On Dec. 12, all I wanted was some pancakes. For those of you who do not remember that day, it was the Sunday when the Bears got baited by the Patriots in the “Blizzard Bowl.”

I live in Rochelle, and my options for breakfast consist of McDonald’s and Burger King. Since I did not want to have intestinal issues later in the day, I had to travel.

Dazed by a phantasmagoria of Flappy’s pancakes, hash browns and coffee, I foolishly rushed out of my home. I wish it took me longer than a minute to reach Interstate 88, because maybe then I would have realized today was not a day to travel.

The first half-mile was fine, but after I traveled beyond the city barrier, I thought I had driven into a marshmallow. I slowed my speed to 20 miles per hour, focused all of my attention to the five feet in front of me, and prayed that no idiot would hit me from behind.

Luckily I was able to enjoy a victory brunch and made it home without incident, but many others did not. On my return, I wanted to take Lincoln Highway home, but because some 30 cars had gone off the road, a DeKalb County Sheriff’s deputy was stationed by the Convocation Center turning people away.

This brings me to the point of this column, which is driving safely in bad conditions, especially on Lincoln Hellway. I spoke with DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott about the conditions of Route 38 from Annie Glidden Road to the west county line during winter storms.

“You get [away from the city] and it is always treacherous when there is icy weather or blowing snow because of the open area,” Scott said.

One of the things that you come to notice about DeKalb in the winter is the lack of good sledding hills, which I still have yet to find. Since the area is so flat, the wind is supercharged and carries snow farther than usual. I remember days last year when it was actually worse on Highway 38 a day or two after the storm, because the plows had quit and more snow had accumulated on the road. It would be nice if there were some trees or a snow fence that lined the highway to help with this problem, but there are not, so be patient and keep a steady speed.

“People may speed up in a dry area, but then hit a patch of ice,” Scott said. “If motorists maintain a steady cautionary speed, they are not only more likely to maintain control of their automobile, but notice such hazards as well.”

Just one of the wise tips given by Scott to help you stay out of the ditch during a winter storm, or at least ensure that you are prepared if you do.

One tip I will add is to put AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” on your MP3 player as a catharsis.