My Arachniphobia

I don't like spiders. Snakes I can handle, literally, but insects (especially spiders) just creep me out to the max! My fear goes back to my childhood in California. I was only 5 years old when my family was returning home after dark from next door, after an evening spent with our neighbors. I skipped on ahead, and as I rounded the corner onto our patio, there it was! 

A huge tarantula was positioned between the porch light and the patio wall, so it threw this monstrous spider shadow onto the wall. I immediately went into screaming hysterics. I've never been the same.

This morning, when I got up and staggered out of my room to make coffee, I almost stepped on our latest wild visitor! He was right outside my door, on the floor. What if I'd squished him with my bare foot when I made my way (twice) in the dark last night to use the bathroom? Or worse, what if he'd crawled into bed with me in the night?

Okay, so he's no tarantula, 

but in my opinion, 

he's far bigger than he oughtta be!