[R-390] Wives and Boatanchors

[Jerry K]

Yep, same deal here. I put in a Radio Shack FM intercom between the shack
and the kitchen that piggybacks on the phone wires. That has saved us both a
lot of steps, and helps lessen the isolation factor. It also gives her a
"panic button" for peace of mind, since we live in the boondocks. I also ran
a buried 100MB Ethernet link to the shop/shack, so the computer out there
can share broadband service with the house. It took a run of about 450 feet
total (250' as the crow flies). Of course that's too long for a straight
Ethernet run, so it's broken up in the middle with a 100MB switch installed
in the gazebo halfway to the house. Works like a charm, and allows me to
share printers both ways, too. A side benefit is I can plug into the switch
and surf with the laptop in the gazebo if I want, although can't imagine why
I would. I also bridged a little USB wireless transceiver to the PC in the
house, so I can surf from the recliner during Sooner football games. Life is
good!  :-)

Before I retired, I was reluctant to spend much time out in the shack, since
there wasn't much spare time at home to start with. But now it's a good
deal, and probably helps by keeping us both somewhat out of each other's
hair. Togetherness, like almost any other good thing, can be overdone. She
sticks her head in the shack door about once a week or so, points at
something, and asks "is that new?".  Of course, I shuffle the gear around
occasionally just to keep her guessing. She doesn't know one big box with a
lot of knobs from another, and doesn't want to learn, but certainly is
capable of retaining a visual pattern of what's been there a while, so I
gotta be careful. She's getting smarter, though, and takes a closer look
right after I've been to a hamfest.

Jerry W5KP


-----Original Message-----

As to spending time outside the house, in the shack - she agrees it's much
closer than the closest pub... (and much more convenient for her to summon
me from there for "honeydo's").
Marital harmony reigns!