When snow reroutes a pre-Thanksgiving flight from O'Hare Airport to Detroit at night, a group of stranded travelers decide to let this dingbat Fred give them a ride. I'm one of 'em, and we each take a crack at telling tales to win our bus fares back. In short, what starts out sorry and distraught transforms into a ton of food for thought, a literary appetizer for the bounty that Thanksgiving has in store. So, you, embarking on this quirky trip: prepare for joy and sorrow-and a quip or two to counter negativity with gratitude and creativity.