Hi, party people. Just want to let everyone know that my weekly events chat isn't happening tomorrow or on Turkey Day. I'm at a conference tomorrow and really, does anyone want to think about dance nights and dining deals when she's in a sweet, sweet turkey coma? I think not.

I'll be back and better than ever on Dec. 3. If you need me in the meantime, drop me a line. I promise to respond. Joyous gluttony, all.

[Get in my belly!]

We hear that NKOTB is playing a Christmas charity show at the House of Blues on Dec. 20. All net ticket proceeds will go to Toys for Tots, and fans are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys to the concert. The boys even put together a quick video explaining how the idea came about:

(We love that Donnie Wahlberg talks about picking out a special outfit for the show this far in advance. And, as always, props for the Red Sox hat.)

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Sat.) at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. Yes, tomorrow. Wonder if they'll perform "Funky, Funky, Xmas?" Fingers crossed.

Whaddya mean, you missed my chat today? Shame on you. It was full of secrets, lies, betrayals, and insight. Just like a "Gossip Girl" episode. Catch up here:

Pasta, the innocuous comfort food we all love so, has inspired two cutthroat competitions this Sunday: the Ravioli Rumble at dante and the Mac & Cheeze Takedown at Great Scott.

The rumble kicks off at 1 p.m. and the takedown starts at 2:30 p.m. The former's in Cambridge, the latter is in Allston, aka the other side of the world. What's a carbohydrate fiend to do?

Here are the facts to aid your delicious, albeit difficult, decision:

Twenty locals will dish up their most creative mac & cheese recipes at Great Scott; taste all the concoctions for $10 and vote on your favorite (no Kraft here, folks). Sign up to compete in the cookoff — you could win a 6-month membership to the Mac of the Month Club from Good Tastes Kitchen in Newburyport (!!).

Across town at the Ravioli Rumble on dante's riverfront patio, Dante de Magistris has invited his chef friends — including Anthony Caturano from Prezza, Jamie Bissonnette from Toro, and Will Gilson from Garden at the Cellar — to come armed with gourmet pasta pockets filled with everything from butternut squash to pork belly. (We are currently drooling.) Tickets are $20 and reservations are required.

We'll be in New York this weekend sipping beers at Brooklyn Brewery and shopping up a storm. At least we know Bostonians will be well-fed while we're away. Mangia!

Sample seasonal drinks from around the city and talk about it? Yes, please. Check out some of fall's most creative and tasty sippers. We did the heavy lifting — all you have to do is raise a glass. A pickle martini, anyone?

[Maple Manhattan, $9, Franklin Cafe / Photo by Courtney Hollands]

Thankfully, Lenka Kripac decided to take a break from her band Decoder Ring, drop her last name, and move from Australia to Los Angeles. Otherwise, we may never have heard her bubbly brand of infectious pop. Lenka has lent her Feist-meets-Bjork tunes to episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" and "90210" — her music makes us want to wear frilly dresses and skip through a field with balloons. Seriously. See Little Miss Sunshine and opener Colin Smith at Great Scott Saturday night.

Isn't she fierce?

The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $12. Or, check out more weekend picks.

"Finally, she's chatting with me, right in front of my face, and I just can't deny it." If you missed today's fabulous weekend chat, read the transcript and catch up:

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first airing of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" on the BBC. The Brattle Theater in Cambridge is celebrating by hosting its second "Python-a-thon" this Saturday. The all-day marathon features favorites like the "Life of Bryan" and "Meaning of Life." The main event is a raucous sing-and-quote along to 1975's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." at 7 p.m. Grab your holy hand grenades — but please, no killer rabbits.

All-day passes are $30, or $25 for students. Just the "Grail" quote-along is $10. See the website for more information, a schedule, tickets, and other nonsense.

["Let's not go to Camelot, 'tis a silly place" / Python Pictures]

He's the resident DJ for the Beastie Boys. He's won the DMC World DJ Championships multiple times. He's often credited for inventing the tweak scratch technique. Yep, Mix Master Mike is kind of a big deal. Catch him Thursday at Underbar with DJs Frank White and Silent Partner. Ch-check it out.

The party is 21+ and kicks off at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.50.

We heart free movies at the Boston Public Library. (Save $10.50 and see a classic on the big screen? Yes, please.) On Mondays through Dec. 14, catch flicks from celebrated director Robert Altman in the Rabb Lecture Hall.

Here's the schedule:

Nov. 9: "A Prairie Home Companion" 105 min. color, 2006
Nov. 1: "Fool for Love" 106 min. color, 1985
Nov. 23: "Popeye" 114 min. color, 1980
Nov. 30: "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" 120 min. color, 1971
Dec. 7: "Gosford Park" 137 min. color, 2001
Dec. 14: "Nashville" 159 min. color, 1975

Movies start at 6 p.m.

If I were alive in 1959, you better believe I would have spent my Saturday nights — post sock hop, of course — rolling strikes in my full skirt and letter jacket at Boston Bowl. My main squeeze and I would sidle up to the bar for 50 cent sodas and chat about Little Richard or The Big Game.

Boston Bowl turns 50 this year, and to celebrate, the Morrissey Boulevard alley and brewery is rolling back its prices to match 1959 prices from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 7. That means tenpin and candlepin games for 50 cents each. Pizza, burgers, and sodas will also be 50 cents.

Crazy, Daddy-O!

I'm getting chills. Must be the season of the witch. If you missed my Halloween spectacular chat* today, you can see the transcript here:

* It was spectacular despite the technical difficulties. If you had trouble submitting your questions, just email me and I'll get back to you asap with answers, suggestions, and tenderness.

A little something to sweeten your Monday: Kickass Cupcakes in Davis Square is hosting its monthly Cocktail Cupcake Hour tonight from 5-7 p.m.

Nibble on free Zombie, Jack & Coke, and Blue Raspberry Fizz mini cakes — the Jack & Coke has a bourbon frosting, yum!

We also heard that the bakery's "free cupcakes for a year" contest ends this week. Suggest an original cupcake flavor with name and ingredients at Kickass Cupcakes or on its Facebook page and you could win a dozen cupcakes every month for a year. (Two winners will be selected.)

Here's an idea from Terra:
Name: The Boston Globe
Cake: Black and White Marble Cake
Icing: Red Buttercream
Garnish: Oreo Cookie Crumbles
Other: What's black and white and "red" all over?

And, one from Kim:
Name: M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Batter: jalapeno cornbread
Frosting: Pimento Cheese
Other: deviled ham garnish

Not sure about that one... hmmm.

[Wendy Maeda / Globe Staff]

*Yikes! I originally had the show date listed as Saturday, Halloween night. However, this concert is happening the night before Halloween: Oct. 30. Sorry for the mix-up. Thanks, karen.*

Attention trick-or-treaters: I just got wind of an awesome concert happening Halloween eve (Friday). Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are playing Porter Belly's in Brighton. OK, so there won't be any Muppets in the house. But catchy local rockers Tori Pyne will be dressing up as Dr. Floyd Pepper, Animal, and the rest of the motley crew for their 10 p.m. show. In the immortal words of Janice: "Like, wow, man."

Wonder if we'll hear any "Can You Picture That?" or "Jingle Bell Rock"?

And, remember: We have a Boston.com Halloween Guide for all your costume, events, and scary movie needs.

Hi, folks. Here's the recap of today's weekend events chat in case you missed it. Now you can read the full, scintillating transcript in the comfort of your own cube or home. Have a fabulous weekend!

Feeling spooky, chatters? Halloween is a few weeks off, but festivities are already in full swing. Hate holidays? I've got plenty of jack o' lantern-free weekend ideas as well. Ask me all your burning questions about dating, dancing, drinking, and dining around the city.

My chat kicks off at 11 a.m. today, but feel free to leave me some love and questions before then. Click the arrow below, type in your name and a question, and hit send.

If you know your bitters and tinctures and can recite the recipes for a Periodista or an Alaska without skipping a beat, Tipple Trivia is for you. Upstairs on the Square bar manager Augusto Lino and Citysearch.com's Christine Liu sling questions about cocktail ingredients, techniques, history, and the local bar scene; teams of four compete for prizes. The special team-sized drinks, served in teapots, should provide any needed liquid courage.

The next installment is at 9 p.m. this Sunday. Here's a toast to random knowledge!

I'm back... in black, in the saddle again, and ready to chat. I just had three weeks of Prosecco-fueled wedding and honeymoon bliss. So now I'm well-rested and brimming with ideas for your weekend. Hit me with all your dating, dining, drinking, and dancing questions.

My chat kicks off at 11 a.m. today, but feel free to leave me some love and questions before then. Click the arrow below, type in your name and a question, and hit send.

The motto of local cooking video site how2heroes is "Cook, eat, be merry." You can do at least two of the three at the how2heroes Hoedown at the Herb Lyceum in Groton on Oct. 18.

Garden at the Cellar chef Will Gilson (below) will man the pig roasting spit and chefs Paul Callahan (Herb Lyceum), Brian Poe (Rattlesnake Bar & Grill), and Evan Percoco (BOKX 109 American Prime) will also be cooking and leading demos.

Add a dash of live music, a liberal shake of cold beer, and a sprinkle of candy-colored leaves and you've got the recipe for a perfect fall day in New England.

[John Bohn / Globe Staff]

The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is rain or shine. Tickets are $20. RSVP required.

Yes, my friends, that's a command. Dig out your sequined gloves, military jackets, pet chimps, fedoras, and moonwalk to the Coolidge Corner Theatre Saturday for the Michael Jackson Sing-Along. Get there early — we expect lines of Dirty Dianas and Pretty Young Things waiting to pay tribute to the King of Pop.

The dance party kicks off at midnight — see (and sing along with) videos for "Smooth Criminal," "Bad," "Black and White," and all your favorite tunes. We're crossing our fingers for "Captain EO," a short film starring MJ and (randomly) Anjelica Houston shown in 3D at Disney theme parks in the '80s and early '90s. Memory lane, right? See ya later, trashcans!

Tickets are $10 and are on sale now. We want to rock with you. All night.