Large Scale Central

My wife doesn't understand. . .But honey!!!

General Discussion
#1

So I purchased a locomotive this weekend, a USA trains NW2 switcher. I am also about to close a deal on a Bachmann Spectrum 2-6-0. Great deals for both, can’t pass them up. And of course I NEED them.

So she asks me over lunch, “How many locomotives do you have, seems like you have bought a lot of them?” Uh oh, what she really said was “I noticed you have been spending a lot of money on your stupid trains”. So I had to count, I mean I really didn’t know, four or five I am guessing. I get one hand up and start counting on my fingers. . .1, 2, 3, 4, 5. . .Uh oh need the other hand. . .So I put the other hand up and use my chin to keep counting fingers 6, 7, 8, 9. . . and that doesn’t count the 2-6-0, 10. I didn’t want to take my shoes off in public so I didn’t bother to count the 3 Bachmann 4-6-0s that are for parts.

Well she looked at me pretty cross eyed at this point, I was sinking a bit lower in my seat. . . I put my hands down. She then asks the next question “well it seems like you only ever take 3 with you when you go to club meetings, whats wrong with the other ones?” First I am impressed and worried at the same time that she has paid that close of attention to what I am doing. So I have to answer “well those are the only ones that work.” Now I could not bare to admit that it really is only two that work, I took one of the three out of commission to bash it. Then she asks (suddenly I was in a dark room with a spot light in my face and all I could see was her silhouette and it seemed that if I squinted I could see a character behind her that had jumper cables in his hands, someone must have called Triple A) “why do you have so many trains that are broken?” Well I say sheepishly and with a bit of a weak chuckle “silly girl they are not broken, all but two would work, they just need R/C control boards installed.” Then she said “whats that gonna cost?” gulp only about $100 bucks each". lunch was over.

She just don’t understand. At least she didn’t even mention the fact that I don’t have a place of my own to run them.

Only part of that story is true. There was no guy with jumper cables!!!

#2

That’s why it pays to have an outside entrance from the driveway to the man cave…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#3

Welcome to the hobby. You are now a full fledged member.

#4

Her: How long have you had that locomotive?"

Me: “Oh, a long time, don’t you remember?”

Its not really prevaricating. Three weeks is a long time. Isn’t it?

#5

“ROGER’S RULES FOR COLLECTING OLD IRON”

He wrote it about tractors, but most of the rules apply to pretty much any “guy hobby” :wink:

https://books.google.com/books?id=AGflFI-XBaYC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=ROGER#v=onepage&q=ROGER&f=false

Scot

#6

Devon at your age you should have learned how to play stupid;

“How many locomotives do you have?”

I dunno, 5 or 6.

“Whats wrong with the other ones?”

Nothing is wrong with them. I just want to make a few changes to them. Y’know, replace the plastic bell with a brass one, and minor detail stuff like that.

If you don’t get too specific, then you cant be nailed down on a “but you said” later on. And its hard to argue with someone who is playing stupid. I know, my boss at my last job was better at playing stupid then I was.

#7

David Maynard said:

Devon at your age you should have learned how to play stupid;

“How many locomotives do you have?”

I dunno, 5 or 6.

“Whats wrong with the other ones?”

Nothing is wrong with them. I just want to make a few changes to them. Y’know, replace the plastic bell with a brass one, and minor detail stuff like that.

If you don’t get too specific, then you cant be nailed down on a “but you said” later on. And its hard to argue with someone who is playing stupid. I know, my boss at my last job was better at playing stupid then I was.

Well If I play stupid that might work. Since she already thinks I am stupid, nothing would be out of place. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

#8

Scot Lawrence said:

“ROGER’S RULES FOR COLLECTING OLD IRON”

He wrote it about tractors, but most of the rules apply to pretty much any “guy hobby” :wink:

https://books.google.com/books?id=AGflFI-XBaYC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=ROGER#v=onepage&q=ROGER&f=false

Scot

I had to laugh. While all of this are great ideas, I about bust out laughing at Rule #4 about half way down when he relates a story about buying a cute little tractor for the wife. I literally, over the real lunch conversation, told her that the new NW switcher was hers. That she could do my yard switching for me on ops sessions. It was met with the exact look this guy is describing.

#9

From the “Don’t try this at home” files;

Q: “How many locomotives do you have?”

A: “Not enough to haul your quilt fabric.”

#10

What you need to do Devon is fix one up to sell. Make sure it is evident how many “parts” engines you had to take parts out of to make one good running one. Now you have a number of “parts engines” that can lead a peaceful, unquestioned life.

Then make a big deal about how bad you feel because “I thought it was worth so much more, but I didn’t make (any) profit on this.” (Quiver lip at this point for more sympathy) “But I’m going to try again to see if I can make money or break even.” Now you can have many “parts” sitting around that you are “using”.

The one you tried so hard at, but lost money, is now your frame of reference. You can fall back, while looking sad, to doing better on the next one. All of your work now is so you can increase your experience and “do better next time.”

The key is you have to sell something once in a while, carefully hiding the buy/sell ratio.

It is a hobby, and you are doing it for enjoyment. She knows you could be doing a lot of worse things!

#11

Sorry, Forrest, but that leads to “When I got up off the floor, I said…”

#12

…Or your sweet Wifey has a hobby that cost a lot more than yours. The mere pittance you spend on trains is very justifiable.

#13

When I sold some trains, my mom questioned me more about why I was selling stuff off, then she ever questioned me about my purchases.

Devon, face it, women (for the most part) think men (for the most part ) are stupid (for the most part).

And we don’t want to discuss the piles of parts I have in HO and large scale. I have plenty of spare parts, except that left handed, double reverse, metal hickey thing that is on this piece of junked equipment that I just bought. Now I have a left handed one, to go with the right handed one I already have, so when I eventually quit Devoning long enough to get to future project number 324, I will have the parts. If I can find them when I get to that project.

#14

many years ago i got lectured about the costs of my “stupid toys”…

i just asked her, what she would prefer seeing me doing.

sitting in the bar every night, till the stools get turned over?

go on a guys only hunting trip every second weekend?

hunting skirts in town? (i wasn’t fat and old then… yet)

or, if she preferred to have me around, collecting stamps? paying thousands for little pieces of paper?

or having my fun with things, she later can gift to the greatkids?

from then on it were “his toys” the stupid got striked out.

#15

Never tell her how much you spent on trains… I repeat never… My wife calls my trains “my mistress”…

As my Dad says about his flying (Cessna 172) addiction, “Doing crack would be cheaper, than taking up this hobby”…

#16

John Bouck said:

…Or your sweet Wifey has a hobby that cost a lot more than yours. The mere pittance you spend on trains is very justifiable.

Agreed! Do you know the cost of high end Nikon equipment? I bought it for her and now she can’t say squat about what I spend on me, not that she ever would/did.

#17

Craig Townsend said:
As my Dad says about his flying (Cessna 172) addiction, “Doing crack would be cheaper, than taking up this hobby”…

I don’t know about that. Priced a plumber lately? Then you’ve got to sneak up on him from behind…

#18

Yea, I gave up flying a long time ago, because I could not financially support that hobby too.

#19

David Maynard said:

Yea, I gave up flying a long time ago, because I could not financially support that hobby too.

Before my Dad retired a few years ago (and before he sold his plane) he had grand visions for flying to work. My parents lived 20 minutes from the airport he stored his plane at, and his office was only 3/4 of a mile from another airport. He did commute a few times that way but quickly realized that one; it took way longer than his normal commute (bus, ferry, vanpool right to his office), and second; it cost him twice as much to commute that way. The stories of $100 hamburgers aren’t that far off when you have a plane (we used to go up to San Juan Island for ice cream cones).

#20

I gave up (Was helped and I greatly appreciate it) having “Problems” like the ones mentioned, when I gave up on a “Hobby” that few even think to give up, until it is too expensive to “Give up”…Marriage…