Happy February, ladies! I hope everyone survived Valentine’s Day with relationships still intact. Now that V-Day is over and “The Dinah” is just around the corner, we start our final push towards summer. Before we know it, Pride will be here, the hot weather will be back, and we’ll all be cutting out of work early to head to the beach. But summer also brings another important event to San Diego: Dyke March! It is with great enthusiasm I announce planning for San Diego Dyke March 2009 has officially begun.

Dyke March 2009 promises to be bigger and better this year, and now is the time to get involved. For more information on San Diego Dyke March, e-mail dykemarchsd@yahoo.com or visit the event’s MySpace at www.myspace.com/dykemarchsd.

Do you have a secret bowling ball stashed away at home, somewhere where your girlfriend won’t see it? Well, now is the time to take it out and dust it off! San Diego HRC is hosting its first HRC Bowling Event at Kearny Mesa Bowl, Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1:30 p.m. Come alone or grab four friends to create a team and compete against other teams for various prizes. You don’t have to be good, you just have to have fun! For more information, visit www.hrc.org/sandiego.

The Women’s Resource Center will host its popular series, Coffee & Conversation with Cool Women, on Tuesday, March 3, at 7 p.m. at The San Diego LGBT Community Center, located at 3909 Centre St. At the monthly event, hostess Tryce Czyczynska interviews notable women from the San Diego women’s community, “Oprah-style!” March’s “cool woman” is Caroline (Cara) Dessert, The Center’s public policy coordinator. Cara recently served as the No on 8 Equality for All field director for San Diego County and the Inland Empire. Be sure to join the WRC for coffee, dessert and a dynamic conversation about politics, Prop 8 and community activism. This event is free, open to all, and will take place in The Center’s library.

Do you know every word to the RENT soundtrack? Have you always dreamed of meeting some of the original cast members? Well, now is the time to see RENT and support The Center’s Youth Housing Program at the same time! On Tuesday, March 10, you can “Help Pay RENT” by attending a performance of the show featuring Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal. There’s also exclusive RENT cast party at Confidential Restaurant and Loft. Tickets for the event and performance are $120 and $135. A minimum of $83 from each ticket sold will help reach the goal of raising $15,500 to pay one month’s rent for the 23 youth residents at The Center’s Youth Housing Project (YHP). The YHP provides safe and supportive housing for San Diego’s homeless youth, including GLBT and HIV-positive youth. For more information, e-mail dluehring@thecentersd.org.

Are you ready to get your Dinah on and frustrated that it’s not April yet? Lucky for you, Club Skirts and Lavender Lens Productions are teaming up to present the Dinah 2009 White Party San Diego, on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 9 p.m. at The Flame (3780 Park Blvd.). DJ Kathy Valenti and DJ Muse will be in the house, along with go-go dancers, Dinah promoter Mariah Hanson and other celebrity judges. Don’t forget to wear white! For event information, call 619-291-8223.

Annual Women’s Night is right around the bend, taking place Saturday, April 18! This celebration of San Diego’s lesbian, bisexual and transgender women’s community is the only event of its kind in all of San Diego County! This year’s event will be held at the beautiful Paradise Point Resort & Spa in Mission Bay. The event theme is “Sirens of the Silver Screen Soirée” – so come dressed in your best black and white attire. The evening will feature live entertainment, a silent auction, a DJ and dancing, casino and a delicious assortment of tasting stations. Tickets are $150 for dinner and $75 for dessert and show only. During the event, the community will recognize local women who have had a positive impact on San Diego’s GLBT community.

Every Monday night, Beauty Bar San Diego (4746 El Cajon Blvd.) presents Beauty Bordello hosted by the sassy Ophelia Kitty and featuring chanteuses Tori Roze and Roxy Blue. Weekly guest singers join the house band and the burlesque show is hot, hot, hot! Come dressed to impress in your vintage best!

Wednesday night is happy hump day in San Diego! If you are looking for an extra boost to get you to the weekend, Hawthorn’s Restaurant and Lounge (2895 University Ave.) is the place for you. Have a cocktail, meet new friends and dance to DJ Kiki’s killer hip-hop mash-ups. Enjoy $3 draft beers and $4 Hawthorn’s martinis. This event kicks off at 10 p.m.

The Flame also has a new ladies’ night on Wednesday called Cookies. DJ Dirty Kurty is on the tables with $1 featured shots every hour and $2 Budweiser and Kamikaze shots all night.

Looking for fun on a Thursday night? Every Thursday, hundreds of women pack into Rich’s (1051 University Ave.) for TOUCH and party the night away. DJ Kiki spins a hot hip-hop and techno mix. Candice and Amy are the resident bartenders. Enjoy $3 Miller Lites all night long. Be sure to bring a bunch of dollar bills for the Lipstik Inc. Dancers! Doors open at 9:30, but get there before 10 p.m. and there is no cover. Happy dancing!

FlawLes hosts a new ladies’ happy hour every third Thursday at Universal (1202 University Ave). Grand opening is Thursday, Feb. 19, at 5 p.m., with a hosted bar until 6 p.m., happy-hour prices all night long, live music featuring Veronica May and more.

Every Friday is ladies’ night at Bourbon Street (4612 Park Blvd.) for Ladie’s Happy Hour from 4-7 p.m. and a live performance by Lauren DeRose at 6:30 p.m. in the front bar. Enjoy a game or two of pool or darts (my favorite) while you’re there, and munch on the free popcorn, too! This is one of the best spots to meet other women in SD.

Have you had a Hot Flash yet? Popular across the Pacific Northwest, Hot Flash Dances are monthly retro dances for lesbians who love to dance to a little doo-wop, fly to a little hip hop and boogie to a whole lot of everything in between. San Diego Hot Flash is open to all women 21-and-up but caters to “seasoned” lesbians mid-30s and up with great classics from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, as well as today’s best dance music. Hot Flash is more than a dance though; it’s a place for connecting, meeting, playing, finding friends, making alliances and providing a sense of community. Hot Flash dances take place on the first Saturday of each month at The Flame (3780 Park Blvd.) from 5 to 9 p.m., with the next one taking place on March 7.

That’s it for this month – See you in March!