Why this white girl shouldn't dance

• I almost got kicked out of Howl at the Moon
• I have a random bruise, cause unknown, and extreme soreness in my left arm
• I wasted some good alcohol, committing a major party foul

However, the good things that happened on Friday night far outweigh the bad. I decided to mix things up a little bit for my April resolution event.

My friend Elizabeth (EE) came to Charlotte for a visit. I decided to do something with her that wouldn't cost either one of us a ton, but still count as my event for the month. We would go to Howl at the Moon , a dueling piano bar in uptown Charlotte.

I went to their website for more information and I registered to win a free party. I did. This got us some pretty good drink deals and free admission. Well, of course I needed to share those deals, so I invited some friends. The guests for the EE's Here party were: Jean, Mark, Alisa, Frank, Misty, Dan and Tasha.

We were on two separate, yet equally important missions: Show EE a good time and see a live performance.

Well, since we are winners, we completed both missions.

We were there for several hours listening to some good music and enjoying each other's company. They had some fantastic drink that came in a bucket. It was delicious.

Our group requested a song that is special to EE and me: "It wasn't me" by Shaggy. Of course, we were the only people in the room who enthusiastically cheered when it was played. Some other favorites included Kid Rock, Montell Jordan and Carrie Underwood. It was neat to watch the different performers switch gears and move from genre to genre.

Needless to say, when you drink out of a bucket, you may be moved to dance. I did the macarena. I also knocked over a couple of drinks, resulting in a near ousting from the bar management. I woke up with random bruises and blisters from my insane heels.

I had a fantastic time. It was wonderful to have so many of my friends be able to participate in this month's event, let go and have some fun.

Next month, I return to the theater for the musical Rent.

As always, it's about the accessories!

Concerts, sporting events and other resolution-eligible items are usually a blast to attend. Getting there sometimes can be another story.

Parking is almost always an issue. For my first event, The Lion King, my friend Quiz dropped Kelly and me off at the door. We had a long, cold walk back to the car after the event wasover. In Roanoke, my friend Misty and I boarded a shuttle bus to get a ride to the Civic Center.

At the Carolina game, my brother and I paid $10 for the privilege of leaving my car (which broke down) in a pot-hole filled lot and then hiking a mile.

Once you get to the event, there normally isn't a lot of leg room, or any kind of room. There definitely isn't room for the big purse that I usually carry. I've spent many an event awkwardly attempting to shove my bag under my seat or move it out of the way when someone stumbles drunkenly down the aisle.

I decided in Roanoke that this would not do. I took the essentials: license, debit card, lip gloss, phone and camera and put them in a small bag that fit on my wrist. That probably looked a little silly because this was a bag I bought to go with my bridesmaids dress for a friend’s wedding. This worked well at the concert. I could wear my bag on my wrist and not have to worry about a bulky bag, while carrying all the essentials.

I decided then that I needed a less formal bag. I got this from TJ Maxx. I just carry the essentials and it works great.

The only problem now is that I want to permanently downsize, but I just can’t seem to make myself do it!