October 4th, 2007 was my last day as the VP of Technology at GreatSchools when I handed the reigns over to Chris Pickslay so that Susan, Sequoia, and I could take off on our sailboat to Mexico for 6-12 months. It was a great 4 years leading the tech team at GreatSchools and I was sad to leave such a terrific job and group of people but both Susan and I were really feeling the itch for some adventure under sail. Our plan was to explore the Baja peninsula, mainland Mexico, and of course the lovely Sea of Cortez.

8 months have passed and we had some great fun and adventures which you can read about on our sailing blog if you’re interested, it all starts here when we moved aboard the boat. However, with hurricane season approaching we decided to put the boat into dry storage in San Carlos Mexico for the summer and return home for 6 months to work and catch up with friends and family.

Starting June 10th I’ll be back at GreatSchools 3 days a week as a contractor until we go back to Mexico and this time I’ll be working for Chris instead of the other way around!

When I lived in Germany taxes and fees were always included in the quoted price and that’s the way it should be! As a consumer when I make a purchase I want to know how much I’ll be paying but in the US many companies try to play consumers with misleading advertising that doesn’t include fees and taxes which can add over 30% to the price. Airlines, rental car agencies, hotels, and EBay vendors are some of the worst offenders, advertising prices well below what you’ll actually pay.

This gets to an email I received from Orbitz today that made me chuckle. I have an Orbitz deal detector alert going for airfare less than $250 to visit my folks. Here’s how it read (no joke):

Apparently in the world of Orbitz $294 is less than $250!

1. Powered by the EPA approved ultra green Personagy Drive™: no more recharging or running down the batteries.
2. Lighter weight: you can carry it up the stairs now, no need to lock it up on the street where it might get stolen
3. Sturdier: can now safely carry your whole family with the optional platform extender
4. Balance improving technology: the original Segway promoted poor balance by compensating for it
5. Possibly eligible for renewable energy vehicle tax credits (check with your accountant).

6. Degenerative breaking skid plate: just like the original Segway, simply lean back to stop
7. Newly endorsed by the Bush administration and the Homeland Security’s border patrol group
8. Already in use nationally by UPS, Fedex, and Sears home delivery
9. Durability: comes with a lifetime warranty, never-flat tires, and is completely submersible
10. Now available for $49 MSRP at Amazon or for a $7 daily rental fee from U-Haul.