I need a new hobby :-(

[Apache Warrior]

You thought about firearms? Just get a gun-safe and you'd be set... Nothing quite like going out to the range for a day.

+1
Or for a more hands on hobby how about The Martial Arts?
Apache

[BlackArrow]

Pain in the butt wife and firearms are a terrible combination.

[Skud]

You thought about firearms? Just get a gun-safe and you'd be set... Nothing quite like going out to the range for a day.

+1

And reloading! Make sure you get dies for .308, .223, 40 cal., .357 mag, and 12 gauge. I'll buy some rounds from you = win/win.

[Storm_Shadow]

Pain in the butt wife and firearms are a terrible combination.

Well, there is some truth in there. Insert any pass time she deems too dangerous or unnecessary in that sentence while you're at it. The lack of reciprocity can be rather annoying at times. Say, your wife is into making crafts, crocheting, knitting, Asian Dramas online, etc. Not really necessary, and sometimes potentially downright dangerous. (Do you realize what a person can DO with a set of metal knitting needles!? ) But how many husbands do you ever hear about ragging on about such things?

That said, many wives also have redeeming qualities. (Mine does anyway)
In the end, it comes down to decisions on your part and on her's. You can A) Respect her wishes, B) Acknowledge her preference but point out that you do not need to ask for permission (she isn't your mom, and you're not a minor anymore), C) Strike a bargain (nagging = new purchase!) or D) Just do it! Bring the little monster home and park it in a prominent spot in the garage. (Just realize that it may accompany sleeping on the couch... or her sleeping on the couch)

[WalkinTarget]

A) Respect her wishes

Ahh, I needed to go with this choice, but the way I look at it, I will rent one (which she agreed to) and if I can do it with regularity, then it negates her original argument that I wouldn't ride it more than 2x a year.

I did air my grievances at the time as to why I was told we were supposedly saving money, but she had bought three items over the past three weekends:

$100 table for the dining room (the hutch did not math the decor)
$250 seesaw for the kids - used for less than an hour over the past 3 weeks
this weekend - a new grill !! We had one ... we gave it to her sister since we never used it.

So if anything, I've eliminated my weekend chore of assembling the purchase of the week.

[BlackArrow]

she had bought three items over the past three weekends:

$100 table for the dining room (the hutch did not math the decor)
$250 seesaw for the kids - used for less than an hour over the past 3 weeks
this weekend - a new grill !! We had one ... we gave it to her sister since we never used it.

[WalkinTarget]

Spoken like a true divorcee !!!

I love her more than anything, and she is the foundation of my normal life, so without her and her unconditional love I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am, so to keep the peace I just decided it was best to give it up.
Honestly, I have no idea if my back would withstand a ride, and my bro-in-law just bought a house this weekend (to go with a 3 month old baby) so his riding time will be diminished.
My other riding partner (a co-worker) just welcomed a baby boy into this world on Monday, so its clear that both face increased responsibilities at home, so it wasn't good timing to think an ATV in the garage was a good idea.


But ... damn ... I was soooooo looking forward to finding a nice flat rail trail to cruise on !!

[BlackArrow]

Don't worry WT, my marriage was full of unconditional giving and loving gestures. It's when we were divorced that I realized how much. I am the last one to judge

Just enjoying a good laugh watching you though

[Duke{CLR}]

WT I just spent the day on my boat working on my carbon foot print. I was out on it with my father for lunch and with the family for dinner. I'm even going to name it "Unity" because it's the only thing my whole family enjoys.

When I met my wife i was crew member for my friends racing team. It took up a lot of my time so when I got married I had to chose to drop something and that was it. It's all about give and take.

[WalkinTarget]

Welp, I contacted a local ATV club and inquired about renting an ATV from them on their next ride scheduled for June 19. Got a reply that they would gladly take me along, and the owner of the club (an owner of an ATV biz nearby) stated that several members have spare quads to rent me.
As a club, they were also going to try and purchase an ATV for people like me who don't have one but still wanted to try out the experience. Anyhoo, I informed the wife (she had no problem with this as well), and if I can do this once a month, she may see that I really am interested.
I can also gauge how well my deteriorating body withstands the bumps on a long ride too, before actually buying one and finding out I feel a lot older than I am.

[WalkinTarget]

Thread update:

The planned ride on the 19th didn't pan out ... bikes were all rented out, so here's how things went this past weekend:

Wife: I want a Boxer puppy.
Me: WHAT ??? No.
Wife: But the kids would love it, and I think we should get one.
Me: Hey, you want a puppy .. I want an ATV !
Wife: That's not fair ...
Me: Oh well ! How's about I give you all of the money I have in the bank, and buy your puppy, then use the rest of my $$ stash to buy my ATV ?
Wife: Well, I guess that's OK.


Is this not the same spouse who completely crushed my idea last month ??? Ehh, oh well...

We (I) put $200 down on the Boxer puppy on Monday (he's 5 weeks old, we have to wait until 8 weeks to bring him home) and Tuesday I went to look at an ATV. Next scheduled rife is July 3, so by hook or by crook I will have an ATV by then.

Th one I looked at yesterday was OK, but with a dead battery (seller swore he had put a new battery in it, but it leaked and corroded the swingarm pretty badly) its quite worthless as it is. My guess is a voltage regulator (as well as the battery) is shot, but if he can't fix it by Friday, I am buying another quad from a dealer in Altoona.

So there ya have it ... I'm out well over $2,000, but everyone in the house will be happy in a few weeks.

[Duke{CLR}]

LOL I love the story and how you are now getting the ATV.

I'll have you know that i came close to getting a build for a vasectomy, i was going to call it the vasectamator. so as it turns out you got off nicely.

[Storm_Shadow]

Quid pro quo ftw!

[Minerva]

it's all about a good negotiation

[WalkinTarget]

it's all about a good negotiation

My female co-workers seem to think it was a very good negotiation .. for my wife, that is !!!