Hope it was a happy Mothers Day for all you mothers out there . . .
ZOOM SEEKERS LAST WEEK - We've entered what I call our "artsy-fartsy" phase with the first of our two artist speakers last week. That was Stephen Holman, a local artist and painter who gets inspiration from the things he sees underwater. It was a bit outside the norm for us and was really fascinating listening to things like how he doesn't use black because he feels it creates a dark feeling in the paintings and how he sometimes uses photographs so he's got more than just a mental record of what he's going to paint, and how he can essentially take a lousy photo and make it into a nice painting by cleaning up the water, combining images, etc. (or as I called it, "the ultimate Photoshop"). If you missed Stephen's talk, we've got it up on our YouTube page and you can access it through this link:
STEPHEN HOLMAN - INSPIRATION FOR UNDERWATER ART
CHAMBER DAY 2023 LATE SIGN-UPS END MONDAY - You can still sign up for the Dutchman or make a Challenge donation through 5PM Monday evening but then we'll close the book on Chamber Day 2023. Website is
www.chamberday.org .
NEXT AVALON TRIP IS JUNE 21 - I've probably got some Aquarium people going with us, plus I haven't been over to inspect and clean the Cousteau plaque in a while, so this one is a 99% go. This is a Wednesday as usual for us, and we'll leave out of the San Pedro Express terminal because it's a slightly later boat (8:45AM instead of 6:00AM) and the parking is MUCH better. $175 to Reef Seekers covers you for boat, taxis, tanks and airfills, and we throw in fun at no extra charge. Call us at 310/652-4990 if you'd like to go.
FLUCTUATING AIRFARES - We've written frequently about the idea of "dynamic pricing" in airline fares, where the prices can change overnight going up or down. A great example of this is our July trip to Yap. I have one guy who's now joining the trip for the final week. The Economy airfare (LAX-HNL-GUM-YAP and then back) on United about a week ago was over $6,000. Others had gotten their tix months ago for anywhere from $2,200-2,500. On Friday it dropped to something like $3,300. Better, but still high. Yesterday (Saturday) - and bear in mind that we're looking at the exact same flights each time - the fare was $2,805. I told him he might want to get that. I checked again this morning (Sunday) before I went out for the day and it was down to $2,285 which was the lowest I'd seen it lately. Sent him another note and suggested he book it. By the time he got around to it, the fare has risen to $2,970 (which he booked). So the lessons here are (1) It pays to shop and watch the fares, and (2) If you see a really good fare, grab it, because there may only be one or two seats at that price and you don't want to miss out. Also bear in mind that all the airlines are required by federal law to allow you to cancel the ticket within 24 hours for a full refund. So if the fare goes down in that time-frame, cancel the first ticket and buy the cheaper one. But today's traveler must be vigilant and diligent about getting the best fare.
JUST CALL ME "BOUNCE" - Through my sister, who is a UCLA Wooden Athletic Fund supporter, we get some Bruin "perks," one of which is an invite to throw out the first pitch at a UCLA baseball game. I did it last year and was disappointed that I bounced the pitch in the dirt in front of home plate. (but otherwise we had a great time.) I was given the opportunity to redeem myself this year and - sadly - I did it again: bounced the pitch. But many thanks to UCLA head baseball coach John Savage (left) and UCLA pitcher Caedon Kottinger (right - he was my catcher both this year and last) for the opportunity and words of encouragement. And if you'd like to see the bounced pitch, it's right here on my YouTube page:
IN THE DIRT PART 2.
