Great experience with audio society and local tech

I'm in the process of having an amp upgraded with new caps, etc. But perhaps the best thing that's come out of this so far is getting to know my local tech a bit. I spent a wonderful two hours with him yesterday; parts and amps everywhere, tubes of many varieties, rebuilt and one of a kind gear, and stories of personal, audio-related interactions with great designers — Kara of deHavilland, Fritz of Fritz speakers, Earl Geddes, Dan Modwright, Duke LeJeune, and many more. We talked amps, subwoofers, caps, speakers, subs, room acoustics, and more. 

I'd not have known about this great guy if I had not joined my local audio society. Personal contact and conversation has provided me with a path beyond conversations about brand names (unavoidably) idiosyncratic listenening reportage. Many of you know this already, so I'm sharing this for newer folks. Work the grapevine, find the grapes.