Confusion!

I'm pretty sure that the city in which I am temporarily living intentionally attempts to confuse visitors and new residents with its system (or lack thereof) of naming its streets.

For example, when my father (who is not directionally challenged) and I (who am directionally challenged at times) visited the city several weeks ago to scout out possible living arrangements for me, we were unable to find an extended-stay hotel which we wanted to investigate--because we didn't realize that, while driving down a particular road, we needed to turn right at a stoplight to remain on the same road. I don't mean that we needed to bear right--we needed to turn at a right angle. I recently realized that a road which I take to get to where I'm staying does the same thing.

As if that isn't bad enough, the city apparently arbitrarily changes the names of some streets from time to time, just in case some of those newcomers were somehow finding their way to their destinations with a minimum of time, effort and frustration. I spent two days in town here before heading to Florida for a week of training. When I drove into the central business district Monday morning, I was looking for 2nd Street, which is one of the streets that borders my building. I passed 1st street and, naturally, the next street was... Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard! Yes, the city changed the name of the street over the weekend. Apparently, the city leaders believed that 2nd Street was unnecessary, since the city already boasts 1st through 37th streets. (At least, 37 is the highest numbered street that I can find on the map.) (Oh and 1st through 37th streets are not all consecutive, either. For example, between 4th and 5th streets is a street that does not have a number as its name.)

And to top off my Monday, when I walked into the home in which I'm staying while I'm in this city, I discovered that the living room furniture has been rearranged. It made me feel like I was losing my mind!