checking the oil

Well isn't that a ridiculous title for a post? Like everyone else here I know how to check the oil. I've been checking my oil for about 56 years now. However I became puzzled when checking the oil this morning on my 2008 Mariner Hybrid. It has nearly 150,000 miles on it and I've recently been driving it pretty hard and fast it hot weather. So pull the dipstick on the cold engine and I stare at it. The oil level is well below the add oil mark. Then I remember, wipe the dipstick then check it again. Now the oil level is over full! It occurs to me that perhaps by dragging the dipstick, the end of which has oil on it, up the tube I may get a false over full reading when I might actually be a bit low as indicated with the initial check. So, should I add about a half a quart or not? Any thoughts about why it checks like this?