<HTML>Esteemed colleagues, I would like to express sincere and great thanks to all of you who participate in the "on-line university" we share here, and also to those who contributed to the "continuing education" forum held in Chicago last week.   This was the first national convention I attended since Providence.  I justified the expense of it by the free registration I was able to earn the previous year (finally!).  Yes, it was still expensive - even with low air-fare rate acquired on-line, splitting room expense with some Okee' fella I'd never met, eating "energy bars" and drinking the instant coffee my wife packed for me, cheap meals across the street from the Hyatt at the little cafeteria, avoiding the $5 beers in the hotel (and waiting for the open bar receptions).....not to mention a loss of one week's potential income (even if July is a slow month). There's a bagful of excuses I had for  bowing out (again) from going to Chicago, the biggest of which really might be trying to finish (sometime this century) the house we're building on our own.  But I remember the words of one of my mentors, who said that it's worthwhile to go to the conventions and seminars even if you have to go into debt for a while because it always pays off. Well, the gist of this message is to relate to you all that the investment does pay off! Just today, because of the knowledge acquired and confidence gained last week, I was able to sell a regulation job and other needed action work, which will pay off a sizable chunk of the debt incurred. And this was only the second day back!   I'm grateful to not only the instructors of all the great classes taken (too many to mention), the sponsors and exhibitors (ibid), the movers (Les, Paul, et al) and the shakers, technicians from around the globe sharing their experiences and knowledge, the Institute Committee,.....virtually everyone.   So much knowledge and talent gathered in one place.   Wow!, can't wait for next year! Meanwhile we have this venue, and since I've been lurking here so many months I've learned so much.   I apologize for the length of this post, (for those of you who may have not deleted it already), and also for any perceived mushy sentamentality.   My nickel's worth.... Chuck Christus, RPT Flagler Beach and Stuart, FL</HTML>