I don't like spiders.

[active_apathy]

Let me restate this: I don't like spiders.

Some, I can ignore, trusting that they're harmless. Others, I coexist with since they're too big for me to want to be near them.

One of the latter kind was standing on the wall above the shower this morning.

Let's just run through a quick list of things spiders can do:

• Stand on walls
• Stand on ceilings
• Some can jump
• Most can bite
• They're fast
• They have exceptional reflexes
• They're incredibly strong, for their size
• They can spin webs
• Any size!
• They can catch thieves just like flies

If they can catch a prepared, skilled thief like a damned fly, honestly, what kind of chance do I have?

So, I'm there in the shower. I'm warm, somewhat content, rapidly becoming cleaner and ever so slightly terrified by the creepy eight-legged thing standing above me and staring. Honestly, I should've gotten the hint when it was fighting to keep its footing as steam condensed on its patch of wall.

And then, it fell.

I don't remember opening my shower door. I don't remember closing my shower door. I do remember finding myself standing on the opposite side of it, then timidly opening it again to turn the water off. It didn't seem terribly impressed, either; the big, grumpy and slightly damp spider clambered back up the wall to make a little home between my shampoo and conditioner, and that's ok, I can always buy more if it really wants them.

It's moved to a different corner, now. It's by the towel rail.

Waiting.

And so, a bit later, I did the only thing that makes sense in such a situation.

I went out and bought myself a copy of Super Mario⁶⁴ DS. I'm especially interested in the way they write it, because Mario⁶⁴ expands as:

Mario₁ × Mario₂ × Mario₃ × Mario₄ × … × Mario₆₂ × Mario₆₃ × Mario₆₄

It sounds like particularly scary fanfic.

Still, it's Fun thus far. Yay Yoshi! Yay minigames!

...

Yay getting used to moving with the touch screen!

Comments

[ryttu3k.livejournal.com]

I'm arachnophobic to the point where the mere THOUGHT of one nearly makes me hyperventilate in terror. Last night I found a teeny tiny spider web in my room that hadn't been there an hour beforehand. I spent the night out of my room, and am considering doing the same tonight.

I hate spiders with the burning hatred of a thousand suns. THEY ARE UNNATURAL. I would move to Antarcica if I was guaranteed no spiders! (Of course, I'm not that much better with insects. Once a stick insect jumped on to my keyboard in the dark, I screamed and nearly knocked myself out when I LEAPT out of my chair.)

Also, the only two dreams I've had where I woke up screaming included spiders. In one of them, I was actually at home (in the dream) and the spider was in my room. I screamed and ran out, slammed the door shut, and a few minutes later peeked at the door - only for the spider to LAUNCH ITSELF AT MY FACE. I woke up shrieking my lungs out and RAN out of my room and downstairs in my t-shirt and undies. I don't even REMEMBER running out my room - just waking up screaming and then being downstairs. THAT is the fight or flight syndrome!

Um. I think I just used you as a therapist...

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

That's ok. Plenty of other people have used me as one. :)

My spider's camped out on the curtains of my bedroom window at the moment. This makes me not happy.

[ryttu3k.livejournal.com]

Bug spray. Lots and lots of bug spray.

One day I will design a house that includes tanks of bug spray that goes through the air conditioning.

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to spray bug spray on curtains, much less in a room where I'll be inhaling the overspray for hours.

[ryttu3k.livejournal.com]

BUT IT'S A SPIDER.

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

IT'S ALSO A CAN OF HYPOALLERGENIC ODOURLESS NERVE TOXINS!

[ryttu3k.livejournal.com]

But hypoallergenic and odourless is GOOD!

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

Of course. It's the poison bit that I'm not excited about.

[ryttu3k.livejournal.com]

Ehh, mere technicalities.