But every now and then I get the real estate bug and start thinking about what it would be like to have just a few inches of extra space...and a yard...

Yards are overrated. I mean, really. I like our yard. It's a large part of why we are in this house. But it's a bite in the ass to take care of.

...and a yard...

I wish I could give you some of our yard. The 1/2 acre yard can be a lot of work. It also gives the wife too much area in which to start massive gardening projects.

Any more yard than I have would be too much. Heck, what I have might be.

I just sent off a status report that I know I'm going to get peppered with questions about. And the thing is, it isn't my fault? The timing sucks, people have been dragging their feet, I have no control over it! I've been pushy, but pushing these people are like is like pushing water with a rake.

And we're also coming to a point where we're probably going to have a very uncomfortable conversation with the godboss. Fun times.

...and a yard...

You've GOT a yard. It's called Prospect Park. There are a couple of hundred people taking care of it for you.

I'm too spoiled to leave the city I'm afraid. The whole "would you dump laundry or dishes" question had me saying "dishes" because I already drop off my laundry. On snowy days the Super shovels. I'm never clearing ice off of my car. There is a park with a dog run half a block from my house.

I spent the weekend in the woods at my old summer camp. It was heavenly. We swam in the lake and hiked in the woods. I'd pretty much love spending the summer out there as an Age Group Director. It would be worth doing my own laundry... for a summer.

Yards are overrated.

The house I grew up in sits on 4 acres of land (we had a lawn, then a garden, then a field, and forest). While it was awesome for my daydreamy kid self to build bowers amongst the fireweed, I know my mom might have preferred a little less land to take care of. The only reason I'd want a yard is to turn it into a garden.

I'd like a small yard so that mac could be out playing and I could be doing things in the house. Also so I could have coffee outside in the mornings sometimes. Parks do not allow for that.

As for space, I would like 1 more room, but more than that and I fear it would get filled with just more clutter.

I'd like a small yard so that mac could be out playing and I could be doing things in the house. Also so I could have coffee outside in the mornings sometimes. Parks do not allow for that.

This. You can't exactly tell a 4 year-old to head over to Prospect Park for half an hour so Mommy can clean the kitchen.

Well, you could but probably just the one time. I will say that the kid outside/adult inside thing is pretty awesome.

You can't exactly tell a 4 year-old to head over to Prospect Park for half an hour so Mommy can clean the kitchen.

Hee. It would be cool if you could though.

The disorder is modeled after post-traumatic stress disorder because it too is a response to a trauma that endures. People with PTSD are left fearful and anxious. Embittered people are left seething for revenge.

"They feel the world has treated them unfairly. It's one step more complex than anger. They're angry plus helpless," says Dr. Michael Linden, a German psychiatrist who named the behavior.

This perfectly describes two of the kids on my Little League team.

Well, okay only one is embittered. The other is just a surly jerk. All of it in particular stark contrast to say, Dixon, on my team who made two stellar defensive stops at third base last night and ripped a ground rule double. And is also cheerful, easygoing, happy to celebrate the accomplishments of others and glad when the team does well. Or Emmett, the best player on the team, who always has fun even during an 8 game losing streak and keeps it loose and spends a lot of time bucking up his teammates after bad outings, errors and at-bats.

I'm sympathetic to the embittered kid. He's been in foster homes his whole life. The surly jerk has really nice parents so it's kind of a mystery of character and genetics.