Occasionally I hit an opportune lineation of molecules in my brain which bring about fortuitous events.

However, more often than not, I hit on an idea that seems brilliant and then ends up being less than that—much, much less.

In the search for intelligent forethought or planning, I sometimes find myself stumbling in the dark without a flashlight. Even with a method like that, it is sometimes possible to find a gem, but even easier to bump your shins on the coffee table. Hey, what are a few bumps on the shins on the pathway to success?

Such was the case as I planned the family vacation, stumbling slowly toward a plan that allowed my family to spend a week in a locale with average temperatures this time of year in the mid 70s. Now I know why the birds and most Floridians fly south for the winter. There's definitely less snow to shovel.

Most of us have a hard time understanding where life might take us on a day-to-day basis, but I can tell you that many people who are completely lost have much more direction than Ioriginally had in planning my latest family adventure.

I am a anathema to the organized, no doubt. That sounds like something one would need a breathing treatment for, but it really just means that I drive organized people nuts. I'm perpetually late, my desk is in disarray 80 percent of the time and Isometimes don't know what I'm doing until I've nearly finished. That pretty well sums it up.

As for the trip, it all started when I saw one-way plane tickets to Florida out of Greensboro for $10 per person back in November. It was when the new carrier was launching its service there. I bought them instantly, without even having a clue of what I might want to do in the "Sunshine State" in late January. With a name like that, it couldn't be a bad place, I reasoned.

I knew that it would most definitely have to be warmer there than it would be here. I could imagine sunning myself on a beach, swimming in the ocean and plucking fresh oranges from a tree as I hit the 'buy' button on the computer. All of those options beat shoveling snow, spraying grime off the car at the car wash and going to work every day.

Sometime around late December I actually started realizing that I had plane tickets to go to another state and no plans or itinerary other than a vague idea about eating oranges. Realizing that such notions are best carried out in mind only, I started about the task of actually planning the vacation I had committed to take. I decided not to get too specific in the column about the vacation earlier for obvious reasons. It's always better to wait until you get home before you tell everyone you're leaving, if only to see if anyone noticed.

Anyway, when I arrived home with the information that I had bought tickets, it was greeted with some degree of unbelief, but without great surprise. Everyone at my house knows that I have an impulsive streak. I knew we had friends in Fort Myers, so I called them up. "We're coming to see you. Get ready," I said. They were somewhat more surprised. After they gasped in shock, I began wondering if they really meant it when they said, "Come down and visit any time. You can stay with us."

I was talking with some folks from Europe not long ago and they pointed out that Americans tend to be disingenuous.

"You say, 'come and visit us again soon,' but when a guest asks what day and time they should arrive, Americans appear surprised or even offended," the lady told me. She said that people in her home country would never make such a vague invitation without following up with a real appointment.

Think about that the next time you spout out meaningless platitudes or invitations.

It would indeed be a better world if we would all say what we mean and mean what we say. Why not invite someone over to dinner at a specific place and time, rather than having them come over "soon" with a statement like, "Y'all come see us," or "Don't be a stranger?" It may be because we really don't always mean it or that we have so much fear of rejection that we ask the question vaguely so that we can shrug it off if the guest turns us down. Words spoken often enough sometimes lose their meaning, don't they?

As for my vacation planning, it really was basically a "shot in the dark" trying to find a way to reach my destination without knowing what that might be or what Imight do upon arrival. My friends were gracious enough to help with some suggestions and in offering my family access to their home for a day or three. To their credit, they didn't ask anything like, "You won't be staying too long, will you?"

I had to promise not to wear my bathing suit in front of them before they would let me come. Maybe that's a sign that I'm not 21 anymore. (As if I should have questions about that with a hairline like mine and wrinkles forming around my eyes. I'll likely look like a shar-pei by the time I reach 50).

Remember my vacation? I was writing about the vacation a few dozen paragraphs ago or so, but I managed to get lost. Perhaps I was making a case in point about my lack of direction. As it ended up, I managed to book a flight, rent a car, organize meals, tickets and events and even look up itineraries and maps all from the comfort of my desk chair at my house.

Who'd have ever imagined that this would be possible as little as 15 years ago? The Internet was just some far-out concept to most people and even those of us who were using it really failed to see the full potential that still has yet to be realized. There may come a day when most people don't even go to work any more; instead logging in to some remote server somewhere and doing most of their 'work' from home. Some people I know do something similar to that now.

While I have mixed feelings about the way the world is changing, the Internet itself is a wonderful tool for shopping, information and last-minute planning. For those like me who are 'fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants' types, it's indispensable.

I can't even imagine trying to travel or even drive to a neighboring county without it. I can very well remember taking off in the car with out-dated road maps and trying to find a destination with varying degrees of success. These days I punch in the addresses and get step-by-step directions from my driveway to the door.

While I didn't exactly prove myself to be a genius in planning this trip, I did manage to create a memorable experience for my family.