Author Topic: HELP! The Better Half Is Getting Fed Up!? (Read 4164 times)

FrizzleFried · « **on:** February 13, 2007, 02:16:35 pm »

HELP! My recent find of a Joust dedicated cabinet for $50.00 has put my wife on edge. It isn't that the $50.00 is too much, but rather she is tired of seeing yet another machine taking up space (and my time). It's getting serious...she made me PROMISE not to have more than 4 machines at any given time...that means that after this Joust arrives, I will have to SELL one to get another....argh!

How do you folks deal with your wives? She just doesn't "understand"...and I have even managed to get her interested in World Bowling Championship Deluxe, Shuuz, and Shuffleboard, but she STILL doesn't "get it".

ChadTower · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2007, 02:31:28 pm »

Better games will help... Joust is great, but those other titles, not so much.

Beyond that, there isn't much you can do. If the conflict exists it always will.

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2007, 02:45:40 pm »

...she likes to use the trackball...

...maybe I should add a trackball to the Joust cabinet?

Havok · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2007, 02:56:14 pm »

Upgrade your wife...

Hurray Banana · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2007, 03:04:09 pm »

Find global reasons to spend time on your arcade.

I'm replacing worn out parts (lots £150 worth) on my TZ pin so that the machine is working properly in time for our daughters engagement party.

My wife is house proud so she wouldn't want guests playing a part working machine

I'm also rebuilding me Mame cab in time for the party as well

She still doesn't understand how I can spend so much time tinkering rarther than playing tho. She has realised that I will forever be replacing and mending and has sort of accepted it as long as I do everything else she expects of me, like building custom bookshelves, cupboards etc..

leapinlew · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2007, 03:47:35 pm »

If you promised to not have more than 4 machines - than you need to only have 4 machines. You aren't going to win this battle.

By the way, do you have 4 working machines or are you just buying up machines? If the answer is no - get one working and working great and see if she warms up to it. Try to get her involved and help her catch the fever. Don't... DO NOT let it interfere with your time with her and the kids.

Get your priorities straight man.

leapinlew · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2007, 03:49:15 pm »

One more thing -

Your doing better than a lot of guys. Some guys aren't allowed even 1 machine.

Make your next machine a juke box. My wife loves mine and it doesn't count as a machine.

spacies · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2007, 03:49:34 pm »

You're in a sticky situation my friend.

Apart from Havoks suggestion you could try to start turning your hobby into a small money making venture.

If the Joust is a good one , then fix it and sell it and show her the money.
It may work?

It may not.

My partner isn't interested in video games at all, yet I have a shed full of them and even managed to get 2 cocktails in the spare room and 1 in my office. How? Because I sell them!

And when we buy a new house, I have told her its got to have a beast garage/workshop so I don't have machines inside.

Or keep the Joust and sell another machine?

And yeah, what leapinlew said. Family 1st! Games last.

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2007, 04:25:37 pm »

Is it necessary to have to walk on eggshells when acquiring cabinets such as this? Silly.

somunny · « **Reply #9 on:** February 13, 2007, 04:28:46 pm »

Quote from: Havok on February 13, 2007, 02:56:14 pm

Upgrade your wife...

Yep, I traded mine in for a new one five years ago. She has no problem with any of my eccentric hobbies.

woodygjw · « **Reply #10 on:** February 13, 2007, 04:57:58 pm »

I let my wife do pretty much whatever she wants with the living space. But the basement and the garage, those are mine

woody

RayB · « **Reply #11 on:** February 13, 2007, 05:11:46 pm »

Fizzle, do you have one of those big china cabinets? Or anything comparable to that? Do you like it? Or is it there just to show off a bunch of ugly dishes you could care less about?

How about shoes? How many pairs of footwear does she own.

However there's ONE little clue you dropped which is probably the crux of the matter: "yet another machine taking up ... my time"

Sounds like you're neglecting the wifey!

shmokes · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2007, 05:17:24 pm »

Arcade cabinets are ---smurfing--- ugly. They are ginormous eyesores. Your wife is 100% right. The fact that you have four in your house simultaneously means that she's a saint. Stop complaining and appreciate what you've got.

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2007, 05:24:53 pm »

Quote from: shmokes on February 13, 2007, 05:17:24 pm

Arcade cabinets are ---smurfing--- ugly. They are ginormous eyesores. Your wife is 100% right. The fact that you have four in your house simultaneously means that she's a saint. Stop complaining and appreciate what you've got.

Aren't you supposed to finish that paragraph with "In the interest of saving your marriage, I'll be right over to haul them away!" ?

mccoy178 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2007, 06:36:44 pm »

Quote from: shmokes on February 13, 2007, 05:17:24 pm

Arcade cabinets are ---smurfing--- ugly. They are ginormous eyesores. Your wife is 100% right. The fact that you have four in your house simultaneously means that she's a saint. Stop complaining and appreciate what you've got.

You know where you're at right? You may wanna crawl back into that P&R hole you came from.

TOK · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2007, 08:14:07 pm »

Let it sit there a while, she'll get used to it.
Either that, or get an even worse hobby to put things in perspective. After having 6 dirt bikes sitting around, my wife thinks arcade cabinets are something Martha Stewart would be into.

leapinlew · « **Reply #16 on:** February 13, 2007, 08:16:15 pm »

Quote from: TOK on February 13, 2007, 08:14:07 pm

Let it sit there a while, she'll get used to it.
Either that, or get an even worse hobby to put things in perspective. After having 6 dirt bikes sitting around, my wife thinks arcade cabinets are something Martha Stewart would be into.

Interesting...

Perhaps collecting "souvenirs" from strip joints will let her see your side.

DrewKaree · « **Reply #17 on:** February 13, 2007, 10:27:00 pm »

In the interests of saving your marriage, I will take that Joust machine off your hands for DOUBLE what you paid for it

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2007, 02:01:10 am »

Hahaha...she went with me to pick up the cabinet...and she had to admit it was one helluva find for $50.00. All my cabinets are in the garage so it's not an ugly issue. It IS a time issue...and I will have to make sure to spend a little more time with her and less in the ugly garage/arcade room.

My wife is actually pretty damn cool if I do say so myself...and once I put things in perspective (Honey, just imagine what I'd spend and how much time I'd spend if I were to have a HARLEY DAVIDSON!) she is all good.

As for this Joust...it DEMANDS to be refurbished...and once it is...I will likely sell it...give her half and use the other half to buy more arcade crap.

shmokes · « **Reply #19 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:29:22 am »

Quote from: mccoy178 on February 13, 2007, 06:36:44 pm

You know where you're at right?

Sure. And I know that my wife would not want me to have more than one in the house, which isn't especially unreasonable for the reasons I already stated. To put things in perspective, my cousin's wife collects these horrible, life-like and life-size dolls. They're like four feet tall, and look like they cost a fortune, considering how detailed they are. They're incredibly creepy and ridiculous. I wouldn't let my wife display even one of those in our apartment.

Y'all have to live with eachother. I stand by what I said. I love arcade games. I love arcade cabinets. That doesn't suddenly change the fact that they are ginormous eyesores that were never meant to decorate a home. Any married man who has four (or more) arcade cabinets in his home already has an extraordinarily accomodating wife.

TOK · « **Reply #20 on:** February 14, 2007, 03:55:39 pm »

Quote from: shmokes on February 14, 2007, 03:29:22 am

Y'all have to live with eachother. I stand by what I said. I love arcade games. I love arcade cabinets. That doesn't suddenly change the fact that they are ginormous eyesores that were never meant to decorate a home. Any married man who has four (or more) arcade cabinets in his home already has an extraordinarily accomodating wife.

I suppose... But I'd set the number at 8.

ChadTower · « **Reply #21 on:** February 14, 2007, 04:12:43 pm »

Or that person has a basement that is big enough that she never has to see them except when she's doing laundry (that's my house).

walls83 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 14, 2007, 05:06:50 pm »

Quote from: woodygjw on February 13, 2007, 04:57:58 pm

I let my wife do pretty much whatever she wants with the living space. But the basement and the garage, those are mine

woody

Thats the way my house works also. She can do whatever she wants to the house but the basement is mine and mine only.

RayB · « **Reply #23 on:** February 14, 2007, 05:21:27 pm »

If she ever forces me to choose, she's in for a nasty surprise...

ChadTower · « **Reply #24 on:** February 14, 2007, 07:03:51 pm »

I woke up to go fishin and she said she's fed up... if I go fishin again she's leavin...

...I sorta miss her.

Glaine · « **Reply #25 on:** February 14, 2007, 08:59:32 pm »

Too bad for me basements are rare in Texas. Sounds like I will need to buy 2 houses when it's time to get hitched, 1 for each of my passions...I hope they don't find out about each other.

Kronos · « **Reply #26 on:** February 14, 2007, 10:19:56 pm »

haha.. Glaine where in texas are you from? I am in Dallas.

ChadTower · « **Reply #27 on:** February 15, 2007, 07:53:16 am »

In Texas you should be able to buy enough footage that it doesn't matter.

leapinlew · « **Reply #28 on:** February 15, 2007, 09:07:35 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on February 15, 2007, 07:53:16 am

In Texas you should be able to buy enough footage that it doesn't matter.

Basements are to tornados what blankets are to monsters.

ChadTower · « **Reply #29 on:** February 15, 2007, 09:35:53 am »

You say that like your cabs would matter if your whole house was blown to shattered lumber.

Basements are about the frost table. The reason we all have basements and you don't is because our foundation has to extend below the frost table in order for the house to remain stable indefinitely. Your frost table is either right around ground level or you don't have one. My basement gets me an assload of dry storage but at 50 degrees right now it's not really a place to hang out.

_) (V) (-) · « **Reply #30 on:** February 15, 2007, 10:18:09 am »

Who pays the bills man?
What's she gonna do if you get another one?
Cut off you allowance?

FrizzleFried · « **Reply #31 on:** February 15, 2007, 10:26:35 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on February 15, 2007, 09:35:53 am

You say that like your cabs would matter if your whole house was blown to shattered lumber.

Basements are about the frost table. The reason we all have basements and you don't is because our foundation has to extend below the frost table in order for the house to remain stable indefinitely. Your frost table is either right around ground level or you don't have one. My basement gets me an assload of dry storage but at 50 degrees right now it's not really a place to hang out.

Please don't tell me you are complaining about 50 degrees? My arcade room is in the garage...and the coldest it got this winter thus far is 7 degrees. 7 degrees outside = DAMN COLD in the garage...well below 50 degrees...closer to 20-25 degrees. I have 2 heaters out there and with them pumping, i'm LUCKY to hit 50 degrees on days like that!

leapinlew · « **Reply #32 on:** February 15, 2007, 10:28:14 am »

Chad? Complain?!

At least you have the option to heat your basement.

ChadTower · « **Reply #33 on:** February 15, 2007, 10:44:30 am »

He has the option to heat his garage, too. And that wasn't a complaint, just a comment. The only real issue I've had with it is that fine soldering work is a LOT harder when the room is cold. I lifted a pad on a GameCube the other day and that's not like me at all.

Glaine · « **Reply #34 on:** February 16, 2007, 10:05:58 am »

I agree, it hardly ever gets cold enough down here to warrant a basement, it would mostly be nice for the space and atmosphere (keeps em out of sight of those who don't want em in the house). And while it is true that you CAN get large spaces here, I for one don't make the green to dig that scene. Can always dream of buying a loft and stuffing it full of cabs ... someday.

Quote from: Kronos on February 14, 2007, 10:19:56 pm

haha.. Glaine where in texas are you from? I am in Dallas.

I'm in Azle, which is between Fort Worth and Weatherford. Probably about 2 hours from you.

Quote from: CykoMF on February 15, 2007, 10:18:09 am

Who pays the bills man?
What's she gonna do if you get another one?
Cut off you allowance?

His allowance if he's lucky...


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