Spiders to me are like casual acquaintences

Spiders are like the people that you know, you say hi to. You might bump into them at the party of a mutual acquaintence. You don't hate them. You actually appreciate their individuality and what they have to offer the world. But you don't have their number in your cell phone. You've never slept on their floor. You wouldn't get drunk with them, because you wouldn't want them to see something of you that you didn't intend to show. And you would be downright livid if they asked you to help them move or give them a ride to the airport at 5:30 a.m.

When I meet them (spiders or casual acquaintences), on their turf, in places where they belong, I don't think about them too much. I can even appreciate the beauty of dew on a spiderweb or a when a particularly large and colorful one lands on me while I hike, I will not avoid that spot on the way back.

However, when they come into my house uninvited, they are likely to get shooed outside. Or if one seems particularly agressive, it'll probably get squashed. (Now, I assume that squashing only applies to spiders, but I am not altogether certain what I would do if I were reasonably convinced that one of my casual aqcuaintences would bite me if I allowed them to get too close.)When they decide to congregate in the stairwell of my workplace and spawn their offspring there, that is going waaay beyond what I am comfortable with. I mean, come on...There are plenty of bushes and dark damp spots right outside of this building in which you are most welcome to hang your egg sacs and spin your shiny sticky webs where they will not get all over my face and in my hair. All over my face and in my hair...I think I'm going to be ill.

So, this is not an unreasonable fear of small arachnids. It is a desire to keep certain things and people at a comfortable distance or in scenarios that are acceptable to me. The little buggers have overstepped my boundaries. And there are too many of them to shoo or squish. If you know of a good exterminator in the Wheaton area, please let me know so I can refer their services to the landlord here.