In a light hearted conversation with my wife it was mentioned that I may have spent more on "trains" in the last year year than my other half had spent on clothes...mmm..
I didn't challenge it but I reckon with the eleven pairs of new footwear, three pairs of jeans, two new coats, "upmteen" new tops, four new cardigans versus my a couple of second hand panniers, a handful of wagons and associated loads I'm owed a nice shiny new Dapol Terrier and a DMU set at least!
:P
And, being N Gauge, you can get them inthe house in a coat pocket, without trying to debate the justice of it..................... :uneasy:
You need to be careful, the cost argument doesn't work. She will say that all her purchases were necessary, yours is "just" a hobby, without realising the truth. :D
Quote from: Malc on March 31, 2014, 08:53:19 AM
You need to be careful, the cost argument doesn't work. She will say that all her purchases were necessary, yours is "just" a hobby, without realising the truth. :D
I take your point and perhaps I am getting off lightly!
I do make the point that at least I'm not spending the money on the pub, at the betting shop or on loose women - ;)
Smuggling N Gauge into the house...now there is a thought!
I know for a fact that Clare has spent more on My Little Pony stuff than I have on the layout in the past year.
Not that I care - if it makes her happy then that's fine by me :)
A relationship is meant to be based on honesty, trust and mutual understanding - if you have to sneak stuff in there's something wrong!
Paul
Quote from: Malc on March 31, 2014, 08:53:19 AM
You need to be careful, the cost argument doesn't work. She will say that all her purchases were necessary, yours is "just" a hobby, without realising the truth. :D
My problem is I have to justify both, clothes, shoes and locos you lot have it easy with only have one side to worry about, i have both. ;) :)
Quoteif you have to sneak stuff in there's something wrong!
I don't sneak stuff in.... I just make sure SWMBO is out !
My solution.
Wife: "What are you doing over there on the computer? Are you buying more train stuff?"
Me: "No. I'm surfing for porn."
Wife: "OK, then."
I wouldn't dream of making "covert" purchases!
N Gauge has the potential to be a expensive hobby but there is as much enjoyment running a sparkling new engine as there is at finding a low cost solution to a problem - whatever it might be!
Call me an accountant (I'm not one really) but I've kept a spreadsheet of all my purchases since I started which is only eighteen months ago. It comes in pennies over £500.00 but that is starting from scratch. Tools, rolling stock, scenic materials...a lot of which will be carried over to my second layout.
:NGaugersRule:
Quote from: Sprintex on March 31, 2014, 09:09:51 AM
I know for a fact that Clare has spent more on My Little Pony stuff than I have on the layout in the past year.
Not that I care - if it makes her happy then that's fine by me :)
A relationship is meant to be based on honesty, trust and mutual understanding - if you have to sneak stuff in there's something wrong!
Paul
Hi
I couldn't agree more, I have never sneaked anything into the house.
Cheers
Paul
You could always use a SWMBO type of comment when something new is spotted, "Oh that old thing, I've had that for ages!" ;D
Quote from: lionwing on March 31, 2014, 09:04:01 AM
I do make the point that at least I'm not spending the money on the pub, at the betting shop or on loose women - ;)
You mean you're wasting it! :D :laugh3:
Living on my own I don't have anyone to hide my toys from :D
When all the bills are paid and the food shopping is done, what is left is mine to do what I want with :thumbsup:
cheers John.
Quote from: scotsoft on March 31, 2014, 12:14:37 PM
Living on my own I don't have anyone to hide my toys from :D
When all the bills are paid and the food shopping is done, what is left is mine to do what I want with :thumbsup:
cheers John.
Ditto - I have another £120 worth turning up tomorrow :bounce:
Here in America ," I refuse to comment on the grounds it may incriminate me."
8)
Mike
I have 3 main Hobbies which the misses knows about and is happy with.
1- My Classic Car which occasionally can be costly to maintain at times.
2)- My N gauge model railway which she tolerates because it is not in our Apartment.
3)- My twice weekly trips to play Snooker.
#My Triumph Stag is 36 years old and I have owned it the past 20 years and it has been a good investment as well as a joy to drive and I do most of any repairs to it myself which saves money.
#My N gauge layout I have only had since last September and I get regular parcels from Hattons which our Reception staff are now used to - and ring me rather than my wife when they arrive.
#A game of Snooker is not dear, and a 2 hour session plus a coke, a pint, and a Pukka Pie
usually works out at less than â,¬10, and I pay for my wife to have a massage in our apartment on a Saturday while I am away playing which keeps her happy.
All in all not a bad arrangement I think. :beers:
I got the eye rolling last week from SWMBO, when I was sorting my modelling table and man cave out, as I seemed to be finding plastic bags full of unopened stock, and got caught transferring it all to my stock boxes.
I remember once, a few years back, when I'd only been back in the hobby for about 5 or 6 years, when I got caught by SWMBO after she came home from work early one day...........(I'll leave it hanging there) :P :P
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..... No seriously, I was on leave and had got the kids off to school, finished my chores and thought "SWMBO is on a late and I've got a couple of hours before I have to fetch kids from school, I'll just do a stock take of all my stock and sort it out into rakes" When who should walk in through the lounge door, but SWMBO and caught me in the act, so to speak....
"Where the hell did that lot come from" was the first question out of her mouth, my reply?? Nothing, just stood there open mouthed, like a rabbit in headlights, muttering something like "Erm, erm, erm, ebay darling", "Don't you darling me!!" came the reply "You've been buying this stuff behind my back, haven't you??" Now I couldn't really deny it, as the evidence was there, in all it's glory, spread all over the lounge floor, so all I could do was stand there opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish, with nothing coming out. So SWMBO flounced out of the lounge, slamming the door behind her moaning about spending money we didn't have on toy trains etc. Which to be fair, was probably true. I sort of got a way with it, when I outlined to her that actually, the stuff was worth as much to sell as it was to buy.
Anyway now, I tell her what I want to buy and she just shakes her head, rolls her eyes and says "As long as we can afford it" to which my answer is always "Of course we can my sweet" her reply is always "Mmmmm bet we can"
God I love her :-* :-* :-*
Regards
Neal.
As you all may suspect Robin always looks at me and says " are you shoplifting again !!" :scowl:
Mike
Quote from: Fifer on March 31, 2014, 03:23:41 PM
As you all may suspect Robin always looks at me and says " are you shoplifting again !!" :scowl:
Mike
:laughabovepost: Again? :goggleeyes:
My purchases are generally tolerated nowadays as we have a bit of spare cash at the end of each month now. Last September I took my pension money early; repaid a lot of extraneous debt and most of the mortgage back with the lump sum.
No financial worries = happy monetary discussions = both of us can indulge our hobbies.
Quote from: NTrain on March 31, 2014, 08:51:20 AM
And, being N Gauge, you can get them inthe house in a coat pocket, without trying to debate the justice of it..................... :uneasy:
How do you fit a loco and rake of carriages in a coat pocket? :)
Quote from: talisman56 on March 31, 2014, 05:53:05 PM
Quote from: NTrain on March 31, 2014, 08:51:20 AM
And, being N Gauge, you can get them inthe house in a coat pocket, without trying to debate the justice of it..................... :uneasy:
How do you fit a loco and rake of carriages in a coat pocket? :)
Buy a coat with big pockets specifically for the purpose of N Gauge shopping? :smiley-laughing:
Re: ;...but I reckon...' You sir, are a very brave man. As you can see, the (N gauge) world watches developments with interest...
BTW: Because of circumstances (which I won't go into here), I'm in the interesting position of having to be PERSUADED / PUSHED by my wife into buying N-scale railway-type things. A most unusual situation I think you'll agree...
As you may have gathered already, she is very supportive :) :) :)
Quote from: Komata on April 01, 2014, 02:33:29 AM
Re: ;...but I reckon...' You sir, are a very brave man. As you can see, the (N gauge) world watches developments with interest...
BTW: Because of circumstances (which I won't go into here), I'm in the interesting position of having to be PERSUADED / PUSHED by my wife into buying N-scale railway-type things. A most unusual situation I think you'll agree...
As you may have gathered already, she is very supportive :) :) :)
Good for you buddy!!!
Mike
Quote from: Komata on April 01, 2014, 02:33:29 AM
BTW: Because of circumstances (which I won't go into here), I'm in the interesting position of having to be PERSUADED / PUSHED by my wife into buying N-scale railway-type things. A most unusual situation I think you'll agree...
As you may have gathered already, she is very supportive :) :) :)
I used to be in the same position as she always said 'at least I know where you are when you're in the railway room'
Then she realised that railway modelling carried some costs with it :doh:
It didn't help when I pointed out I did a full time job whereas she worked 16 hours a week so therefore I had to bear all those costs >:D
Quote from: newportnobby on April 01, 2014, 09:15:43 AM
I used to be in the same position as she always said 'at least I know where you are when you're in the railway room'
Then she realised that railway modelling carried some costs with it :doh:
It didn't help when I pointed out I did a full time job whereas she worked 16 hours a week so therefore I had to bear all those costs >:D
.... and that was when the fight started. :D
My grandfather on my dad's side played the drums in pubs and clubs, ran a lathe in his shed, repaired vacuum cleaners, watches washing machines and anything else, had a OO scale model railway and scratch built a pair of O gauge locomotives.
My Dad builds radio equipment and 30ft or higher amateur radio aerials in the garden
I think my wife thinks she's lucky I just do N 8-)
Alan
Quote from: EtchedPixels on April 01, 2014, 12:46:19 PM
My grandfather on my dad's side played the drums in pubs and clubs, ran a lathe in his shed, repaired vacuum cleaners, watches washing machines and anything else, had a OO scale model railway and scratch built a pair of O gauge locomotives.
My Dad builds radio equipment and 30ft or higher amateur radio aerials in the garden
I think my wife thinks she's lucky I just do N 8-)
Alan
Strangely enough, I do know other people who watch washing machines :goggleeyes:
Guess it beats the rubbish on the telly ::)
Quote from: newportnobby on April 01, 2014, 01:35:49 PM
Strangely enough, I do know other people who watch washing machines :goggleeyes:
Guess it beats the rubbish on the telly ::)
I really hate the Laundry Channel. Boring!
Quote from: Ray Haddad on April 01, 2014, 01:40:29 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on April 01, 2014, 01:35:49 PM
Strangely enough, I do know other people who watch washing machines :goggleeyes:
Guess it beats the rubbish on the telly ::)
I really hate the Laundry Channel. Boring!
No smut, though :angel:
Quote from: newportnobby on April 01, 2014, 01:35:49 PM
Quote from: EtchedPixels on April 01, 2014, 12:46:19 PM
My grandfather on my dad's side played the drums in pubs and clubs, ran a lathe in his shed, repaired vacuum cleaners, watches, washing machines and anything else, had a OO scale model railway and scratch built a pair of O gauge locomotives.
My Dad builds radio equipment and 30ft or higher amateur radio aerials in the garden
I think my wife thinks she's lucky I just do N 8-)
Alan
Strangely enough, I do know other people who watch washing machines :goggleeyes:
Guess it beats the rubbish on the telly ::)
Quote from: Ray Haddad on April 01, 2014, 01:40:29 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on April 01, 2014, 01:35:49 PM
Strangely enough, I do know other people who watch washing machines :goggleeyes:
Guess it beats the rubbish on the telly ::)
I really hate the Laundry Channel. Boring!
I hate that channel too - too many soap operas! ;D
Quote from: Jack on March 31, 2014, 11:22:06 AM
SWMBO
:dunce: ??? Sorry to be thick but what, in this context, is a "SWMBO"?? :hmmm:
SWMBO = 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' = Wife/Spouse/Partner...
Alternatively, could be referred to as the 'Domestic Authorities', because as every male knows, the female has the last word on what happens in the house (if you want peace and harmony, that is)...
Quote from: newportnobby on April 01, 2014, 09:15:43 AM
Quote from: Komata on April 01, 2014, 02:33:29 AM
BTW: Because of circumstances (which I won't go into here), I'm in the interesting position of having to be PERSUADED / PUSHED by my wife into buying N-scale railway-type things. A most unusual situation I think you'll agree...
As you may have gathered already, she is very supportive :) :) :)
I used to be in the same position as she always said 'at least I know where you are when you're in the railway room'
Then she realised that railway modelling carried some costs with it :doh:
It didn't help when I pointed out I did a full time job whereas she worked 16 hours a week so therefore I had to bear all those costs >:D
Brave words!
FWIW:
SWMBO is shorthand for 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' (aka 'Her Indoors') and is a phrase that is probably best known from the books and TV series 'Rumpole of the Bailey' , (staring Leo McKern) which you may have seen at some time. The books were written by John Mortimer.
Curiously, the phrase is actually older than the Books / TV series' and originally appeared in the book 'She' by H. Rider Haggard that started as a weekly series in a magazine in 1886; She'(actually named Ayesha) being a very long-lived fearsome female who is a sorceress and queen in charge of a dying city.
Rumpole views his 'nearest and dearest (who is named Hilda, BTW) in the same light...
Hope this helps.
Quote from: talisman56 on April 01, 2014, 04:18:59 PM
... because as every male knows, the female has the last word on what happens in the house (if you want peace and harmony, that is)...
I've said it before and I'll say it again . . .
Not if you pick the right 'female' :P
Paul
My mr's (swmbo) likes her TV corry and eastenders etc, but it could be worse what would I do if she liked model railways. And even worse if she was better at it than me too................ :laugh:
Chris
Re: 'And even worse if she was better at it than me too............'
I am sure that your good lady would be MUCH to polite to even mention such a thing , at least within your hearing.
She'd just think a lot, that's all....(and probably discuss it with her girlfriends; as they do)
Thought you should know.
Quote from: talisman56 on April 01, 2014, 04:18:59 PM
SWMBO = 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' = Wife/Spouse/Partner...
Alternatively, could be referred to as the 'Domestic Authorities', because as every male knows, the female has the last word on what happens in the house (if you want peace and harmony, that is)...
:thankyousign:, yes, I knew of the term "domestic authorities" but not being a fan of Rumpole I was unaware of the other. In my house my railway room is mine and what goes on in there a mystery to her. She is welcome to enter of course, and :worried: has even been known to drive trains on occasion :o but as to having a say - :censored:
But then she knows she will always come a close second to a Western. Lots of bribery (jewellery, Chanel 5 etc keeps the peace) and plenty of corruption (as this is a family site I'll say no more! :no: ;)
Just to add some 'balance' here, my misses loves the railway and has come up with many good ideas for it. She also put a LOT of work into it in the run up to the 2009 NGS AGM so we could take it along for the layout competition, otherwise we simply wouldn't have made it :no:
When she went up to Scotland for a week last year to visit her parents I had the layout assembled right across the lounge (literally wall-to-wall) to fully test my new control panel and wiring. Here's the pic:-
(http://www.sprintexnet.co.uk/Images/120914%20layout%20in%20lounge.jpg)
Clare was due to travel back down on Friday so she rang me on the Thursday night, and when I mentioned getting the railway put away so we could actually sit down and watch TV her exact words were "Don't put it away yet, I want to have a go at playing with the trains!" :D
And she did . . . most of Friday and again Saturday morning. The layout eventually got put away around saturday lunchtime ;)
Paul
:laughabovepost:
It's nice when a plan comes together.
True story.
A couple I know (once very well known in the field of model railways and exhibition layouts) would not mention their interest in the subject to each other, she because "trains was not a thing women did "and he because she might laugh at "a grown man playing with toys".
It was only when they had children old enough to be interested that she suggested taking them to "the local train show" and both finally realised that the other was interested.
Combining their talents they went on to become two of the finest builders of model railways in their time.
As I was told the story in confidence I'll not mention their names, but it shows that mentioning a hobby to a loved one can be a thing for good.
In my case Marion knows that she is welcome to develop an interest and would be encouraged but has shown no signs of anything beyond a casual "fiddle" a couple of times. A pity as she is a very talented artist (in her own way) and could probably help wonderfully with scenic work, at which I have no flair, but there we are.
Quote from: D1042 Western Princess on April 01, 2014, 08:54:24 PM
A pity as she is a very talented artist (in her own way) and could probably help wonderfully with scenic work, at which I have no flair, but there we are.
Have you ever though of asking her to paint a backdrop for you?
cheers John.
Quote from: scotsoft on April 01, 2014, 08:57:23 PM
Quote from: D1042 Western Princess on April 01, 2014, 08:54:24 PM
A pity as she is a very talented artist (in her own way) and could probably help wonderfully with scenic work, at which I have no flair, but there we are.
Have you ever though of asking her to paint a backdrop for you?
cheers John.
Yes, but she won't do it. I gave up asking about 20 years ago.