Does Your Wife Give You Grief About Modeling Time?

[Aikidomaster]

I was wondering how many of you get grief from your spouse about hobby time. I worked on some SuperTrees today. Took about 3 hours all together. I worked the entire Labor Day weekend (10 hours shifts). Previous Thursday, I spent in the local ER with our sick 26 years old daughter. The day before, I took my wife on a 90 minute (one way) drive to a local North Carolina winery for a tasting and lunch. Worked the previous 3 days. Today, I here that all I do is work on the layout!! Then, I am told that I should be in a better mood after working on the layout. I was until those comments.

Well, my question to all of you is, how much time in the average month, do you spend working on your layout? I agree and have always put the family first. But, I would like to make some progress on the layout from time to time. With any luck, I will post a few photos (in the next mouth) of my version of the mountains of West Virginia in October, 1957.

[Curt Webb]

I used to get a lot of grief from the wife about modeling but it came from her hobby (sewing) being crammed into the train room because of dead beat house guests (more than 1 year). They are finally gone and my wife has her sewing room back and things are 100% better. I also am fortunate to work 40 hours in 3 days (2 x 16 hours and 1 x 8 hour) so I am able to model a lot during the work week while the wife is at work. It is amazing what you can get done in 4-5 hours of modeling with no one else in the house.

[CTValleyRR]

Actually, my wife thinks I should spend less time at work and scouts and more time with trains and golf.

Now you know why I've been married (to the same woman, even!) for 20 years.

[Espee Black Widow]

I don't get to spend much time working on model railroad related items at home but I try to get a couple of hours a week in working on the club layout. Wife doesn't give me much grief about anything model railroad related but I can't say the same thing for everything else in life

[Geep Fan]

Nope, she supports my hobbies. She does a lot of running around on weekend with the daughter and her mother ( she likes it anyway) so i don't go shopping etc. but I do most of the cleaning so i take care of the cleaning and when i get free time thats ok with her whether its my carving ( which she enjoys what i do) or my train stuff. 

Corey

P.s. but i would definitely take time out for a wine tasting... i love that!

[cudaken]

Only when she is awake.

[cowman]

She is the one that pointed out "the train room" when the new house was being built, after our fire. (Never had a train room before).  Unfortunately, her mother and both our sons have used it, the second son lives there now.  If I had had the time to finish it in between somewhere, maybe there would be trains there.

I have a TV with a VCR/DVD player next to my work bench, outside my little room downstairs.  She can watch her bloody, who done it's and I can watch a ball game, movie or mr instructional things.  She does work 12 hour nights, so many evenings she's not here.

I set up a budget, though the money has been used for other things, I know how much I have "set aside" for my rr, if I really wanted to make a "purchase.".  She travels to a friends weekly to satisfy her horse fix (probably cheaper than a horse), takes the friend south in the fall and goes after her in the spring.  Also has a couple of other things she spends time and money on, so we both have something.

I'd say she was quite supportive and somewhat interested, though not involved.

Good luck to you that have some conflicts,

Richard

 

[mononguy63]

She shakes her head whenever I sheepshly tell her I've exceeded my hobby budget on something (as in, whenever I spend anything on trains, since my hobby doesn't actually have a line item in our budget). That having been said, she's very aware of my need to escape the pressures of work and kids and the overall daily treadmill, and fully understands the therapeutic value of my trains. Sometimes she'll actually encourage me to "go work on trains."

Now, I don't get a lot of actual modeling done each week. Most often I go to the basement after the evening's must-get-done list has been addressed and end up falling asleep at my desk... But it's still all good.

Jim

[Great Western Rwy fan]

My Ex Wife Did, My Girlfriend Does Not!

[CS_NG_Fan]

I have an awesome wife who knows I am a big kid.  I have no kids in the house, and I probably spend about 30-40 hours per week working on the layout.  I have an awesome job so the "finance committee" gives me a generous allowance for "train stuff". 

All that said, be advised that my 1st wife hated all of my hobbies, and was constantly giving me grief...that's why she is now the "ex" =D.

[steamage]

First wife complained a lot about my model railroading hobby.
She told me "Its ether me or the trains!"

Second wife knows better than to complain.

[Anonymous]

I must be really lucky!

Though not sharing my interest, my wife very much approves of my hobby and does not complain at all, should I exceed my time budget working on my layout. I appreciate her judgment on scenes I created, which is a big help for me.

 

[eaglescout]

My wife is very supportive as she has her hobbies (weaving, soap making, jewelry making) and she does not have to wonder what to buy for my birthday, Christmas, etc.  Also, my mother-in-law has purchased some nice train gifts for me and asks how the layout is going.  I guess some of us just live a blessed life.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

No wife giving me problems about working on the layout. That's because there's no wife to cause a problem. Happily single for 51 years.

[BRAKIE]

No..My late wife didn't care..She figured my hobby time was far better then time spending in barrooms chasing lewd women like some husbands would do.

The best part she join my modeling and became a all round helper.

There was a downside-I guess.

I lost my "me time"..

[pastorbob]

My wife is very much in favor of the layout and from time to time does projects for me that go on the layout.  She does roll her eyes at times when a big box is dropped on the front porch by Post Office or UPS, but she has always been favorable to the hobby.

Can't ask for more.

Bob

[secondhandmodeler]

My wife encourages me to spend time with the trains.  Of course, my layout is in one of our living rooms with both computers and one of our TVs.  It's actually the room that gets used the most other than the downstairs living room with the big TV and surround sound.  She frowns at the money spent sometimes, but I think she sees it as a good investment in my sanity.  Besides, with her in the same room as me, she can keep an eye on me!  Oh my gosh, I just figured out why I "get" to play with trains.  I'm being distracted!

[MisterBeasley]

I get grief sometimes.  Somehow, she gets the idea that if I weren't working on (or playing with) the trains, I'd be all kinds of excited to help her with gardening, or yardwork, or decorating.  That's just not the case.  I have to remind her sometimes that I work 5 days a week (she doesn't) and when I'm home, I'm more interested in my hobbies than hers.

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

"Does Your Wife Give You Grief About Modeling Time?"

NO, Just like I don't give her grief about shopping for the grand children, watching crime dramas, or eating out.

Sheldon

[maxman]

Aikidomaster

The day before, I took my wife on a 90 minute (one way) drive ..........

If you drove her one way, how did she get back home?  No wonder she's upset with you.

[Paul3]

As a bachelor, I'm not one to normally post on these kinds of threads, but I recall a funny post about the subject matter (I think it was posted here, but I couldn't find it).

Anyways, it goes like this:

Imagine your significant other likes toasters.  They like them so much that they build little models of toasters.  They buy magazines about toasters.  They watch hours long movies about toasters.  They go out with their camera and take pictures of toasters.  They go to toaster shows, talk about toasters with other toaster people, attend seminars about toasters, and buy toaster memorobilia.  They join a club about model toasters, and have model toaster operation sessions where they try to emulate real toasters.  They go to toaster musuems and base your vacations around seeing...more...toasters!!!

Makes you wonder why any non-train person puts up with us, doesn't it? 

Paul A. Cutler III

[charlieB]

I am lucky my wife doesnt complain about anything.No matter what she will tag along if I want to see some historical site  a old station or right of way.Her only order is to use a mat if I am doing some modeling on the kitchen table.The only time she looked annoyed with me had nothing to do with trains.  I was stationed in England and wanted to see Stonehedge.She was 7 months pregnant and her only comment was "You took me all this way to see a pile of rocks".Guess I cant blame her

[blownout cylinder]

Audrey and I are like 2 peas in a pod...we share each others hobbies....my hobbies? Music, building synth modules, and mrr....

[andrechapelon]

Paul3

As a bachelor, I'm not one to normally post on these kinds of threads, but I recall a funny post about the subject matter (I think it was posted here, but I couldn't find it).

Anyways, it goes like this:

Imagine your significant other likes toasters.  They like them so much that they build little models of toasters.  They buy magazines about toasters.  They watch hours long movies about toasters.  They go out with their camera and take pictures of toasters.  They go to toaster shows, talk about toasters with other toaster people, attend seminars about toasters, and buy toaster memorobilia.  They join a club about model toasters, and have model toaster operation sessions where they try to emulate real toasters.  They go to toaster musuems and base your vacations around seeing...more...toasters!!!

Makes you wonder why any non-train person puts up with us, doesn't it? 

Paul A. Cutler III

If Athearn made toasters, they'd have dropped their Blue Box toaster kits a few years ago and made everything RTT (Ready To Toast).

If MTH made toasters, there would be three different ways to operate the toaster. The MTH propietary toaster system would be rich in features, but totally incompatible with other operating systems. No other manufacturer would use the MTH TOS (Toaster Operating System).

If Walthers made toasters, they'd make more toasters than anyone else and they would also carry other toaster brands. However, they would be out of toasters most of the time.

If BLI made toasters, they'd announce an incredible variety of toasters to be made, a few of which would actually go into production (eventually).

If Bachmann made toasters, they'd be generally cheaper than anybody else's toaster or at least be sold at a deeper discount. They'd also be the only ones to do a B&O EM-1 toaster.

If Division Point imported toasters, they'd all be made by the Boo-Rim Toaster Company and would be so expensive that no one in his right mind would use them to make toast.

If Kalmbach Publishing made toasters, they'd offer a collection of the last 75 years of toaster production for the incredible price of around $0.09/toaster.

Andre

[Stevert]

My wife doesn't give me grief about any aspect of my hobbies.  In fact, she encourages me to pursue them since she knows hobbies are a great way to reduce stress.  Of course I reciprocate, because I know that her hobbies help to reduce her stress level.  And heaven knows we both have enough stress in our lives without creating more for each other!

That said, we both try to be reasonable about our hobby time and money expenditures, and we both also realize that at any given time there may be other more important and/or more immediate priorities.  In those instances, hobbies definitely take a back seat.

I think the "secret", although it's really not very secret because it's true in all relationships, is to be reasonable and willing to compromise.

[Drew4950]

I was quite blunt. I said we have 4 bedrooms. We use one as a bedroom and one as an office/studio/study. I said I am taking over the other bedrooms! The layout is in one and the shop is in the other. Nothing is ever said about my expenditures for the railroad. I leave my MRRs all over the house. In the bathroom and living room mostly but sometimes in the aforementioned bedroom. No complaints! I have a silent partner.

Now the reality. Everything above is true. But I am like Jeff. Devoutly single for almost 51 years. My empire is limited only because I do not qualify for Gov't Grants. I do have Gov't Mule though.

Andy

[sfcouple]

My wife is a jewel, she gives me no grief at all about my hobby and in fact she encourages it.  She'll occasionally put some money in my Pay Pal account and I'll get an email saying it is for my trains.   Right now my hobby time is split between trips to the basement and yard work, but she has never once complained about how much time I spend on model railroading.  

Wayne

[trainboyH16-44]

I can feel trouble coming on with mine...but she gets strangely offended when I so much as mention the idea of stitched photo backdrops. How can you want to make most of the scene of something you hate? (She wants to paint the backdrops, the lovely artist)

I have no objection, since she's working on an illustration degree, bachelor of design...

[Aikidomaster]

I guess that is how your wife became your "ex" and the other woman became your girlfriend!

[Aikidomaster]

Good point! I did my duty and brought her home. Believe me, taking her to the wine tastings or on a day trip somewhere are worth their weight in gold!