Why do the spiders seek me out? Why? Why?
I was settling down to begin work on writing (well, reading and prewriting for) my first critical essay in 12+ years (part of an MFA application, due March 1) and I had a sudden urge to check that I'd locked the front door and there was a large spider climbing the wall in the front hallway. He looked a little big (and especially agile) to try catching in a cup, and he was right near the front door, so I thought I'd just try to get him to climb on the end of the broom and then I could transport him right out into the hallway. I'm not sure I succeeded, however. He deftly avoided my first few attempts to load him onto the broom, and then I *think* I got him successfully out into the hallway, but then I lost track of him. So he may still be lurking in my entranceway (ugh, what if he gets inside my SHOES??) or he may be hiding in the brush of the broom (I can't make myself look too closely in there to check), or he may be hanging out in the hallway or crawling into someone else's apartment. Or, I suppose, back into mine. I guess this is why people kill them instead of just evicting them. But I can't bring myself to do that.
And of course now I can't remember if I locked the door again after evicting (or not) the spider with the broom. So I have to go back over there and check. It's not like I can be afraid of my front hallway forever, anyway. But right now I'm still in that post-spider-sighting stage of feeling like things are crawling on me.
(Checked the door; I *hadn't* locked it. Although it had been locked the first time when I originally went over to check before the whole spider drama.)
Maybe it's time for more exposure therapy. Ugh.
Anyway. I suppose I'll try to get myself back to a place where I can concentrate enough to do some close reading. Wish me luck; it's been a long time since I wrote an English paper. Hopefully it's like riding a bike. Fingers crossed. I just wish I didn't have the extra obstacle of now being on spider alert.
Hah this is great!
ReplyDeleteJust came across your posts on the spider invasion--it feels good to know that I am not alone in having rules about how to deal with spiders although I must say you are much more kind to them than me.
I generally let them carry on so long as they stay away from sensitive areas (e.g. no hanging out above the bed, but the ceiling corner in the living room is ok), but once they cross the line they either get smushed by my shoe or vacuumed up (and I have to let the vacuum run a few extra minutes because I need to make sure that he's stuck in there. Don't want that sucker to climb back out the tube).
Anyway have you thought about training the cat to eat them?
Arachnophobics unite! :)
ReplyDeleteI'd probably be better off if I smushed or vacuumed the ones that couldn't stay where they belonged, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Training the cat is a very interesting idea... but she likes to bring me her toys and things, sometimes right to my bed, and I can't help fearing I'll wake up some morning with spider bits on my pillow...UGH! ;)