We left home with a storm nipping our heels and came back in a mess.

We had rain and forceful winds across four states before we stopped just outside Kansas City the first night. Temperatures were in the thirties all day, so the possibility of icy conditions made the journey that much more exciting.

Of course, it being the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the roads were packed. Traffic moved along at a good pace on the open highway, and most drivers were courteous enough that I didn’t feel tense. Cities, of course, were another story. With the increased volume and the highway arteries feeding the flow, traffic became stop-n-go at times. The Lookie-Lou’s seemed to be the biggest reason we found for the flow to stop as it did.

Passing the big rigs was even more fun. Sudden wind gusts caused the semi-trailers to sway precariously. I made it a point to wait until the car in front of me finished passing before I’d begin my pass. I made sure the trailers weren’t swaying before I went, too. Even then, I moved quick. To say the first day out was a bit nerve-wracking is an understatement.

Day two started with little to no wind and mostly sunny skies. The sunshine was a nice change from the dreary days that we’d had since we drove in. Sometime in the early afternoon, the wind picked up. It had changed direction and pushed us along a bit, so I wasn’t concerned. By later in the afternoon, though, the wind had shifted again and was blowing us around a bit more.

We arrived on our home turf at rush hour, of course.

Our first stop was the emergency room. The broken ribs had caused a fluid buildup that virtually collapsed a lung. First Reader was admitted to the hospital and underwent surgery to drain all that fluid. She’s doing well and will recover.

That wasn’t the end of my little adventure, though.

After First Reader chased me out to get some real rest, I got home to this.

And to add injury to insult, as I turned into my driveway, a snowbank reached out and sucked my car right in. I needed a tug to get straightened out, but my car is now snug in its parking spot, waiting for me to get the energy to unload all the stuff.

But that’s a chore for tomorrow.