I had survived and was now part of the elite seven, whittled down from 40 other competitors including Lance Bass, Reichen Lehmkuhl, Nick Cannon, Richard Roeper, World Series runner-up, Paul Wasicka, son of the poker legend Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Stephen Stills and many others.

My trip began Friday night, the second night of Sundance and one of the busiest nights on the town. Every dive-bar and mediocre club on Main Street had been transformed into the glitz and glamorous clubs of New York and Los Angeles and had been taken over by uptight LA bouncers and cut-throat publicists. One thing was clear: Sundance wasn’t about the films. It was about the parties. As Nelly would say on stage a few days later, “Sundance is winter’s Spring Break!” For this week, the signs read Tao, Marquee and Motorola Lounge. Instead of beer-bellied regulars, the bars were filled with Hollywood’s hottest crop of young actors including Sienna Miller, Josh Hartnett, Justin Timberlake and Jared Leto.

There is a place in the village where all of Dorothy’s people gather, lovingly known as Mary’s. It is a self described “t-shirt country” and is proud of that label. Here, you’ll find friendly bartenders, lots of tattoos, and Converse All-Stars to fill up any walk-in closet. This is one of the less pretentious bars around. The lighting is dime and the space is small, but once you come here, you will never forget it.

Online dating is common practice in our society today as many different people all over the world use this type of service. In the next few minutes I am going to reveal to you some common mistakes I see people making over and over again that are hurting their chances greatly in meeting quality people with online dating services.

“Great Gatsby” Halloween Celebration (October 28, 6-9 p.m.; 21 and over): Singles in the City Social Network is hosting this Roaring 20s party at Tantra in Mt. Pleasant. Food, drinks and music will be there. The event is $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

The crowd that can be expected is not your preppy, polo shirt wearing snobs. Most of them have tattoos and piercings and lean towards the rocker side of the spectrum. Don’t mistake this for the Emo type either. It’s mainly just a bunch of people who enjoy music and beer.

Whether you’re going to cheer on the Stars in this weekend’s home series, stroll through the Botanical Garden, bar hop through down town after pizza at Sam and Greg’s, or go traditional with dinner and a movie at Bridge Street here are a few ideas to solve the fashion conundrums presented when the temperatures soar but you still want to impress. From sweet to edgy, there’s a little inspiration for everyone. Take what you can use and pass it on.