how many have a WAF?

We've been together 12 years and just got married for reals last year. We also divide the finances into two seperate pieces. When we both work (which is rare bceause we are both software consultants) we make about the same amount. We share pretty much the same interests - and just started a small boutique audio dealership together (unabashed plug: www.audiofederation.com :-). My problem with her is different from that of most husbands - she can barely stand the surround sound home theater setup (which I love), prefering 2-channel - and she keeps insisting that we get $20k and $30k monoblocks to play with. I say "Yes, dear, but maybe I should pay off some of my credit cards first?" Luckily she does not read this board very often :-)

I've been happily married for 3 years. Of course I got married 18 years ago. brump bump. Thank you, thank you. Take my wife.....PLEASE. I'm still living with my children's mother, for economic reasons.....I don't want to give up my system. We get along alright, but have mostly a platonic relationship. I imagine once the boys are gone, there will be no reason to stay. I was heard that the divorce rate was only at 50% because the other 50% can't afford it. Like the old joke says: Why is divoce so expensive? Because it's worth it. Ann Landers says the reason most marriages end in divorce is because the woman goes into the marriage expecting the man will change, and the man goes into the marriage expecting the woman won't change. I've quoted that to men and women, and they all agree. It seems the men want to have want they pay for, and the women see it as a challenge as to what they can create.
Well, my youngest is 11 now, so I just need to ride it out a few more years. It's a wonderful life.

John

Tireguy, don't go crazy and do anything we wouldn't do! My girlfriend and I have been a couple since '95, living together since '98. She says it's my money, so it's my business. She doesn't care about sound too much, but does prefer tubes. Mostly she just wants me to turn it down! BTW, she also calls this forum "The Geekfest" - and I can't really disagree with her, guilty as charged. You'd think that living with a woman would be a moderating influence on audiophilia nervousa, but strangely enough my system has evolved at an increased pace since I stopped living alone. What has fallen off sharply is the amount of time I spend on playing the guitar - something that greatly concerns me. I don't want to trade writing music for listening to it. Or do I file this in with the depleted state of my hair as another sign of middle age having crept up on me?

My wife says I am happy. :)

In some ways marriage is like audio -- synergy is worth waiting for. I know, because I have been lucky enough to find it. My wife and I will have been married for eight years next month, and it continues to get better each day.

Yes, once you get past the initial infatuation, it does take some work to keep things rolling in the right direction (let's be realistic) but it's each person's willingness to put in the necessary work that shows the other person that the relationship is still strong.

If you haven't been able to find your soulmate yet, there's no way to go other than to do what you would if you were searching for the missing "magic" component -- keep on auditioning!

BTW, if I may carry the audio analogy one step farther (possibly even to the point of corniness), many of us guys often approach women as though we were looking to buy a speaker by its cabinet alone. While I won't deny that a well-made cabinet adds to the package, if you want to make beautiful music, it's ultimately the driver that counts. Don't make the mistake of staring at the enclosure when you should be listening to the music.