In Focus
I am at war...with a spider.
There are not many creatures I don’t like. I think bats are cute, I will boop the snake but spiders are a whole other situation.
I’ve never been a fan. I have become much better with them over the years. Previously, I would leave the room until someone took care of the eight-legged abomination. Now I have made a deal with them. They can stay as long as they don’t make themselves known or cross my path.
They are useful for keeping other unwanted pests like flies and Asian beetles out of my house.
I can’t protect them from the cats...but just stay out of my sight. Meaning...do not run across my computer or you will suffer the consequences!
A few weeks ago, while working from my home office I noticed this black dot on my mint green wall. Then it decided to move, quickly, across the wall and behind the window frame.
This fuzzy, black dime-sized critter has been testing my patience by randomly running across said wall whenever I am at my desk. I do not approve of its shenanigans.
Now it has become more brazen.
I recently painted the trim in my office, including sealing the edges of the window frame and trim with silicone. It all comes with the joys of uneven plaster walls. Anyway, this also involved moving furniture, including my desk, and doing some deep cleaning. I didn’t find a shred of a web or anything that indicated a spider’s presence. No, nothing!
After sealing up the window trim, it seemed I had angered it.
I’m a pretty clean person but my desk suffers during the week with piles and paper spread everywhere. I think the spider has taken note of this.
As I was typing away one day, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and there it was, on my desk, on top of a pile of notes, inches from my hand, that dreaded critter was mocking me.
I lunged for it with my slipper, and the spider disappeared in the pile of papers. Well, I was not going to dig through the papers...nope...the spider won that round!
Eventually, I had to clean up my desk. Then I was back at it, typing away, when the creepy little black thing runs out from under my laptop and jumped on my keyboard. It stopped momentarily and then ran off into nothingness.
A new level of paranoia has been added. A black spider, black keyboard, black mouse, black keyboard drawer...get the picture? Now I have to inspect everything before I touch it.
I believe it is a she...as just today a tiny baby black fuzzy spider ran across my laptop. Now I am even more paranoid. Spiders don’t have just one offspring. I think there is a small army waiting to torment me.
I don’t like this. I’m being out-witted and out-maneuvered by a freaking spider! Hey, Arachne (a spider in Greek mythology), come get your kid before I find it and put it in permanent time-out!