MD80 CREW WAS GIVEN A VECTOR DIRECT TO A VOR. THEY DO NOT GO DIRECT WHEN ABLE.

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GIVEN VECTOR; NEVER WENT DIRECT. WAS GIVEN VECTOR TO TCC WITH DIRECT WHEN ABLE. I; THE FO; CONTINUED ON VECTOR BUT NEVER WENT DIRECT TCC. ABOUT 30 NM E OF TCC AND 20 MI N ATC CALLED AND ASKED IF WE WERE DIRECT YET. WE ANSWERED THAT WE WERE STILL FLYING HEADING AND HAD NOT GONE DIRECT. HE THEN GAVE US VECTOR FOR DIRECT ILC. CAPT AND I HAD A DISCUSSION GOING AND I WAS FLYING. I REMEMBER THE VECTOR BUT NOT THE CLRED DIRECT. LATELY; WITH EARLY WAKE- UP CALLS IT SEEMS THAT I NEED BE MUCH MORE AWARE OF MY NAV SIT. THIS IS SECOND TIME IN 3 MONTHS WHERE I HAVE NOT NAVED AS CLRED. I CAN GUARANTEE MUCH CLOSER ATTN IN THE FUTURE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 411290: I THOUGHT I HAD PUT GTH IN FOR A TIME HACK AND FUEL CHK. I HAD BEEN DISTRACTED AND NEVER VERIFIED WHAT I HAD PUT IN THE VOR. AS WE PASSED ABOUT 30 NM N OF TUS; ZAB ASKED IF WE WERE ON A VECTOR. I TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD AN ASSIGNED HEADING FOR TUS. THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED WE WERE INDEED N OF COURSE. A CLASSIC CASE OF NOT POSITIVELY IDENTING THE NAVAID.