C210 DEPARTS CEC WITH A ZSE VFR ON TOP CLB CLRNC. NOT CANCELING IFR; PLT IS RECLRED DIRECT STS WITH HDOF TO ZOA. INCIDENT DISCUSSED AT STS.

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THERE IS POSSIBLY SOME CONFUSION ABOUT CLRNCS TO VFR ON TOP WHEN ONE SIMPLY WANTS OUT OF AN AREA OF LOW STRATUS; ETC. I WAS IN CEC; A NON-CTLED CLASS E ARPT WHERE THE CEILING WAS ABOUT 1200 FT BUT VFR BELOW. I NEEDED TO GET ABOVE TO FLY S TO STS. I CALLED OAKLAND FSS ON THE PHONE AND ASKED WHAT THE DEP (IFR) PROC WAS AT CEC. HE SAID TO GIVE HIM MY REQUEST AND ONCE I WAS READY TO GO; TO CALL OAK RADIO ON 122.3 FOR MY CLRNC. I EXPLAINED I JUST WANTED TO GET 'ON TOP' AND ALL HE TOOK WAS MY 'N' NUMBER AND ETD. I CALLED OAK RADIO ON 122.3 AND SHE GAVE ME THE STANDARD PUBLISHED CEC DEP WHICH WAS TO CLB OUT AND THEN TURN BACK TO THE VOR; TO ADVISE ZSE ON 124.85 WHEN 'ON TOP' AND TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT AND IF NOT 'ON TOP' BY 3000 FT TO ADVISE. SHE ALSO GAVE ME A CODE. THIS IS WHERE THE MISUNDERSTANDING COMES IN. AFTER ENTERING THE CLOUDS I TURNED BACK TO THE VOR AND ACTUALLY BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 2500 FT. DURING THIS MANEUVER I CONTACTED SEATTLE AND SHE SAID SHE HAD RADAR CONTACT AND TO CALL HER WHEN I WAS 'ON TOP.' I ASSUMED THIS EXCHANGE WAS ACTUALLY A CLRNC TO CONTINUE MY CLB AND REMOVED THE 3000 FT RESTR ASSUMING SHE WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH TFC CONFLICT AT THAT TIME. 'ON TOP' TO ME MEANS 1000 FT ABOVE THE DECK IN CTLED AIRSPACE. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH HER; I WAS AT 4000 FT AND RPTED THAT I WAS OFFICIALLY 'ON TOP' HEADING DIRECT STS. I AM NOT SURE WHY; BUT SHE CLRED ME DIRECT TO STS. I HAD NOT FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN; BUT BOTH ZSE AND ZOA HANDLED THE FLT THAT WAY EVEN THOUGH WE WERE AT A VFR ON TOP ALT OF 9500 FT. A TWR CTLR AT STS TOLD ME; WHEN QUESTIONED; THAT HAVING ME IN RADAR CONTACT AND ASKING ME TO RPT WHEN 'ON TOP' IS NOT A CLRNC TO CLB THROUGH THE ALT RESTR GIVEN ON THE GND. ALSO I FIND MANY PLTS THINK THEY ARE 'ON TOP' THE MIN THEY BREAK THROUGH THE CLOUD DECK...TOO MANY. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF GA PLTS COULD RECEIVE AN INFORMATIVE CIRCULAR ABOUT THIS PROC.