» Fire!

The stuff of legends
My first year roommate thought that the best way for us to get to know each other was for him to have screaming, crying, to-the-death arguments with his girlfriend at 3am, on MY phone. I begged to differ.

We had only met 2 or 3 times at this point, and I needed to come up with an icebreaker. With some housemates on guard duty, I made sure I knew the second he walked in the front door.

At this point, I should tell you that our room's floor was made of one giant sheet of nearly indestructable linoleum, which I found, through experiment, stands up well to heat.

When he entered our room, he was greeted to the sight of his roommate for the next eight months sitting on the floor in the lotus position behind a giant burning blue pentagram. Note: rubbing alcohol burns quite a pretty shade of blue.

He stared blankly for several seconds, then quietly closed the door and didn't return for 3 days.

3 years later, when I returned to residence for another program, a freshman told me the story of the maniac who performed satanic rituals in his room, and was caught in the act by his horrified roommate.

I am legend.
(Wed 9th Nov 2005, 6:26, More)

» Urban Legends

In praise of large classes
Haven't started any, but I once made an urban legend come true: I was to turn in a paper during class at University - arrived 10 minutes late and she wouldn't accept it. I argued that she hadn't specified *when* during the class, but she wouldn't back down, so I took a seat. At the end of the class, when she was mobbed by students with questions, I walked up and shoved my paper in the middle of the stack. I actually smiled broadly and waved at her as I left.

I believe I got a B+.
(Mon 9th Jan 2006, 21:28, More)