If only I could do this at parties

This feels straight out of Fight Club. But I'm telling you, it works. For the truly cynical out there, no, I did not approach any of this with ulterior intentions. But it has been a pleasant side-effect. Doing the Craigslist thing to make a mi casa es su casa deal is at first scary, then unexpectedly exhausting, and then (hopefully) rewarding. Thrown into the awkward but necessary task of selling yourself as a potential roomie - a heretofore complete stranger who will have keys to your home, unnatural access to your most intimate of belongings - you learn to swallow the "oh man, I've turned into that sleazy uncle who laughs and slaps people on the back way too hard" feeling. If anyone out there has a horrible fear of socializing, this is the easy solution for you. Look for a new place, and you'll find yourself working to charm the hell out of all those hapless internet people you meet. It is a fine art, and I doubt anyone will deny the warm fuzzies from being accepted and even chosen amongst the throngs of desperately seeking craigslisters. Last year, my go-around wasn't quite exemplary - I was too shy, too scared of scaring off, frigid. This year, had someone been documenting my exploits, I would likely cringe at the replays. But I've already had to turn down some, and I can usually tell I've made the shortlist when all's clicking. Someone stop me before my head gets too big, please.