15 June 2003 18:49 [link]
incy wincy spider
The can be few things more awkward than being an arachnophobe on the toilet and seeing a large spider on the floor in front of you. This was quite a chunky one - a fat body and quite long legs - but since it didn't seem minded to run towards me, I managed to remain calm (if a little tense) and didn't hop out of the room screaming.
We have a handy device which is sort of a spider vacuum cleaner. You suck the spider into a tube, close the tube and then deposit it somewhere else. Unfortunately this spider managed to hang on to the bathmat and then made a run for the space behind the sink pedestal. No amount of vague probing with the hoover could persuade it to come out and be caught, so I had to leave it.
Now, of course, I know there's a chunky spider living in the bathroom. Hiding.
* * *