://penzu.com/p/9e968fa55dc4f564
https://taraz-kz.forumotion.eu/t165-topic#245
https://www.leristrutturazioni.it/art/1xbet_africa_codice_promozionale.html
Эти этапы формируют структуру комплексного лечения, позволяя добиться устойчивого результата и предотвращения повторных срывов.
Разобраться лучше – http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-astrakhan18.ru
взгляните на сайте здесь https://drink.vodkabet-zercalo.com
Отель с бассейном и спа Дженталион недалеко от станций метро Белорусская и Маяковская в центре Москвы отель для романтического свидания
этот контент https://drink.vodkabet-zercalo.com/
пояснения https://vodkabet-vbt.com/
Если вы хотите материал флис купить, заходите на наш сайт и выбирайте лучшие предложения.
Эта ткань отлично подходит для активного отдыха и повседневного использования.
Отель с бассейном и спа Дженталион недалеко от станций метро Белорусская и Маяковская в центре Москвы гостиница рядом с маяковской
Fortune Dragon novo lançamento PG Soft: já testou? Tá melhor que o Tigrinho?
здесь https://spinvodka.com
каталог https://spinvodka.com/
можно проверить ЗДЕСЬ https://vodkabet.kz
Продолжение https://vodkabet-vbt.com/
пояснения https://drink.vodkabet-zercalo.com/
узнать https://vodkabet-vbt.com/
Fortune Dragon novo lançamento, já testaram? Tá valendo a pena?
на этом сайте https://drink.vodkabet-zercalo.com
Отель с бассейном и спа Дженталион недалеко от станций метро Белорусская и Маяковская в центре Москвы гостиница центр москвы
Смотреть здесь https://vodkabet-vbt.com/
Часто предприниматели объединяют понятия тендер и госзакупки, так как обе процедуры связаны с конкурсным выбором поставщика. Однако между ними существуют определённые различия, которые важно понимать перед началом работы в этой сфере.
Разберитесь досконально – https://tendernoe-soprovozhdenie-rostov-na-donu.ru/