<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3086" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>Two weeks ago I told you that I was fired from the University of Alabama. Thanks to all of you who wrote supportive letters, and made recommendations for new positions. All of your prayers and good wishes paid off, because less than 48 hours later I got a call from a piano technician who is looking for someone to help with his business. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tonight, it was more or less made official that I would start on August 1st. But here is the best part, and some of you guys are going to kill me. It's on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. No, not for the university, but as an independent piano technician. There is a severe shortage of experienced, good piano technicians on Oahu, so I will be kept very busy. I realize the cost of living is twice as expensive as what I am making here in Alabama, but I will be making almost three times what I was making here. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>On a personal note, obviously my wife was devastated wit the news of my dismissal. But after I told her where she was going to live next, she's the happiest person in the world. Here's a neat little anecdote. When Jan was a teenager, she vowed that her new husband would take her to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Well, she married me any way, and as a poor band director, Hawaii was out of the picture. Next year we'll be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. We're going to renew our vows, and then go on a 10 year honeymoon to Hawaii.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If any of you will be at the convention, just look for the guy with the biggest smile on his face, wearing gaudy Hawaiian shirts. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Again, thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. They worked. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wim</DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">Willem Blees, RPT<BR>Piano Tuner/Technician<BR>Tuscaloosa, AL </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">(soon to be Hawaii). <BR></DIV></FONT></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's free at <A title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target="_blank">AOL.com</A>. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>