Dating in Memphis is done on Thursdays. For some reason people celebrate Thursday nights like it’s 1999, for whatever reason. At any rate I join in on the festivities and advise you to do the same.

By “opportunities” I of course am referring to potential dates for Friday night, and maybe even relationship material. It’s amazing how many people I know who focus on meeting Mr. or Mrs. Right, but they go through their day missing opportunity after opportunity to make a connection.

Albany, NY and the surrounding Capital District have some of the best live music venues, and have been “in the game” for a long time. Check out these places for a great experience, whether you’re a music extremist, or just want to kick back with a drink and relax to some jamming.

Wicked Charleston Walking Tour (through October 22, 8 p.m.): This 90 minute tour takes a look at the dark side of Charleston: prostitutes, politicians, transvestite killers and gangsters. The tour begins at the Daughters of the Confederacy Building at 188 Meeting St. Tickets are $15. This is easily the best tour of Charleston because it’s not the basic Market, Battery, and Four Corners of the Law behind a smelly horse tour.

12 Steps Down was nominated for Best t-shirt country in Philly in 2007 and 2008, and one of the best bars for 2008 by Philadelphia Magazine. There are good reasons for these accolades. A truly diverse and great bottle beer list, made up of both domestics and imports. A nice draft beer menu with a “beer of the week” that varies, although not necessarily weekly as the name suggests (depends on how quickly the keg, or kegs, kick). XM radio set to the New Wave station (this might not be a plus to some people, but it’s what I like to listen to). Knowledgeable bartenders. A cast of regulars.

After an hour of dancing and no luck finding my friends at E!, I decide to meet up with my crew down the street to the bar Sidecar, which is a hosting a party for X-Dance, a festival for extreme sports films. And where there’s extreme sports, there’s extreme sports athletes. I convince the bouncer to let me sneak past the line and then follow a pro-boarder into the VIP, which disappointingly has a lack of hotties, whom had taken off for the Winter X-Games. But I’m not worried. I still have three more nights to go.

An afternoon at the movies often presents a dilemma of its own. While summer temps soar outside, you don’t want to freeze in the theater. A light-weight cardigan is the perfect option. An uber-soft, knit dress in a spicy color is chic paired with sky-high platforms and a canvas and leather bag. Switch out the heels for flat, strappy gladiator sandals to create an easier look more suitable for strolling that has a European holiday feel.

Word got out quick that Tao is the place to be and once again I’m without a wristband. I’m flying solo tonight so I text some of my friends at E! Entertainment inside, hoping they can use their VIP status to get me in, but I’m out of luck. Just as I’m about to give up (sober in 11 degree weather sucks), a pink-haired Perez Hilton, the infamous celebrity blogger, walks through the velvet ropes and out the exit near me. With nothing to lose I yell, “Perez! Can I have your wristband?” To my surprise, he comes over. “It won’t come off I’ll have to rip it,” he says yanking at the red plastic band. I tie the band around my wrist and run inside.