I forgot I have no sense of direction. I also forgot that maps baffle me.

I've been able to forget these facts because our Odyssey has a navigation system in it. You plug in the address, it displays a map that show you how to get there, and a soothing voice tells you exactly when to turn. If you miss a turn, no worries, it just finds you a new route.

Today, though, I had to get to a park south of Orlando, somewhere near the airport, for Sophie's book club meeting. That whole area - with the exception of the airport itself - is totally foreign to me, I never have cause to go down there at all. And Bobby has the Odyssey for the next couple of days (he's away, at his client shindig, poor guy.) So, I duly mapquested the directions to the park, and (since our books were due back tomorrow) directions from the park to the downtown library via the toll road. And, for good measure, directions from the park to the downtown library not via the toll road. So. All was well and good. Until, en route to the park, I missed a crucial exit and couldn't get onto the correct highway. I decided to just continue to to the library - since I know where that is - and then use my mapquest directions in reverse order to get to the park. Would have been a reasonable plan, were it not for all the one way roads that turned it into a completely unworkable plan. And the roadworks that blocked off a couple of streets altogether. Oh, and the fact that I can't read maps. And have no sense of direction.

Sophie wasn't much help, she just sat in the back looking vaguely pained, with a sort of "you just can't get good help these days" aura about her.

I got there in the end though. And only ten minutes late. I guess leaving neurotically early isn't so neurotic after all if you have to rely on finding your destination by making random, desperate turns.