Woah woah woah Miss Lippy! It's been how long since I've posted? Sorry to deprive all my faithful readers of the random noise that goes on in my head! I'm back, and will hopefully crank a few good posts out before my mini vacay in Mexico. (Woot woot! That'll be a whole other post though-don't you worry. :) )

I'm flabbergausted by the fact that my 10 year high school reunion will take place this year. Has it really been 10 years already?? 10 years since I was the awkward blonde, braces-wearing, bushy-eyebrowed outsider on dance team? While I made a lot of memories with some great friends, I don't know that high school is a time I'd want to visit again. Let's be honest: aren't we all a little awkward in that 14-18 age group? I probably would have sold my soul just to be in the popular clique, be noticed by all the cute guys, own nice clothes and go on fancy vacations. But I'm happy to say that 10 years later, I'm the most comfortable and confident I've ever been. I stand strong to my beliefs and values, make no apologies for who I am, and no longer waste my life trying to please others. It's a great feeling! If there's truth to the saying, I'll probably feel unstoppable when I'm 30! (Let's not jump the gun on that one though. 30-eek!)

While it has yet to be determined whether I will attend the reunion, I wanted to take a look back at 10 of the biggest songs, news stories, movies, etc. from the golden years of 1999-2002. Can anyone think of anything else I'm missing?



-1999: "Baby One More Time" was released, introducing the world to Britney Spears-for better or for worse.
-1999: Iconic movies like Fight Club, American Beauty, and The Sixth Sense were released. "Honey, I'm so proud of you. I watched you very closely, and you didn't screw up once!" Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening are brilliant in that movie.



-2000: Who could forget the downfall of Napster? Lars Ulrich from Metallica filed a lawsuit against Napster, stating that the company enables users to pirate copyrighted music. As we all know, this didn't stop plenty of other sites like Limewire, Kazaa, and Bearshare to appear. Naturally, though, they were all taken down as well.
-2000: Survivor premiered on CBS. While I never got into the show, it sure was quite a craze! Even catching a commerical of that show made me hungry and want to shower at the same time.



-2001: 30 Minute Meals debuts, introducing the world to Rachael Ray. I'm trying to remember if she bothered me as much back then as she does now...yep, she did.
-2001: It's hard to avoid the big event of this year: the terrorist attack on 9/11. I remember sitting in my honors econ class when the principal made an announcement about a plane hitting a building. It wasn't until someone turned on the news in my next class that we knew the severity. We watched the coverage nearly all day, some people crying over uncertainty of their friends and family in New York. I'm sure it's a day no one will forget.

-2002: Halle Berry became the first African American woman to win an Oscar for Best Leading Actress, for Monster's Ball. -2002: Kelly Clarkson beats out Justin Guarini to win the inaugural season of American Idol.

I spent a LOT of time checking out websites this week (work has been slow, what can I say), so I have a huge list of favorites. For the sake of everyone's sanity, including my own, I will narrow it down to the usual five. Here are my Friday Favorites this week!

Favorite Remake of a Favorite Song
Pentatonix remaking Goyte's "Somebody That I Used To Know"

Favorite New Way To Waste Time

(Aside from Pinterest, cause it's assumed I'm on there at all times) Wanelo-Find unique products and stores you've never heard of

Favorite Moment

Bon Iver winning the Best New Artist Grammy and shouting out to Eau Claire, Wisconsin! That's right, I went to school in EC, so I'm pretty awesome.

Favorite Quote

Favorite Picture

I've become reobsessed with Paris. Always was since going in 2001. Must.go.back.

It's funny how much can change in a year. Last year, I was out celebrating Valentine's Day with someone I was in love with. This year, I am single and sans the flowers, heartfelt cards, and fancy dinners. If it weren't for Ashley inviting me for drinks and BARGO after work, I would have spent the whole night without human interaction. (I would have had Tux to keep me company though. He can't talk back, so he's easily the best male companion to have around. :)) P.S. Thank you Ashley!!

I'll admit that I'm usually the bitter single spinster on Valentine's Day. I think I can only recall having a date on Valentine's Day three times in recent memory. One technically wasn't even a date-just a single boy and a single girl seeing Final Destination 3 in the theaters. Very romantic, I assure you. I still can't decide whether this fact is a sad reality, or a blessing. Either way, I am vowing not to be bitter this year, no matter how many girls I see with flowers, couples holding hands, or inevitable clichéd engagements I see posted on Facebook tonight. The real Valentine's observation is this: single ladies shouldn't fret about not having someone on Valentine's Day. If we find ourselves alone, we should use this day to remind ourselves how much love we do have in our lives. I am surrounded by the most amazing family and friends, who love me unconditionally and support me no matter what. Whether I'm being a whiny brat or a heinous bitch, these people have my back. I should never EVER complain about not having love on Valentines day, because I have loads of it! Additionally, I have so much love to give, and that isn't going to go to waste because I don't have a boyfriend. I love my family and friends right back. I love my cat. I put love into the organizations I volunteer for. I love my nieces and nephews (even if I only have one real nephew-the others are Kelsey and Kristie's kids.)

Time and time again, friends have given me one of these lines: "When you least expect love, you'll find it", "Everything happens for a reason", or "When you stop looking for love, it will find you" (basically the same sentiment as the first line.) As easy as it is to get discouraged being *ahem* 27 and single, I still have a lot of hope. Kelsey has proved these lines actually mean something. She has a beautiful family that she probably never saw coming. Each day that passes, I just try to remind myself that I haven't found "him" yet, the one that will make all the painful, embarrassing, awful dating moments worth it. That everything I learned from past relationships was meant to be used to make it last with him. Heartbreak can siderail a person for a while, but I'll always be an optimist. It keeps me from being a big time debbie downer. Ha.

So to all those in relationships, and all those who are single, I want to wish you a very Happy Valentine's Day! May you all be surrounded with love, no matter where it comes from! :)