I might be up late

I've written about spiders before, and how much I dislike them. I don't like to, but I am perfectly willing to squish any spider that I find in my house. And for a while I was also willing to let the spider living behind the kitchen sink stay - so I could throw any ants I found into it's web. It was serving a purpose. I may hate ants in my kitchen more than I hate spiders. Or maybe not.


But the big spiders, the ones that are furry and run faster than fast - are always a problem. If I'm not fast enough they are gone and I sit and keep checking my arms, my feet, where ever I feel the slightest itch - because I just KNOW that spider wants nothing more than to climb on ME. Uh huh.


If I AM fast enough, then what? These spiders are too big to squish with a Kleenex, and smacking them with something is gross because they crunch. Not to mention that they leave a big splotch if they are on a wall.


Recently when I spotted a can of something that was supposed to kill spiders and things like scorpions on contact, I knew the stuff was for me. I bought it without hesitation, and put it on the floor next to the couch within easy reach so I would be armed when the moment arose. Except somehow, the can of stuff got put away! Go figure!


Which is why tonight when I caught the flash of something running across the carpet I was caught without anything to use against the varmint. The first thing that occurred to me was - containment! I jumped off the couch and grabbed a small plastic container from the bookcase, because I may put the bug spray away but Lord knows Rubbermaid can dress up a living room like nobodies business!


I thunked the container over the spider and sat for a minute with my finger pushing down on the bottom, now top, of the plastic container. What to do, what to do? Knowing the spider had Herculean strength I plopped a stone coaster on it to hold it down and ran into the kitchen, got the magic spray, and gave it a test spray onto a paper towel held over the sink. Click. Click? A spray can isn't supposed to click when you push down on the button. NOTHING came out. Click click click. Wha-a-a.


Now I have a spider under a small Rubbermaid container with coasters (I added another for weight), sitting in my living room. I actually feel bad for the spider, seeing him go round and round and I picture him in there gasping for air as he dies a slow and agonizing death. Yeah, I should BE so lucky.


Spider is very much alive, although he has stopped moving around a lot, I think he finally figured out he's not going anywhere. And me? I am sitting in a way that I can keep my eye on him, making sure the cats don't tip the container over, and reassuring myself that he has not escaped and crawling up my leg as I write.


Let the cats have him you say? Did I hear that? Um, no. These cats might chase him a bit, even try to take a whack at him. But the spider would get away and I would be dealing with it anyway.


Enjoy the really bad photographs, I'll be right here. Watching the spider. *yawn* I might be up late tonight.


What am I waiting for? I'm waiting for my daughter to get home. She has decided everything has a right to live, and regularly captures and releases spiders back out into the wild that is our front yard. This is right up her alley. Gah-h!


~You can always click on the pictures to see them bigger but the photos are so bad it probably won't help. Yuk.


**Edited to add - Dani came home and, never taking the phone from her ear - she slid a piece of paper beneath the cup and deftly moved the spider to freedom. And glad to do it too. Now I can leave the room and get ready for bed. Nite all!