[CQ-Contest] Contest ploys for wives

[Tree]

One of my best suggestions would be to send you wife away on a contest
weekend for a "well deserved break from the kids and some quiet time at
the coast".  She leaves on Friday afternoon and you make arrangements 
with the baby sitter (or negotiations with the kids if they are older) 
so that you can do something for them, but you get the contest period
free.  Have Pizza delivered for dinner.

This works very well for the sprints because they are short enough, or
the NAQPs where you can schedule breaks to take care of things.  For 
contests that require more effort - go multi-single and invite a friend
over.  

With your wife gone - she won't be there suggesting activites that are 
not consistent with your ability to participate in the contest.

Your wife comes back refreshed - and you scored some points and never
need to mention the contest.  Your reward for giving here that free weekend
can be the Sweepstakes!!  A win-win situation for sure.

BTW - the CW sprint is coming up in about 10 days - so get that calendar 
marked!

Tree N6TR

PS: A great way to get antenna work done is to invite a friend from out
of state over for a weekend visit.  Having someone physically there will
typically make the antenna project move up several notches in the priority
list of weekend projects.  It also gives you a "deadline" for getting the
preparations done - which can be leveraged ahead of time: "Honey, I need
to dig that hole today, so I can pour the concrete and it can dry before 
Steve comes over next weekend to help put the tower up.

We need to figure out how to make some these ploys part of the next WRTC!