An Afternoon Wedding Tea At The Mansion

Fanfare has done it again. Only this time we invited a wonderful group of brides-to-be to an afternoon tea at the amazing Ralston Hall Mansion in Belmont. My first photo shows off their glorious ballroom. And as if their grandiose ceilings aren't dramatic enough, we added the spectacular effects of Enhanced Lighting.

And speaking of Enhanced Lighting, owner Megan Woods, paused for a moment to pose here with our official Fanfare photographer, Teresa Halton.


Our Afternoon Wedding Tea and every other event at Ralston Hall Mansion is really enhanced by the gracious hostessing of Karen Bouquist-Gelineau and Denise Wilkelstein pictured here. Their gentle coordination style really sets a relaxed tone for this stunning setting.


No Fanfare event is complete without hospitality. Even at an afternoon tea our guests were treated to a savory light buffet by Teri Menchini of La Bocca Fina catering. And as a perfect compliment to the savory tastes we all enjoyed the sweet treats of Have Your Cake. Maralyn Tabatsky came through again with four distinct dessert samplings served with a variety of teas during our presentation and raffle. To wrap things up on a really fun note Cynthia Glinka opened up her bag of tricks and dazzled the audience with the help of three very willing newlywed couples-to-be. This light hearted finale was the perfect conclusion to a great afternoon of meeting, greeting and noshing. This close up shot of Maralyn's delectables speaks for itself.


My parting shot here is of myself on the right and my absolute favorite wedding ceremony officiant, Rev. Ed Holt. When it comes to wedding officiants Ed Holt is simply in a league of his own. We had a lot of fun chatting with brides-to-be and their entourages at Ed's table right near the entrance to the mansion.


Chalk up another successful showcase for Fanfare and the Ralston Hall Mansion. The good news we have set a date for our next event on January 13th at the Kohl Mansion. If you know anyone who is planning a wedding, be sure they also know about Fanfare and that is a simple as going to www.fanfareweddings.com. Happy Holidays from all us Fanfarians!

-That Only DJ Guy

Fanfare For The Uncommon Bride

Strike up the band! I've just joined Fanfare. Fanfare is a group of wedding professionals who offer a refreshing counterpoint to the mass produced bridal shows. There is only one vendor in each category and they produce intimate gatherings where bridal clients can meet them up close and personal.

Another big plus with Fanfare is they only present at the area's top venues. Our most recent gathering was at the spectacular Kohl Mansion in Burlingame. Our gracious hostesses were Terri Baldocchi and Dianne Devin who do a fine job managing this great facility.

Fanfare lived up to it's name with a jubilant welcoming of attendees at the front of the mansion by the horns of the Brassworks Music featuring Gabriel's Trumpets.

Another amazing thing about Fanfare is the food. Often these types of showcases offer only nibbles and beverages but not at Fanfare where everyone is treated to a full dinner by one of the area's best known caterers, La Bocca Fina. Pictured here is La Bocca Fina owner, Teri Menchini, who paused briefly to allow me a quick photo of her. Teri's food was amazing and no one left the Kohl that night hungry.


Adding to the festive atmosphere were the flowers of Plan Decor. Owner, Karen Baba, is pictured here with one of her many stunning arrangements. Karen also made all of the bouquets for our fashion show. This show was the debut of one of our newest Friends of Fanare featuring the attire of The Unique Bride with its brand new owner, Tosca Clark.


Then the real fun began with some impromptu dance lessons by Cynthia Glinka, Dance Instructor to the Stars. Cynthia's high energy and great sense of humor made her a really fun co-host as we are pictured together her with our roaving microphones.


And the only way to top all of this was with some serious sugar. Fanfare's representative in the sweets department is Maralyn Tabatsky, of Have Your Cake. So the perfect wind down for the evening was tasting some of Maralyn's delicacies. The Kohl Mansion has an amazing room for displaying your wedding cake as shown here with a pair of Maralyn's cakes we enjoyed.


Here's just few of the Fanfare core group who posed for my little point and shoot:


Diane Tatro of Travel Quest Honeymoons (on the left with the Aloha spirit) and Megan Woods of Enhanced Lighting on the right.




Teresa Halton (our team photographer on the right) with Terri Baldochhi of the Kohl Mansion.




Anna Maria Mendieta of Premiere Harp Songs posed here with her instrument of choice. Rounding out the core group who are regular Fanfare members are Rev. Ed Holt, Hyegraph Invitations & Calligraphy, Classic Party Rentals and Thomas Hughes Video Productions.


Fanfare keeps each event fresh with "Friends of Fanfare" who bring their unique products and services in for a limited basis. At the Kohl we were treated to a brand new company called Well Rehearsed. Kathy Goodman is shown below at her table where all the buzz was about her unique new service specializing in rehearsal dinners.


Among our other Friends of Fanfare who joined us for the excitement at the Kohl show were Il Fornaio Restaurant, M.A.C. Cosmetics at Burlingame, Ambassadors Rolls-Royce Limousine Service, Doubletree Hotel SFO, and Dermalounge.

The bottom line is the core group of Fanfare all have longstanding reputations while the Friends of Fanfare bring in something new with each showcase. The result keeps the entire effort fresh and exciting. Look for our next event on November 2 at the Ralston Hall Mansion in Belmont. For details just visit Fanfare Weddings.com.

Life In The Full Lane

How much can you squeeze into 32 hours? This past weekend was a record for me on several fronts and I am normally a very busy guy who likes to keep his hands and feet moving.

It all began at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning with my 40 year high school reunion. This party was a winner from the get go when those organizing decided to make it a casual picnic at Vasona. It had been nearly twenty years since any formal gathering of the Wildcats of 1968 so the timing for this event was ripe.

I had the pleasure of providing a sound system and music because that's just what I do. I made five playlists in iTunes and then burned them to CD. There was one disc each for 1964 to 1968 when music was great. Motown, Beatles and all those other artists that made music to which you cannot help but sing along. And singing we did with no inherent pressure to dance or even a floor to do it on. Although many could not sit still so they just danced in the grass because this music is still so infectious.

The internet has made connecting with former classmates so much easier. We had a great turnout of about 75 classmates and a few spouses. Although everyone looked good the little name tags with your yearbook photo were included to help jump start your memory. A lot can change in forty years. Of course, I look exactly the same as you can see from my yearbook picture and this photo taken at the reunion below.
Los Gatos High School colors have always been like Halloween, Orange and Black. The only orange and black outfit in my wardrobe are these wild parachute pants and they certainly harvested many comments as well as made me the brunt of several jokes. But it was all worth it in the spirit of the Cats of '68. Posing with me here is Dennis Barrier who was huge in making our 40th happen.

One more sidebar on the reunion was a little girl named Heidi. She is pictured here below with my daughter, Claire. When Heidi arrived she was hoping there would be more children to play with at the park. I made the mistake of telling her that Claire would arrive soon. She took that promise as "any minute" and anticipated Claire's arrival for over an hour. Their eventual connection was a blessing for both of them as they were just about the only two kids at the party. Heidi's story is bittersweet as she was at our reunion with her grandmother, Jeannie Krusee (Nilson) from my class because Jeannie's daughter lost her battle with cancer only one year after Heidi was born. Heidi is now just four years old and will be raised by her relatives. This story will be underscored by my experience on Sunday.

Although the reunion continued well past the scheduled ending time I had to run off to San Francisco for a wedding reception at the incredible Asian Art Museum. You really have to see this place to believe how inspiring architecture can be. I was lucky enough to make this my third wedding in just two months with Jubilee Lau. And what more perfect setting for the wedding celebration of two Ivy League architectural grads, Leonard and Emily Ng, than the AAM. And as if the Samsung Ballroom wasn't stunning enough, they brought in the floral magnificence of Kathleen Deery. Any photograph with my little point and shoot camera simply would not do this setting justice. As they say "you really had to be there" to experience the beauty of this event.

We danced well into Saturday night but then I again had to run off to the third and final leg of my weekend marathon, the Livestrong Challenge very early Sunday morning. For the first time ever this incredible event came to Northern California. Lance Armstrong's celebrity factor is huge but he only uses it to leverage the altruistic mission of his Livestrong Foundation. Just like his autobiography called "It's Not About The Bike" this event is not about Lance. It is about making cancer a national priority. It is about raising money and awareness. It is about saving lives and improving lives of those affected by cancer.

When I first heard about this event we immediately formed a team at my gym, World Gym. I dubbed our team, Headstrong, for the play on words and credo of our team captain, Michele Meliski. Michele's philosophy is that your mental strength ultimately dictates your physical strength. Will power can keep you going long after you "think" your body has shut down.

Four from our team chose the do the entire 100 mile bike ride on Sunday.
Pictured here from left to right are Michele, me, Kristy Sanden and Peter Meyer. We posed for a moment at the first rest stop in Saratoga which was heavily staffed by volunteers from another amazing cancer support group called The Wellness Community. And what a nice surprise to see my lifelong friends, Patty and Steve Tedesco working the rest stop with many others from TWC supporting the Livestrong Challenge. You gotta love the synergy of multiple cancer support groups cross supporting each other.

And then I got the thrill of a lifetime as the first wave of riders came up behind us. We had jumped the gun before the official start at 7:30. After all, it is not a race so we just began our journey a bit early. Leading this huge group of riders was Lance Armstrong so I got to ride about six miles from Saratoga to Los Gatos with the man himself. Only when we hit the climb on Shannon Road did the real cyclists leave us amateurs behind. I can't remember the last time I was so happy to get left in the dust.

The headline in Monday's paper read "Cancer Only loser in Livestrong race" and that summed up Sunday perfectly. The people I met and stories I heard about cancer victims, sufferers and survivors were simply incredible. Cycling jerseys were covered with placards in honor, in support and in memory of so many. The volunteers and support staff made all of us riders feel like celebrities. Strangers positioned themselves along the route and cheered us for eight hours straight.

When people ask me for whom I wear a yellow Livestrong wristband I reply, "Where do you want me to start?" After Sunday I can add hundreds of names to that list from the stories I heard and now for little Heidi as well.

I was proud to finish the century on only two hours of sleep the night before. I was exhausted but fulfilled. I can safely say I had a full weekend. If you are feeling a little empty, flip on your turn signal and try taking a spin in the full lane. Get involved in organizations like Livestrong and The Wellness Community. It's certainly not all downhill but well worth the trip.

That Carl Guy.

What rhymes with Jubilee Lau? Wow!

As if Jubilee Lau isn't already one of the coolest wedding planners going, yesterday she hosted an incredible thank you lunch for us in the Terrace at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco.


Actually, we should have been the ones taking her to lunch.

Jubilee really understands the value of team player vendors and especially the added challenge of what is called the "day of" group or those companies which do much of their work on location during the event itself. After working several successful weddings this year with many of the same professionals it occurred to Jubilee that maybe a luncheon would be a nice way to get together socially and say thanks.

Lunch was amazing and included just about the best French Onion Soup I've ever tasted but we really had the most fun with the array of desserts they presented. One of several sweets they rolled out was a variety of sorbets and gelatos in a sampler complete with the Jubilee Lau Events logo recreated in chocolate!












So who were among the lucky treated yesterday? Pictured here are those who were invited and could attend. From left to right are Megan Woods of Enhanced Lighting, Armando of Get Your Do Up, Carrie Topoian, Todd Rafalovich, John Woods, Jubilee, myself and Bill Kelleher of Stuart Rentals.


All in all it was a delightful luncheon and a most refreshing to spend some quality time with those we normally just see while working or networking. A couple of last parting shots are John Woods admiring Carrie's balancing act with the sorbet sampler. And finally me with my absolute favorite wedding planning person.

Thank YOU Jubilee!

Small Plates, BIG PARTY

Brenda and Charlie Jacklin know how to throw a party. Their extended family is also quite large so when their daughter, Erin, decided to marry Nick Voakes they were faced with a dilemma. The total number of family guests alone on both sides was well over 100. How could everyone possibly have enough time at Sunday's wedding for effective meet and greet? The only logical solution came in the form of another party on Friday night for just their family members. This event was NOT the rehearsal dinner but rather a gathering at the Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside. They slipped the rehearsal in between on Saturday. I loved the concept of this "meet the family" event but figured it would likely be just a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres stand around type party. Guess again. As I said the Jacklins really know how to throw a party. They had a vision of this evening being special and completely different from the experience planned for Sunday's wedding.

Creating an A-list vendor team was likely when the Jacklins chose Jubilee Lau to coordinate both the wedding and this unique family event on Friday. Jubilee has extensive experience at both Fogarty and the Kohl Mansion where the wedding took place on Sunday. There were hundreds of details and Jubilee worked very hard to insure that nothing was overlooked at either event. Jubilee and her trusty assistant, Carrie Topoian, posed here for me on the steps above the party.

Many of their guests were not from California so Friday @ Fogarty was all about local fare and fun. And what better place on the Peninsula to throw a California wine tasting party than at the Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside? And what better way to serve great food with wine pairing than small plates? And who better to take on this challenging food and wine pairing project than Componere Fine Catering.

Things got rolling up on the grassy knoll with butlerd hors d'oeuvre selections served with 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay and 2005 Michaud Vineyard Chalone Pinot Noir. Guests enjoyed Forest Mushroom Tartlets with Parmesan and Soy Balsamic Reduction, Green Tea Noodle Wrapped Tempura Prawns with Tamarind Sauce and Petite Créme Fraich Biscuits with Niman Ranch Pulled Pork and Fennel-Apple Slaw.

The next phase of fantastic food featured a Rolled to Order Sushi Station. The presentation was spectacular. Sushi Nigiri, Sushi Maki and Vegetable Maki was offered on a refrigerated lacquered black case and served with chopsticks, wasabi, pickle ginger and soy. We could have stopped right there and been very happy campers.

But then out came the small plates. Small plates are all the rage in the wine tasting world. They facilitate enjoying a wide variety of wines and you never really over indulge. Componere's highly competent staff kept the passed courses coming.

First was a Chilled Asparagus Soup with Meyer Lemon Cream. The soup was paired with a 2000 Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine.

Second course was a Red and Gold Beet "Carpaccio" and Black Mission Fig Salad paired with a 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay.

Third course was a Grilled Sashimi Grade Salmon with Artichoke-Basil Pesto. Broccoli rabe and beet gnocchi were a delightful side paired with a Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay.

And finally the Fourth passed course was a Marinated Grilled Lamb Chop with Swiss Chard-Sweet Onion Ravioli paired with 2004 Gist Ranch SCM Cabernet Franc.

So how did Componere follow such an amazing parade of passed pleasures? Why that would be with a surprising Dessert Station featuring the Anti-griddle. It is innovative technology that instantly freezes to -30 degrees. Warm Mexican Chocolate Brownies were served and topped with quick frozen Dulce de Leche Custard. Componere owner, Ethan Mantle, is pictured here (center) working that yummy dessert station.

About the best way to describe this whole food experience was dazzling. You simply don't get this variety and level of quality in restaurants. My hat is off to Componere for bringing it all the way up to the top of the hills of Woodside overlooking the entire Bay Area. The tastes were impeccable and the execution was flawless.

As elegant as the food was the vibe for this party was California Casual. The Jacklins insisted this event would be fun and not stuffy. One great way to unstuff a party is with an interactive photobooth. Even Jubilee and I got into the action as you can see from these silly shots. What's more fun than a photobooth? An interactive one brought to your party by PhotoWorks with tons of props. They even created a visual guestbook on the spot as a great keepsake for Erin and Nick.

For the more serious memory making Dave Medal was on hand with his professional camera gear capturing every moment. Here's a snapshot I took of Jubilee and Dave with his veritable battery of SLR's around his neck.

And they danced! I finished the evening festivities with some pretty high energy dance numbers. Many of the Jackins are from Alabama so my absolute peak had to be one of the anthems of the South, "Sweet Home Alabama" from Lynyrd Skynyrd. They could have danced all night but I am glad they didn't because we had to save some energy for Sunday. Stay tuned for the wedding story itself to follow in my next blog.

To some extent every wedding is a destination wedding because there will always be some guests who do not live in the immediate area. I will recommend an event like this to many of my future clients. It is a great way to extend the celebration of a wedding and give those closest to the couple more quality time together. I will credit the Jacklin's generosity and Jubilee Lau's attention to detail with taking this event over-the-top.

The plates were small but this party was larger than life.

My First Century!

Now that sounds really old. Actually, in the cycling world a century is a 100 mile ride and I am pleased to say I just completed my first organized one after only about a year of riding. I have been training for this and anticipating the ride called Strawberry Fields Forever. As you will see in some photos to follow this ride took place mostly in the beautiful rural agricultural stretches of Monterey County.

This is my sister-in-law, Kristy, and I still quite perky as we just got our numbers and we were pumping up on all sorts of energy foods. Kristy is not really hung up on numerology but the "666" was just a little too much so she decided to hang it on her bike upside down so it read "999" instead.

The Strawberry, as it is most affectionately known, has a reputation for having some of the best food at their rest stops. We enjoyed fresh orange slices, coffee cake, bagels & cream cheese, granola, mini burritos and even cappuccino in addition to all kinds of beverages for re-hydration. There were four rest stops and one full lunch break along our trek.

The coolest thing about these stops were how very GREEN they were. Each stop not only had triple recycling bins but a person monitoring them to make sure no waste went wasted. There were even volunteers stationed at all the bins to make sure that your food scraps made it into the compost bags. Cycling and Recycling. They go hand-in hand.


The green spirit is not only part of the cycling world but also very representative of the kinds of people who take this sport seriously. By definition cycling is one of the most eco-friendly means of transportation. Cyclists are generally quite fit and courteous of others around them. Check out this sign someone posted along the Strawberry route. Bike GPS devices are quite expensive and when they fall off it causes significant disappointment. Someone took the time and effort to make this sign. Locating the owner might be a bit of wishful thinking, however, as the device was found at last year's event. Oh well, it is still an amazing gesture and completely indicative of the kinds of great people who love this sport and have created a community around it.

And now for the scenery which is one of the most amazing perks of this ride. They don't call it Strawberry Fields Forever for nothing as this next shot reveals. Although this region is famous for its artichoke production there are also rows and rows of strawberry plants and we are right in the middle of the harvesting season. There is nothing like a cool Pacific breeze mixed with fresh strawberry essence to give you a lift while pushing that crank around and around!


One of the rest stops was near the Monterey Bay Academy. Here's the view from their long entrance off San Andreas Road. Their motto is "Where Land and Sea Unite to Inspire" and it is not hard to see how this slogan came to be. The campus rests in one of the richest agricultural belts you'll ever see. This stop had a theme called "Italian Festival" and they served all kinds of antipasto treats and Italian coffee drinks. Weren't we supposed to be pushing our collective athletic envelopes on a rigorous sporting event?

Could there have been a more natural spot on this route than the Elkhorn Slough? Outside of San Francisco Bay it is the largest tract of tidal marsh in California. My propensity to stop for photos did not win us any time trial awards but it was well worth it to document Mother Nature's constant display of beauty.



No first century could be complete without the proverbial flat tire award. I caught a construction staple in my rear tire just shy of the big rest stop for lunch. My very hungry state made this the fastest flat I have ever fixed but we did have to pause for one silly shot of me and my spent tube around my neck like a lei. Ahh-Low-Hah!




How about this sign for a little bit o' irony along the way. Fire safety aside I could not help but think they were also pushing those of us century newbies towards that big 100 mile mark.





OK, now it's time for some truth in blogging. The REAL reason they call it The Strawberry is your final reward at the end of the ride. You guessed it. The freshest strawberries you'll ever taste and many of them dipped in a variety of chocolates too. Kristy and I were certainly not shy at that point to partake in the red delicious.


Strawberry Fields Forever...
And in the end the love you take is equal to the miles you make.

Very Velo Vendors

Sunday I saw a long time wish come true when I finally got to hit the road with some of my favorite fellow wedding folks. Human nature so often surfaces when you toss out the invitations. Everybody says let's get together and ride but when reality sets in family/events/clients and other distractions take hold the rides seldom come to fruition.

However, this time I had a winner route map and a very cooperating Mother Nature so rounding up the cast of characters was a snap.

This first picture was my team. On the far left is the Rev. Ed Holt. In the middle position is Ron Grandia and batting cleanup on the right is David Ethridge.

Rev. Ed Holt and I have been getting in lots of rides both near his hometown of San Carlos and in Santa Cruz as well. For those of you who have not had the pleasure to work with Ed he is the greatest wedding officiant going. His passion for delivering personalized ceremonies just shines through.

Dave Ethridge and I go way back to his humble beginnings of wedding videography. He is truly one of the originals and just celebrated his first year of full-time wedding videography. Just check out his beautiful website at www.avideoreflection.net

Ron Grandia is a fellow DJ and one who really gets it. Ron calls himself "a different kind of DJ" and it doesn't take too close of a look for one to realize that title is well deserved.

This shot of Ron & Dave is a bit of a self-portrait with my camera. The silliness here is a combination of fatigue and endorphin rush. However, neither of these gentlemen are known for being particularly shy nor reserved.

Our ride began right on the beach at Highway 1 near Pescadero Road. We road into the beautiful hills overlooking the ocean and down to San Gregorio. Our first stop was at the famous San Gregorio Store. This place is an exercise in eclectic. The one building houses the post office, only store and a rest stop for hundreds of cyclist, bikers and anyone else enjoying these back roads. On the weekends the store also boasts live bluegrass bands. What's not to love about San Gregorio.

We concluded our ride with an amazing meal at the legendary Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero. They were kind enough to let us stow our bikes in their huge pantry for safe keeping while we dined. I had recently seen Duarte's featured on The Food Network so I was eager to taste its local color. I was a bit surprised not to see a framed photo on the wall of Guy Fieri who hosts The Food Network segment but I guess the Duarte's folks just remain unaffected by the national attention. You must go there and try their famous artichoke soup. The food is every thing they rave about and more but served where unpretentious is the word. About the only thing that stood out in this place was the four hungry cats in their wild cycling outfits.

We hope that our little trek through the hills above Highway 1 is just a precursor to many more rides with wedding folks. If you share our passion for riding, please let me know and we'll include you in our next outing. Ron says "cycling is the new business golf." Although no million dollar deals were struck we had an amazing day of comradery and a great workout too with about 45 miles under our belts.

Of Promises & Pearls

Just in time for me to start blogging again was one of the industry's finest events. Wednesday night at the Design Center we were treated to Promises & Pearls. I was a bit skeptical that this year's event could live up to its predecessor at the Asian Art Museum. But with Michelle Barrionuevo-Mazzini at the wheel there was no chance for disappointment.

Michelle, most often affectionately known as MB, is one of the Bay Area's hottest names in wedding designers MB Wedding Designs. MB is just everywhere. If there is an industry event happening you won't have to look hard to find Michelle around. But Promises and Pearls is her baby. It is also quite unique as industry events go because the attendees are a mix of wedding couples-to-be and wedding professionals.

Wednesday evening the stunning Design Center Galleria was all the buzz with 200 beautiful 2008 brides. It was a magical evening of food by Nico Martin Presents, entertainment by Elle Music & Events and beverages by Best Beverage Catering. The whole vibe just worked as Spring has arrived and everyone is really in the mood to usher in the 2008 wedding season.

To see the full list of this year's participants just go to Promises And Pearls

Not a promise was broken and the whole evening just shined like a brand new strand of Mikimotos.

Back In The Blogging Saddle Again

Okay, I have been hounded enough by friends and family to start blogging again. It's not that I don't enjoy it but more that I don't make time for it. Considering how much time I put into elongated e-mails sometimes it would make more sense to tell the story once as a blog and send all my friends to it.

I do admit to finding this photo a bit amusing. I snapped it of a young girl one sunny summer day. As cynical as her t-shirt appears the message sometimes rings true. If you ever find yourself drenched in indifference while reading my blogs, PLEASE let me know. I love to tell stories so I hope you'll find them equally enjoyable to read. To have an audience is simply a DJ thing. It is in the DNA of every entertainer.

Paul Simon has a song called "Rene And Georgette Magrite With Their Dog After The War" which always reminds me of watching someone's home movies or slide show. It paints a picture but is so often beautiful only in the eye of most immediate beholder. I never want my blogs to be so personal you need to be part of my gene pool to enjoy them.

I am sorry that I did not catch this young lady's name. She was eager to pose and my immediate intentions were certainly not to toss her shiny face up on the whole world wide web. I often wonder why they didn't call it that in the first place. I guess that wwww is just too many w's.

So get ready for lots more from me. As our glorious California spring/summer weather beckons here I am ready to get out, move, shake and blog about it. So hopefully reading my blogs won't become a cheap substitute for your Ambien or Lunesta perscription.

As John Sebastian once sang, Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back!