Intruder

The day was going well. Not fantastic in that I hadn't exercised even though I'd told myself I would, but well enough that I still hadn't counted exercise out and I also hadn't felt like abandoning any children in a remote field.

Of course the Bigs were at school so that helped with the non-abandonment issue.

I had decided to try running. Outdoors. In the real world. I got out my socks, gathered my new running shoes and went to the bathroom to change into appropriate running attire and to corral the girls in spandex. I found the sports bra and stood up to come face to face with a gigantic bug.

Oh for crying out loud. Seriously?

Bats freak me out more than anything. Close second? Gigantic bugs. Especially those that fly and/or jump toward me.

So there I am, wanting to change clothes so I can attempt my first real world run but faced with an unknown foe. Is this a jumper? Is it a flyer? Why does it have to be so big?

The bug was easily one and a half inches long and about three quarters of an inch wide.

I was tempted to back out of the bathroom, scrub the run attempt and pretend I saw nothing. The problem with this plan is that if I retreated and left the intruder I would be up all night wondering where the giant bug was in the house.

So I resigned myself and grabbed a tissue. I sucked in my breath, wadded the tissue and swept in for a rapid squish. I was anxious, not knowing if it would fly at me or jump at me before the tissue covered it.

Its death was quick. I felt silly.

I threw the tissue and the carcass in the trash can. I put on my sports bra, T-shirt and shorts and went outside to exercise.