Running round in circles

I hate to arrive late for appointments and usually set off in good time, allowing for traffic hold ups, getting lost, mishaps etc. This week has been very busy and because I knew it was going to be this way, I got myself very organized – So I thought. Yesterday I was supposed to be on day one of a short course. I had to journey some miles down the motorway so I went with a full hour to spare thinking that I would be able to get on with a bit of work in one of the staff rooms and even have time to sit about in the lounge with a coffee. I arrived at reception and asked which room the course was to be held in. Everyone went a bit quiet and I had my suspicions that there was something wrong. Yes! There was definitely something wrong. The course was being held 35 miles back down the motorway. I raced back out to the car park, set the GPS as best I could, (I didn’t have a full address or any directions) and put my foot to the metal. I would have arrived on time if it were not for the fact that on arrival in Lancaster I got caught up in the one-way system and had no idea what I was looking for. I also had difficulty in parking. I was 20 minutes late but it didn’t really matter because no one was upset by it and I didn’t miss much. Except that it does matter…. I hate being late especially when it is due to incompetence…my own! I turned up early today and got a parking space.