So Rob and I were at a party last night and I was introduced to this girl whom I'd already met before. Twice actually - July and December 2004. In December it was a brief encounter at another party but in July we had a pretty extensive conversation (seriously, like 2 hours) at a dinner party in which we discovered that we went to the same college and had some things in common there and we talked about her mom's ailing health and other more than skimming-the-surface types of things. So someone "introduced" us at this party last evening, unaware we'd met before. And you know who else was unaware we'd met before? Yeah, her. She was all, "Oh! Nice to meet you!" and I was like...Oooh, awkward. And so I said, quite casually, "You know, I think we've met before, actually. Yeah, at a dinner party last year? Maybe?" WE HAD A TWO HOUR CONVERSATION, REMEMBER?!

And I walked away from our re-introduction a bit bummed because who wants to be unmemorable? And I said to Rob, "I recall pretty much our entire conversation from a year ago, and she didn't even remember me. I don't get it."

"It's not that she didn't remember you," he said. "It's that she didn't recognize you."

"Huh?"

"Well, the last time you saw her was last year. I mean, you're a lot hotter now."

I don't know about that, but he may be onto something. In the spring we went to an engagement party for one of my college friends, A. I think it had been four years since I'd seen her. She answered the door and gave me a completely blank look. She blinked her eyes. And then she screamed and said, "OMG, KELLY?! OMG! I didn't even recognize you! I was like, 'Who is that walking up the sidewalk with SG?'" Yeah, keep in mind that Rob (whom she knew in college) was with me and also that WE HAD RSVPed. I mean, she was expecting me and she still didn't have a clue who I was.

And it doesn't end there. About an hour later two more girls from my college days, B and C, arrived at the engagement party. B was another friend and C was an acquaintance. C was walking by and I said, "Hey! How are you?" And she looked at me like I was being entirely too friendly for someone she'd never met and then she said, polite and reserved, "I'm well. And how are you?" And I realized that she had no clue who I was. And so we talked like strangers for a few minutes and then B walked up. "Hi B!" I squealed. And she stopped dead in her tracks and then her jaw dropped and then she said, "Holy shit! Holy shit, Kelly, I would not have known you if I hadn't heard your voice!" And then C said, "Wait. Kelly?! Oh my gosh! I just had an entire conversation with you and didn't even realize who you were!"

But here's the thing. Nothing about me has changed except for my hair. I haven't gained or lost weight, I haven't gotten a nose job, and I wasn't even boobin' it up. My hair is the only thing. And perhaps my clothes - but who doesn't dress better now than they did in college? And okay, my eyebrows are more shapely now. But the only noticeable change is that I now have highlights and a spunky cut - and come on, it's not that different. If that's all it takes to throw people, there is truly no need for the witness protection program.

I swore I'd never post a pre-cute haircut with highlights photo on this blog, but there I just went and did it. Cause I'm sure you're wondering. That's what I looked like a year ago, when I first met the girl who didn't remember me at the party. In college, when A, B, and C knew me, I looked just like this except my hair was about 3 inches shorter. Everytime Rob and I look at this photo, it freaks us the frick out. Not that it's bad - but I seriously don't remember ever looking like that. Huh, I guess that means the girl at last night's party is off the hook. (Here is a current photo of me.)