So, how was your day today?
Yeah, mine was fun ... once I survived my morning commute.
See, Tiekiatsu has this habit with the car. He likes to leave two windows cracked. He says it's to allow air to move, but I've never noticed it do
much for the car other than let rain in overnight so that when I sit on the seat my butt gets soaked. Oh, well, it's one of his quirks. I know I have
mine.
After this morning ... I am seriously, seriously questioning that.
He gets to work at home some days per week now, and this was one of those days. I got to head on in for my editorial happy fun time. Drive started out
pleasant enough. I hit my little local coffee joint for my usual wake up. I've just gotten my reward card back from the drive-thru guy when I look
down and notice a spider crawling across the arm rest toward me.
Completely forgetting where I was I gulp out, "Spider ... SPIDER!" while fending it off with the card in my hand. I succeed in flicking it off
across the front seat to parts unknown. I figure it's successfully banished to where I won't be seeing it again, and I look back to notice the drive
guy looking down at me with a big grin. He's witnessed the whole thing.
"Oh, sorry," I say with a sheepish grin taking my latte. "There was a, um, spider in the car. Have a nice weekend." (I'm pretty much a regular
there, so there's no doubt he recognizes me as well I recognize him by now. Wee!)
Still, all things considered. It could have been worse. I might have had my cup in hand and flipped it all over the place.
I take off down the road to the highway. I'm scooting along, singing, enjoying my ride which is bumpy thanks to road work when I notice something.
Another spider dangling off my rearview mirror and swinging ever closer to my face with each bump. It might even have been this kind! At this point, I
have to point out that these weren't huge spiders, but they weren't small either - maybe as big as the smallest knuckle on my ring finger. And at
this point, I'm wondering how the spider I just launched off the armrest managed to climb back up onto the rearview mirror from wherever I launched
it off to.
And I'm wondering how I keep it off my face where it seems hellbent to end up.
Finally, I hit a red light and fish around in my armrest compartment for a napkin all good parents keep stored in there for child emergencies. Then
I'm grabbing at the stupid spider who seems to be fiendishly good at dodging. I do finally grab it and roll my window down to chuck it out, napkin
and all. YES! I littered ... but, but SPIDER!! But not before the light changes and car behind me starts honking.
How'm I supposed to explain the situation?
By now, I'm thinking surely I'm home free. How many stupid spiders are going to wander into your car overnight anyhow? So I'm off onto the highway
where the traffic is typical rush heavy.
Add a few more cars and picture them all at 70. Not bad, really.
And that's when I feel it ... the scuttling on my arm.
Yep! There is was. Another one climbing my arm while I am stuck in heavy rush traffic at 70mph.
Just not what you really ever want to see. At
this point, I feel like I am dealing with a brood of demon spiders bent on driving me off the road to my doom.
Again, I am lucky I didn't have my cup in hand or else we would have had hot coffee in the equation.
So here I am scrabbling around for a wad of Kleenex to trap spider #3, maybe only #2, while trying not to either run off the road or into someone else
while trying not to let a freakin' spider run any further up my arm than it already has.
Oh and this time? I made sure I squashed it!