Scary Day

Today started out an average day. I, being exhausted most days, like to take naps outside on my lunch break. It's a nice break to my work day.

Now just for informational purposes. This is what a brown recluse spider looks like. It looks big and scary right? Well lets be honest all spiders look scary. None of them are exactly cute and cuddly. Either way. This looks big but a brown recluse is usually about the size of a quarter.

Now that doesn't seem so bad. It's big enough to be scary but not that scary. Until you consider that this is what a brown recluse spider bite looks like.
Basically it starts to disintegrate your flesh and the only way to treat that is to cut out the affected flesh that spreads the longer it's not taken care of.

Now back to my story. I like to sleep in the shade under a tree behind the building where I work. I did so today and my cell phone alarm went off to let me know it was time to go back in. I proceeded to get up groggy and disoriented and went to pick up my shoes which were on the grass next to the blanket I napped on. I look down to discover a normal looking brown spider taking up the heel of the inside of one shoe.

I proceed to freeze since all spiders freak me the heck out. I stand there for a good minute trying to process what I can do. I consider leaving my shoes and making a break for it. I then consider I work in an office that requires business attire and I need my shoes. I finally decided to try knock my shoe in hopes the spider will leave. As I lean over to do so it evacuates my shoe only to go into my other shoe. I am back where I started. I knock the shoe over then retreat 4 feet while I try to figure out if that got rid of the spider or not. There is no movement by my shoe so if the spider is out of my shoe it's just sitting next to it and not going anywhere. I figure maybe it's not moving because I'm still there. I gather my blanket and walk barefoot back to my car to put it away and give the spider time to leave.

I return and gather my one shoe and put it back on while still trying to scope out if the spider is still anywhere near my other shoe. I proceed slowly. I finally realize the spider has left my shoe but is sitting in the grass just next to it and has not seemed to move from the spot where it was hurtled out of the rolling shoe. I once again freeze and consider my options. I can no more go back to work with only one shoe than I can with no shoes at all. I kick the shoe and retreat once more to stake out the situation. The shoe remains spider free and a good 3 feet away from where I believe the spider still is. I grab my shoe and run. I then stop on the sidewalk, try to compose myself, inspect my shoe once again, put my shoes on, and return to work.

Now keep in mind the whole time I am afraid of this spider but it looks like an ordinary brown spider. I tell my co-worker about my experience and quip, at least it wasn't a brown recluse. This leads dear Megan to research what a brown recluse looks like and leads we to have a near heart attack when I realize that based on appearance, size, the quick movement from shoe to shoe, the crouched stance, and the relatively non-agressive/not moving really after coming out of my shoe, that there is a very good chance that the spider in my shoe was a brown recluse. Had I put my foot in my shoe without noticing the spider there is a chance my foot would have looked like the picture above.

I said quite a few prayers of gratitude today. I will never again sleep under a tree behind my work. Ever. The End.