Leaving Orlando!

I went to visit my BFF (so high school but I love it) today in Orlando and we had a fantastic afternoon. The perfect day included a cool but crisp afternoon, coffee, yummy lunch, engaging and humorous conversation (nobody gets me like she does!), and of course her beautiful children. We have been friends for so long and have gone through so much together........stopping at red lights, sneaking over the railings, are you coming up for air?, cleaning whitewalls leaving no evidence of our activity, the many firsts of so many things, FIRE WOMAN at the top of our lungs, BK lounge, Flagler atrocities, and then real life.......... I couldn't imagine not having her in my life and I can't wait for her and her family to meet Mattine. Anyway, when I was leaving her town, Orlando, I followed my trusty navigation unit. She (navigation unit) has a British accent and is very annoying. She occasionally repeats herself. Hate that! Anyway, sometimes she likes to take the long way and if you avoid her directions she will re-calculate and then in an agreeing manner (still British wanting tea and scones tone) she will get you back on track. Well, today I got turned around. Of course, she made matters worse and I knew she was trying to send me the long way so I avoided her. Needless to say, we both ended up lost. Funny thing is that she (British navigation unit) doesn't know anything about CLOSED on-ramps. Every time she tried to send me a new way we got even more lost. What's worse? Know when you can see the interstate but just can't get there? I mean, you are close but the unobtainable carrot is just dangling in front of you- all roads are closed, all exits lead away from the ramp. That is how I felt today. Such a defeating feeling. However, I had an idea this may happen. And left myself a thirty minute window. I knew I would escape but it might take me a little while. Anyone who has tried to leave the ferocious vacation city of Orlando knows how tricky the feat can be. In my opinion, only one other city ranks up there with Orlando and that is Atlanta (a city I have had the pleasure and pain of having called a residence). In fact, I think it is a conspiracy that the developers of Orlando made the roads so that once you made it Disney World you wouldn't be able to leave. Mickey sneers and smirks from I-4 taunting you, challenging you to find the road out! Well, I made it. No thanks to British direction girl or Mickey but my own directional tenacity. I did the driver victory dance. Funny thing is that at one point, while lost in Downtown Church Street Station vicinity, a friend who I was on the phone with, suggested I call my husband to get me out of the mess. I found this thought hysterical and preposterous. How on Earth was my husband two hundred miles away going to figure out where the hell I was and then figure out how to get me home when I couldn't even figure it out. And I surely wasn't going to call my BFF. She would be rolling on the ground laughing that I couldn't find my way out of a paper bag- that's for sure. Good news, I got out of town with a couple of minutes to spare!