So long and thanks for all the boxes

Hi everyone!

Real quick, because we have some business to attend to: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU and THANK YOU for such an amazing wedding. It wouldn't have been the same without each and every one of you.

While we didn't get a chance to chat with (and hug!) each of you, there was a reason the rabbi had us turn and look at you all during the ceremony. Your smiles simply made our day. We can't wait to tell you in person.

Also, thanks to everyone for their generous gifts. They currently exist in the form of unopened boxes and envelopes. If you've been wondering if we got the gifts, the answer is "yes," we just don't know you gave it to us and what it is. :)

Finally, if you didn't get a chance to view the slideshow at the wedding you can do so now at clients.joelflory.com/tamarandmike. You can also see your pretty faces in the photobooth at http://www.thephotoboof.com/. The event code is: miketammy3.

Think that's all for now. Again, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! You all rock.
Love n' hugs,
Tammy and Mikey Altfest

p.s. - go phillies.

Things to do in Pleasanton when you're in town for a wedding

OH MY - We're still blogging!!

Well, hello everyone! If my evil 7th grade math teacher, Mrs. Jennings, taught me any math at all, then I'm pretty sure we're 13 days away from the wedding. Awesome. Believe it or not, everything is ready to go and now we're just down to seating charts and answering questions like "what color linens do you want for the cocktail hour?" (yes, there's a cocktail hour!). It also means that we're too busy to blog so instead we've enlisted some help. (thanks, Papa and Mama Trong for the guest blog idea).

...We've been hyping it for months now and it's finally here. So, without further ado, we present to you the (wait for it... waaaaaiiittt....)

"THINGS TO DO IN PLEASANTON, CA" post!
(applause)

The following information was meticulously compiled by Joe and Liz Streng, of Pleasanton, CA, who we are forever indebted to for pointing us in the direction of suburbia when looking for a wedding venue. Joe also happens to be (*coughcoughmymanagercoughcough*), like, the nicest guy on earth. And Liz, among many, many other compliments, makes the best chocolate chip cookies on earth. hands down. Forget about it. Ask every employee of Edelman San Francisco who has jockeyed for position as soon as the "cookies in the kitchen" email goes out. It's dangerous. It's not even close. Seriously. I don't lie. Ever. They're that good.

OK... enough distractions. Here you go!

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Greetings from Pleasanton, California, aka P-Town and/or the Second-Happiest Place on Earth. As a Parks & Recreation Commissioner and a resident of this delightful suburb for nearly 30 years, I speak on behalf of our 60,000+ residents when I express our collective honor for having been chosen as the site for this blessed event. With a late-Sunday start-time for the festivities, some of you may have some a few extra hours to explore this wonderful little hamlet. First, a few facts about the city:

• Pleasanton was actually named after Major General Alfred Pleasonton, but the U.S. Postal Service assumed there was a typo on the original map and changed the name to its current spelling. True story.
• Pleasanton has enjoyed national fame, including an extended monologue on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. It was also the filming location for the 1938 Shirley Temple classic Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
• Pleasanton has two high schools. The first and far superior is Amador Valley High School, the School of Champions, home of the Dons and proud alma mater of yours truly (Class of ’86) and his lovely wife Elizabeth (Class of ’87). The other is Foothill High School and the less said about this truly sad and failing institution, the better.
• Pleasanton is not to be confused with Pleasantville, the classic 1998 Tobey McGuire/Reese Witherspoon black-and-white/color dramedy and an All-Time Top 10 favorite of the groom.
  (editors note: the week Joe started at Edelman I probably made this joke three dozen times. Not so much because it's "funny," but rather because Pleasantville is one of my top-10 favorite movies of all time. Seriously. try me.)
  

So, I hear you saying to yourself, “Boy, Joe! Pleasanton sounds swell! What delights await us for our weekend visit?” Well, here are a few tips:

Best Hotel: Rose Hotel. Owned by Pleasanton’s most famous resident, NFL Hall-of-Famer John Madden, the Rose is the crown jewel of Downtown Pleasanton and home-base for the wedding party. Elegant and well-appointed, the Rose will be a lovely spot for a post-wedding nightcap.

Best Breakfast: Dean’s Café in Downtown Pleasanton. For those of you lucky enough to be staying at the Rose, Dean’s is an easy walk down Main Street. In the shadow of the famous Downtown Pleasanton arch, this breakfast mecca boasts the biggest selection of omelets in the Tri-Valley area. (Runner Up: The Rising Loafer, also on Main Street)

Best Lunch/Outdoor Dining: Blue Agave. No trip to Pleasanton is complete without enjoying a leisurely lunch in the outdoor patio at Blue Agave. Located directly across the street from Dean’s, this place has a MASSIVE list of Tequila-based beverages and a super-friendly staff. The menu is a little pricey, but worth it.

Best Pizza: Gay 90’s Pizza Company. OK, if you can stop giggling about the name, you’ll realize this is the best slice you’ll ever have in your life. Located on the far end of Main Street (but still an easy walk), two slices of Gay 90’s incredible thick-crust pizza will fill you up for the rest of the day and make you want to take a nap. A personal favorite is the half Maui Special (ham and pineapple) and half Jeff’s Special (sausage, pepperoni and red onions). Bliss.

Best Brew: Main Street Brewery. Across the street from the Rose, Main Street brews its own beer on the premises and serves great French fries (Honest!). Many a delightful afternoon has been spent lounging on the outside patio enjoying the signature Pale Ale.

Best Beer Selection: Hop Yard Ale House. OK, this is splitting hairs because it’s impossible to say one pub is better than the other, but without a doubt, the Hop Yard has the bigger beer list. It’s so big it actually changes daily. For those of you staying in the hotels closer to Interstate 580, this is a short drive down Hopyard Road. (Little known fact: Hopyard Road in Pleasanton actually got its name from the acres of hop fields that were planted on the outskirts of town.)

Best Way to Kill an Afternoon: Wine Tasting in Livermore. As you know, Mike and Tamar will be married at the fabulous event center located at Mitchell Katz winery in Pleasanton. I highly recommend taking a short drive down Vineyard Avenue to visit a few of the local wineries in nearby Livermore, an appellation that has truly started to gain recognition over the past 10 years for producing quality wines. At the very least, be sure to make the less than five-mile drive to enjoy a pre-ceremony lunch at Wente Vineyards. The outdoor patio is a picture-perfect spot to enjoy a chilled glass of the winery’s delicious and reasonably-priced Riva Ranch Chardonnay. For those who are feeling adventurous, here are a few other wineries to visit:

• Concannon Vineyard: Recently opened a wonderful new tasting room and home to the first-ever Petite Sirah grown in the United States.
• Murrieta’s Well: A personal favorite, the Meritage and Zarzuela are delicious and the tasting room has a great ambiance.
• Ruby Hill Winery: Almost (but not quite) within walking distance of Mitchell Katz, it’s a perfect place to kill 15 minutes with wine tasting if you accidentally arrive to too early and don’t want to be the first ones at the ceremony.

For those of you who don’t have time to make it out to Livermore, the Wine Steward just a few doors down from Blue Agave on Main Street has a terrific selection of local wines and a relaxing wine bar upstairs.

Best Golf Course: Pleasanton Fairways. OK, this is a total lie. The Fairways is actually a rag-tag nine-hole golf course located inside the horse track at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. (I’ve been playing it since I was 12 years old.) I’ve included it because if you are a golfer, the fairgrounds are within walking distance of Downtown Pleasanton. Bring your clubs and hit a bucket!

Well, there’s so much more to do and see here in Pleasanton that it seems unfair to wrap this up now, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. I hope you enjoy your time here in this jewel of Northern California. I look forward to seeing you at the wedding and when you visit our city, be sure to tell them “Joe sent me!”