Arachnophobia anyone?

If I had to say my life is like one movie, I would have to choose the 1990 film by Frank Marshall, Arachnophobia.

Strange pick, I know...but maybe not so strange because of the many experiences that I have had with spiders.

This week in my new apartment, I've had to kill two spiders in the last four days. But Let me tell you, these were not the typical spiders that one may find. These were quite large and very hideous (see below).

The first one I found with my new roommate in the corner of the ceiling in the living room. That one was dealt without too much hassle. Then yesterday, as I was getting ready to wash a dish, I found another spider just like the first in our kitchen sink. That one was more of a surprise and made me jump. But these are just the two most recent stories in my long history with arachnids.

I have lived with a fear of spiders for as long as I can recall, but have managed to control my fears during my encounters with these eight legged creatures. I have come to the understanding that as long as they are dead, I will be fine. So this is how I have managed to control my fear long enough to kill the little suckers. After they are dead, then I can freak out.

Now I know that you are probably thinking, "Really your whole life is like arachnophobia because you found two spiders in the matter of a few days?" Well, let me share another story that will maybe put things into better perspective.

A couple of years ago, I was home for Christmas break. One morning, I got up and headed straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I grabbed my toothbrush and spread some paste across the bristles. I put the toothbrush into my mouth and started brushing. I felt something more than just bristles and toothpaste in my mouth and thought that somehow a small ball of hair had also got into my mouth (which would have been sick enough), but boy was I wrong. As I pulled the "hairball" from my mouth, I realized that it was wiggling. Yes that is right, it was alive. At that moment I realized that it was a spider. So disgusting! I screamed and shook it right off my finger.

Another experience I've had happened several years before, I was getting ready to go to bed. I had just turned off my lights and was drifting into sleep when I felt this fuzz ball land on my face. Not being fully coherent, I felt the furry thing on my face and brushed it off. Once my brain had time to process what I felt, I bounced out of bed and quickly turned on my light. I had once again realized that it was a spider that I had come in contact with! I shook out all of my bedding searching for it, but had no luck. I still cringe when looking back at these experiacnes.

These are just a few reasons why I truly believe that my life is like the movie Arachnophobia. I guess I better just watch out when I am digging into popcorn bowls, or when I am in the shower.