Drumguy “Why don’t you just build a huge man cave attached to the east end of the garage and build whatever you want?”
Don't procrastinate here. She can always use her woman's prerogative and change her mind.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I just bought another big boy lol so now i have to watch the front door starting the 20th lol so i dont get the "ARE YOU KIDDING ME" LOOK :)
She won’t change her mind. Loves football, hates chocolate, wants plants in the ground instead of flowers that die, and is indifferent to expensive jewelry. And she’s off the charts stunningly gorgeous. I am a very lucky man.
Perhaps I get less of the eye roll or nasty comments since we moved into a larger home that she wanted. She even asks how things are going in the basement sometimes. I learned from the first layout to try and reuse things and plan out more to avoid over-buying.
Drumguy She won’t change her mind. Loves football, hates chocolate, wants plants in the ground instead of flowers that die, and is indifferent to expensive jewelry. And she’s off the charts stunningly gorgeous. I am a very lucky man.
Usually whenever I come home from a show or order something online. We've been married two years. I didn't tell her much about my interest in trains until we were close to purchasing our house. That's also about the time she saw the collection of stuff I had purchased while in high school/college. Once we were in the house, I asked about possibly putting something up. This was also the time she saw a friend's layout which encompasses an entire basement and is two levels. My wife's response was priceless as she looked at me with her jaw dropped, "Do not get any ideas!"
Our main focus now is on much of what newlyweds focus on; home, cars, starting a family, our careers, and saving money. Now that I have all the track I should need to get the small switching layout going, I think she'll begin to be more accepting. She's said for quite awhile that the train items were "junk" because they just sat and never moved (on a layout). Well, tonight, I finally hooked everything up and began to run and switch some cars on my track only switching layout. I have one more piece of foam to prepare so that I can fully run trains on the layout. When I showed her, she was happy that I was fainlly moving something, but also got a chuckle at how little kid like I was while making those switch moves. It's a good feeling to finally have something to show. Few more pieces, and it'll be time to have fun.
I hope she becomes more accepting of the trains. I see her point in that they do take up a lot of space, and our house does not have much extra space to begin with. We have three bedrooms; master, dog/nursery, and the third is an office area/layout area/soon to be actual bedroom area. When that time comes, the trains will have to find another location. Until then, I better get building so that I continue to have something to show and keep getting the support. She has purchased me a few train items for holidays/birthdays, so that is a positive sign.
well i bought 2 aformentioned big boys during the blowout & they both showed up when she wasnt home sooooo. looks like i escape the " you got to be kidding me "
And she reads this forum, right? LOL
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Drumguy A few months ago I was bent over sideways and backwards trying to tweak some wiring when my wife wandered in to see what I was doing. I tried to explain that the odd shape of the train room made a few areas difficult to work in (we designed our house with no square rooms, and my interest in the hobby was dormant at the time). After some discussions about minimum radius/ clearance etc, she says “Why don’t you just build a huge man cave attached to the east end of the garage and build whatever you want?” Hmmmmm. Wheels are a turning, but that decision is at least a year out and a discussion for another thread.
A few months ago I was bent over sideways and backwards trying to tweak some wiring when my wife wandered in to see what I was doing. I tried to explain that the odd shape of the train room made a few areas difficult to work in (we designed our house with no square rooms, and my interest in the hobby was dormant at the time). After some discussions about minimum radius/ clearance etc, she says “Why don’t you just build a huge man cave attached to the east end of the garage and build whatever you want?”
Hmmmmm. Wheels are a turning, but that decision is at least a year out and a discussion for another thread.
Over 20 years ago I restored a 4,000 sq 1901 Queen Anne Victorian house for my wife.
And she blessed the building of a 32' x 40' detached garage/workshop with a 25' x 40' train room above.
Sheldon
I live in an 800-square-foot apartment. I have a 2'x10' Nn3 layout against the wall in the bedroom that's a work-in-progress, and recently took a break from college to start designing and selling ready-to-run Nn3 locomotives. My wife is incredibly supportive, especially given my above exploits, but her "you have got to be kidding" moment was the initial groundbreaking of the layout. Since then, she's been excited to see the new progress.
I just found a new one.
When she sees me rigging an AB brake system, and I tell her it is relaxing!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
rrinker Drumguy She won’t change her mind. Loves football, hates chocolate, wants plants in the ground instead of flowers that die, and is indifferent to expensive jewelry. And she’s off the charts stunningly gorgeous. I am a very lucky man. And she reads this forum, right? LOL --Randy
It was the time she read in one of the issues of Model Railroader. Some one had an article where they had made foil trout for a stream. So I get the " are you going to make some foil trout?" which is kind of a " are you kidding me " statement.
I think all our better halves could argue it’s a fine line between tinfoil trouts and tinfoil hats.
When I told her I was switching from HO to O.
OldSchoolScratchbuilderWhen I told her I was switching from HO to O
Ooof, that is a rough one.
I went through that 20 years ago when I switched from N to HO, especially since our available space was about 5% of what I had when I was in N scale.
Now I have 11 by 22 to play with. If I switch to O scale she might lose her mind!
everything i do gets that look and comment. I cant win
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
My long suffering girlfriend has trouble seeing the difference between the fabulous SP Bloody Nose scheme, and the dirty Penn Central scheme. "They are both black with white letters" she says, I very much disagree with her.
Lost in the snow
Well, I finally had another one.
I pulled the trigger and bought a Westerfield kit of the Union Pacific A-50-4 Automobile Boxcar. I love the way this car looks, and I have wanted one for quite a while.
This kit was only made (as far as I know) with the old brown resin that is brittle and very hard to work with. I paid about $35.00 for the kit in spite of this.
Well, today I got a "Watch List Match Alert" from Brasstrains that a brass model of the A-50-4 is available for the bargain price of $225.00!
I called my wife and told that purchasing the brass one is a good idea because it is so difficult to drill in the brown resin that Westerfield used in their old kits.
"You've got to be kidding me!" was the response. I could have predicted that.
I've had situations where my wife is in the frontroom watching TV and I'm in another room online. I buy something on ebay or renew a subscription or something and within 60 seconds I hear "NOW WHAT DID YOU BUY?" Don't know how she does it - voodoo? computer chip implanted in her brain? Who knows!
My wife doesn't give me any grief over my hobbies. But to be fair I don't give her a reason to get upset as I am pretty good at not getting carried away with a lot of purchases. That and my son and I are equally passionate about our N Scale railroad so she likes that we share the hobby. I have recently been really into reading about the Pennsylvania RR, specifically their passenger services (I love the PA units in PRR russet and gold trim). Anyway, I found a great deal on a PA-1/PB-1 combo in my favorite PRR scheme that I purchased. There was also a set of PRR passenger cars that I passed on so as not to spend too much money at one time (I figured I would wait and buy some later). Well, my wife said "why didn't you just get the cars too?". Doh...by the time I got around to inquiring about buying the cars they were sold. Such is life...
Regards.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train and not fly."
Well... I did not buy the brass model.
I might try to assemble the Westefield kit next weekend. Now I am in the situation that if one of those brittle castings breaks while I am working on it, she might think I broke it on purpose just so I can buy the brass one!
I called my wife and told that purchasing the brass one is a good idea because it is so difficult to drill in the brown resin that Westerfield used in their old kits "You've got to be kidding me!" was the response. I could have predicted that.
So when you get that response, does it mean you are pushing things with your wife a little too far? I mean, why else would she say that?
EMD.Don My wife doesn't give me any grief over my hobbies. But to be fair I don't give her a reason to get upset
My wife doesn't give me any grief over my hobbies. But to be fair I don't give her a reason to get upset
Now my wife is from England and she gives me very little grief over the hobby. But if she were to say something, it wouldn't be "you've got to be kidding", instead it would be, "you are having a laugh".
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761So when you get that response, does it mean you are pushing things with your wife a little too far?
Nope, she is 100% behind the trains, especially since all the kids have grown up and moved on. She would not care if I bought a fleet of brass train cars.
What I have done is exceeded the ability she has to comprehend why I was so happy to get the Westerfield car that came in the mail two days ago, and now I want the same car in a different version for 10X the cost.
When I hear her say "You have got to be kidding", it is her way of saying she will never understand.
No more than she understands why I need 10 Warhammer armies, EVERY Flames of War army, 5,000 compact disks, or an amplifier that can shake the shingles loose.
Or why I give away $200.00 worth of candy every Halloween, or why Snap on pliers are worth $60.00 when the same from Craftsman are $3.00, or...
And so on, and so on, and so on...
I am lucky to have her.
SeeYou190....So, what have you done to make your spouse say "You have got to be kidding?"
I'm not sure....I think that she may have given up on such remarks, and I stopped listening long before that.
Wayne
No photos of that, Wayne???
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
SeeYou190So, what have you done to make your spouse say "You have got to be kidding?"
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
tstageNo photos of that, Wayne???
What?...of her having given up, or of me not listening? We're both pretty camera-shy.