It's a simple matter of give and take. All I had to do to get my first scope (Stargazer Steve 6" F8) was buy her an 18k minivan. I just got an Orion Starblast, all I had to do was sell my motorcycle.
We have a good system at my house. I buy whatever I want, she buys whatever she wants, and then we fight! Actually she knows that no matter how much I spend on my hobby, it is still cheaper than a new bass boat, and I am at home. Ralph
It's called a slush fund! On top of that I act like whatever I am messing with is something I have had a long time. It also helps to accumulate as much astronomy stuff as you can. Me, I have so many EP's, Cases, books, software, filtes, telescopes and other junk now, that she has finally lost the ability to track if it is new or not. The only time she gets suspicious is large items that she can clearly recoginize as different like a new telescope.
My wife also has a consuming passion (besides our relationship): Gardening. We respect each other's hobby and take part in both. I do the heavy digging/hauling for her, and she understands my needs/wants for the telescope. for every EP or upgrade I acquire, she gets several cubic yards of the best soil, shrubs, nursery beds etc. She's attended club meetings and lectures with me, I've spent many weekend days visiting several greenhouses. She now can point out most constellations; I can name a good portion of plants in the garden. Our bookshelves are divided evenly between gardening and astronomy books. It's all about mutual respect and sharing. You can be down to earth and have your head above the clouds.
Cheers,
- Craig
Craig Levine Secretary RASC, Halifax Centre www.halifax.rasc.ca
Well, I deflected the wrath of She Who Must Be Obeyed with a trip to Venice after I bought myself a Stellarvue AT1010 OTA; I'm now considering buying myself a GP-DX, and I think maybe two weeks on the Isle of Skye will provide a suitable diversion.
(the crucial thing to remember is NOT to take the scope on such a trip, so that the Goddess has time to forget the reason for the bribe; otherwise, the sacrifice is wasted).