Like Mother, Like Daughter

I inherited many things from my mom. Blue eyes, blonde hair, fair complexion, my lack of a waist, my love for people, and my irrational fear of spiders.

That's right, I blame my mom.

From early on I ALWAYS remember terrified shrieks and frantic scurrying (yes my mother scurries) when a spider just happened to surprise my mother.  Then there was the panicked logic of trying to dispose of the spider.

It always ended with one of us using a shoe to kill it. The kicker was that my mother never allowed us to use one of her shoes. We had to use anyone's shoe but hers. It's like she knew they were vindictive little spawns of satan and would know whose shoe had killed their little friend, and then they would get their revenge. And for some reason my mother had no problem with them getting vengance on her children... I'm sure my adolescent mind has been forever scarred because of this, and only years and years of intensive therapy will show how deep those scars run.

However, the scenes I have described above are pretty indicitave of what happens every time Jon and I find a spider. I freeze. I can't function. Those little eight legged beasts scare the bejeezes out of me and I KNOW they are just waiting to seek justice on me for using my shoe so many times when I was little. But I have perfected my mothers ways and I only allow Jon to use his shoes to squish those little demons. He does it because he loves me, and because I completely freak out if he doesn't. It's a love thing.

As you can imagine I thoroughly despise  love the fact that Koreans seem to tolerate spiders... EVERYWHERE. There is at least one web in every window in my school, and at least 4 in the bathroom. Yes, that's right I get to be frozen in fear while I'm trying to squat over a toilet... it's a treat. I'm just so thankful that I'm not dead or have pee all over me by the time I get out of there, because quite frankly it's a possibility.

So what possessed me to get so close to this spider I'll never know... but the shots were totally worth it.

and I got closer yet...

and then I got this great shot of his/her rear end....

wrapping up it's dinner....ick.  What's more is that I was taking pictures like this for over 10 minute... how I wasn't frozen in fear is beyond me. I guess I just found it too fascinating to stop.

just waiting to devour his little snack

Ok I know this pic is blurry and I'm ok with that as long as you see those FANGS!!! seriously... humongous. This shows the level of peeing in my pants anxiety courage I had while taking some of these shots...

Even though I handled this little encounter well I don't think I'll be inviting these little demons into my house any time soon... unless I can find one of Jon's shoes....