An odd clearance...can anyone explain?

Andrew Gideon wrote in
online.com:

Departing Lancaster the other day, I received an odd clearance. I was
cleared from the airport to the Lancaster VOR, then East Texas VOR...

It was that first leg (Lancaster Airport to Lancaster VOR) that confused
me. The VOR is on the field. I have little choice but to go past it as
a trundle down the runway awaiting rotation speed.

So...why that clearance? What is expected of me?

What I did was go to the VOR (as I accelerated down the runway {8^) and
then proceeded to ETX. But was that right?

I think it's a moot point. You got close enough. I fly from a field that
has a VOR on the field, and when I depart, I never try to come back and fly
directly over the VOR. ATC radar isn't precise enough to tell whether you
fly directly over it or not, and victor airways are wide enough to cover
your turns anyway. ATC doesn't seem to expect me to turn around and do the
circling anyway; they want me to get on with the trip. I fly the published
departure procedure, which requires flying runway heading until above 500',
and then turn to intercept my course.

The clearance I regularly get which makes no sense to me is 'enter
controlled airspace heading xxx', when I'm already in controlled airspace.
The airport is centered in a Class E surface area. I just read back the
clearance and fly as if the Class E started at 700' or so. I don't try to
lift off directly across the runway.

--
Regards,

Stan