Let's just be clear right out of the gate: I blame Blair. 

It would never have occurred to me to volunteer to fly to Chicago so that I could drive with my mom and her dog and cat to North Carolina, where she's moving. But Blair said, "Don't you think your mom would appreciate someone doing the drive with her?" and I said yes she probably would before I understood that he meant it should be me that goes and not him.

Here then is a recap of yesterday's drive from hell.