How many ways can I get lost on a bike?

I decided to throw caution to the wind tonight.  I did the route from Saturday backwards.  I still wrote all of the roads on my arm to make sure I didn't get lost.  My reasoning was that the route felt uphill the ENTIRE way, so if I rode it backwards it might be downhill the whole way.  I found out quickly that was stupid.

I'm carefully watching road signs and making my turns. I have one more to hit before I know I won't get lost.  I'm riding.  And riding.  And riding.  I start thinking, "Wow.  I didn't notice that pond the first time."  "Never saw that house."  "That fence looks new".  For a person who has spent most of her life being lost you'd think that should be a sign to start asking questions.  Nope.  I made it a full THREE miles past my turn before I noticed the sign on the road went from 600 S to 650 S.  I needed 350 S.  So I turn around.  When you are on a bike and three miles past your turn there is nothing else to do. I found my turn.  I can see now why I had trouble with it the first time.  It is fairly hidden, and covered.  Here is the sign.  You can see why I missed it.

Maybe I was just going to fast I couldn't see it. 

So I make it the rest of the way home and am within a quarter mile of being able to stop.  The part I love because I can coast most of the way.  My reward for the rest of the ride.  I see this:

No problem I think.  I'll just ride up to it and lift my bike over it and keep going.  Nope.  The tree is laced with live electrical wires. For a moment I think, "If I'm really careful I can lift around it."  I decide not to be foolish.  My reward for not being foolish is two more hills.

I'm beginning to think I'm too stupid to ride a bike.

The bike and my struggles though are not the point.  Raising funds for cancer research is.  Thanks to all who have read so far.  Please keep reading and if you are comfortably able, please consider donating to cancer research.  Copy and paste the link below.  It feeds right into my page for the event.

http://dc14.ridetovictory.org/site/TR/Events/2014WashingtonDC?px=1214699&pg=personal&fr_id=1070