How do you react when you see a spider?

[LoveMyGirls]

Especially a big one?

I reach for my field guide and try to identify it before it scuttles under the furniture

I nearly jumped a mile, when I picked up a pile of ironing, and disturbed a massive spider. Had to call DS(7) to come with a shoe, DD(3)stood on watch, and then I had to flick it onto the floor, and DS squished it with DH's boot. Then we scooped it up into the bin. That's the second time DS has come to my rescue. I have also trained him in catching the littler ones in a piece of kitchen roll, and squishing at the same time (like when they are on the wall).

Having children has made me a lot better at coping with spiders. I never wanted dss to see I was nervous, so I just behaved as if they didn't scare me, and that seemed to reduce the fear. I guess this is the principle behind Behaviour Therapy for phobias.

Ahhh, Hallgerda, just the lady I wanted. (I'm still obsessing about the size of last night's lampshade, sorry, spider)

Sooo, I'm pretty sure this was just a standard Tegenaria gigantea, but my god, the size of it! Do they get that big?

Hmm spiders. Lovely.
Like my trip to Dover Castle a fortnight or so ago, visting the tunnels in the cliffs. Very nice. Watched a short film in the old under ground cinema then followed the guide along for the rest of the tour. Slight iritation on my back nothing more. Kept scratching and it went away. After the tour which lasted ooohh about 45 mins we went to the car to retrieve our snacks for lunch and sat on the grass. A chill wind appeared so I stood to fetch my jacket from the car, looking down to straighten my very v-necked t-shirt I noticed what appeared to be a tarantula on my right breast. Very pleasant I must say. But the flapping, screaming and feeling of absolute terror as I ran swearing quite profusely around the busy car park didn't seem to show just how delighted I was to see Mr Incy Wincy.

I hate them! Inside im freaking out but outwardly when in sight of dc i react very matter of fact, capture it i a glass and throw it out. I do not want my dc to be scared of them as i am. I say all the usual stuff, it wont hurt you, its more afraid of you, look at the size of it and look at the size of you etc.

I like spiders

Its people that scare the shit out of me

Shout for DS1 (11).
He deals with them for me.

Gizmo, a female T. gigantea can have a body length (legs not included) of 16mm, according to my handy Collins field guide - the males go up to 14mm. The very leggy males (leg length around 3 times body length) are on the move now looking for females. I'd say yours was a bit on the large side, but if it looked like T. gigantea it was probably just that and not something that sneaked into the country in a bunch of bananas.

One the size of a small dog ran up my arm the other day and I did a lot of mad arm flicking for an overly long time!

Oh no it did't look foreign Hallgerda: it wasn't holding a map and making baffled enquiries as to where the University was.

It was just MASSIVE. I swear it had it's own moon...

Oh God...'its own moon'

You'd never think my job involves copywriting, would you?

What would you have told it if it had asked you where the University was? Would you have pointed it helpfully towards Kings Chapel in the hope of reviving the fortunes of the British film industry?

Oh I'd probably wave airily around and say: it's all around you, as I usually do. Giving the impression that learning is like oxygen (or soft drugs) in Cambridge - you just have to inhale...