1999

Ten years. A decade.

Not only the end of the 90s, but the end of a millennia.

Sometimes it seems so long ago, other times...as if its just occurred. I was 29, had purchased my first house, was driving a new car, received a 25% pay raise at work and had my first child on the way. The IT boom was in full swing and we were living high on the hog.

I was two years out of out the military and newly married, I had returned to Texas and everything was picture-book perfect. I wore Tommy Hilfiger jeans exclusively (yes, with that gaudy flag) as if they were Jordashe reincarnate. I can't even explain why.

Enormous work-sponsored dinners and movies, one of which was Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Meanace! I still have the only Playboy I've ever purchased which contained stories and pictures of this monumental movie. To think, that in my lifetime, the story of Star Wars would be concluded on the big screen. I saw it something like five times in the theater.

Another epic era-identifying movie of which I had no previous knowledge until I watched it on a laptop from a bootleg mpeg at work was The Matrix. "Bullettime" was revolutionary and influenced action movies for a generation. Believe it or not, I actually have this one on laserdisc.

And who could forget Napster?

1999.

Wow.

What were you doing in 1999?