<div>I'm glad you had such a positive experience; wish I could say the same.  Sometimes you pick the right classes to go to, and sometimes, you don't.</div> <div> </div> <div>Tom Sivak</div> <div>Chicago<BR><BR><B><I>J Patrick Draine <jpdraine@gmail.com></I></B> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Hello list,<BR>Saturday before last (June 16) I left home (Billerica, MA) for the<BR>"Piano Technicans Guild Promoting Piano Service Excellence 50th<BR>Anniversary 1957 - 2007" (that's what it says on my champagne flute)<BR>aka the 2007 Annual PTG Council and Institute, and after skipping<BR>today's Sunday morning classes in order to catch a 7:55 AM flight, I<BR>am home again.<BR>It was a most excellent event!<BR>Aside from the political activities (appropriate for that other list,<BR>ptg-l), there were many opportunities to learn (and relearn) myriad<BR>aspects of our craft(s), renew and make new friendships and industry<BR>contacts, tempt onself with (and succumb to a few) tool purchases,<BR>expensive meals and drinks (and some moderately priced, and some<BR>comped at manufacturers' receptions), etc.<BR>Thanks to one & all -- to mention a few in random order, the tuning<BR>examiners supertuning and administering exams just below my room, the<BR>PTG Home Office staff, the Institute Team (Malinda Powell, Mel Brooks,<BR>Ward Guthrie, Jeff Hickey et al.), the moving team, and the many<BR>excellent instructors (hats off to Roger J., Jon P., Dave A., Mike K.,<BR>Debra Cyr, Wally Brooks, for starters but I got up too early, fading<BR>fast, so I'll leave it to others to express their own reflections!)<BR>And of course, great to see many of the pianotech gang (John F., John<BR>R., Cy S., Ron N., and the rest of ya).<BR>Many thanks to all,<BR>Patrick Draine<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>