We spent a good part of today revisiting Baltimore, some parts of which we haven't seen in the 18 months since we moved to the D.C. Area. So much has changed.

Lunch was with Kate at Crepe Du Jour in Mt. Washington. She had stories about her month-long trip to China; we gave her Cianna's school portraits and birthday pix.

Next we visited the Charles Village projects in our old neighborhood. Two of the three street corners being rebuilt were done with a B&N opening a month ago, and Starbucks and Chipolte to open soon to support the banks of new condos. Our old house on 33rd Street is pretty beat up by the jocks who have been living there. The couches on the front porch are a bit of a shock.

We passed by the stone building in Remington that is now headquarters for Charm City Cakes and where the Food Network show Ace of Cakes is filmed. There was one SUV in the side alley, and the lights were on, but I didn't think about knocking since I was sure Duff wouldn't remember me from the brief photoshoot he did with me at our old house two years ago.

Over in Hampden, we took in about an hour of the Mayor's Annual Christmas Parade, and then walked the Miracle on 34th Street.

The one place we hoped to reach was the new Atomic Pop store, but the parade made that block of Falls Road inaccesible.

After we dropped off her Auntie Kate, Cianna crashed into deep sensory overload sleep for the ride home.

- mike lee - baltimore