Just Elmo and me awake at our house tonight to welcome 2007, and to wish you all a fantastic new year!

- mike lee - wheaton, md - see new year celebrations around the world on flickr

Because our PT Cruiser is feeling a bit cramped now that we're tending to carry around more kid stuff, we're shopping for the next size class of car, the compact SUV. We test drove the popular Honda CR-V today (first row of four pics here) and its direct competitor, the Toyota RAV4 (second row of pics). The riding experience of each was very similar with the Honda seemingly better on turns and shock absorbtion. The Honda has a pop-down sunglass storage bin in the roof that also has a panoramic kid spy mirror built in (pic 3). The dash data display was more comprehensive. Both cars have a pop-open non-slip gadget shelf above the glove compartment (pic 2 & 6) and offer iPod integration for no doubt a hefty fee. I liked the interior features of the Toyota a little better, but was not a fan of the swing out rear hatch (pic 8). We'll see how the dealers' packages, prices and product availability compare in the coming days.

- mike lee - wheaton, md

Last night, both Cianna and her mommy were heaving. I luckily escaped whatever invaded their guts. Mommy was better by morning, and Cianna by mid-day. I got a nice company bulletin via Blackberry that our office is closed an extra day after New Years in a show of mourning for President Ford.

Pictured here: My lunch of comfort food at the nearby Cantonese restaurant, a much needed car wash and interior vacuum, picking up chicken broth and other provisions for the sickies at home and Cianna enjoying the big snowman outside her bedroom window.

- mike lee - wheaton, md

Hmmm, I could use a couple more Cubes.

- mike lee

Well she ejected an entire oatmeal and scrambled eggs breakfast onto her chest. Fortunately we are about 5 minutes from home. Meantime, daddy got to administer front line hazmat procedures.

- mike lee - wheaton, md

...at a truck stop in Western Maryland...

- mike lee

Breakfast was at the hotel restaurant before we packed up the child, dog and gear for the ride home. Pictured: child and mommy doing smashnose, my tasty breakfast, the handy toy pile in the dining room and the fam in front of the rented minivan.

- mike lee - uniontown, pa

Frypod is basically a cupholder-sized french fry box sold by Burger King.

- mike lee

This afternoon was the cruise back across Ohio to our midpoint of Uniontown, PA. After lunch at a Wendy's I convinced the fam to make a detour off Rt. 71. to Columbus Camera. This is a big used camera store situated in an old church. It's been about 10 years since I last visited. The place hasn't changed a bit except they now carry digital photography stuff. With the rise of e-commerce, big camera gear depots like this have been steadily disappearing, but Columbus Camera is surviving in part due to sales on eBay. I picked up some extra colored gels and a gel frame to fit my Alien Bees strobe lights.

While mommy continued to drive, as is her preference, child Cianna watched the DVD of Yellow Submarine twice. She really enjoys the trippy animations and the "Blue Meanies."

- mike lee

Cianna got a boo boo on her finger from touching a lightbulb here at Golden Lamb Inn. She told the concierge, a manager, our waiter and had the whole family kiss it in turn. Now, being a helpful daddy, I'm broadcasting the incident to the internet.

- mike lee - lebanon, ohio