Gave her an iPhone yesterday (she'd asked for one back in, oh, 1997 or whenever it was they were announced).  She almost had time to open it.  Hopefully she'll get to use it today.  She's been working her usual 12 to 20 hour days, and has a presentation today....I think it's a monthly thing.  Once a month, maybe once every two months, she freaks out for a good solid week preparing for some presentation or another.

I love the heck out of my wife.  She's a pretty neat chick.

Hey, eleven years married to a PhD (student then candidate now post-doc) has taught me a few things about scientists, women, and women scientists.

Here's a selection of things I've learned.  You can decide whether they apply to scientists, female scientists, females in general, or some combination of the above.

For instance, they hate generalizations.  They will hate that statement, and hate it more that I am pointing out that they hate it.

They're not wrong.  Ever.  They may occasionally be mistaken for a moment while the data is sorted.

Any statement of fact must be backed with proof.  I can prove this: walk up one and make a definitive statement without any sort of proof.  Be prepared to back your statement with a selection of references, and no, wikipedia doesn't count.

Do not, for the love of all that is, ever point out illogical or hypocritical actions or statements, ever.  Just agree and walk, slowly, back to the nearest alcohol dispensary.

Pick your arguments.  This sort of goes back to the "never wrong" thing and the "all facts are wrong until proven" thing.  It's no use arguing about anything that isn't immediately a threat to your lives, unless you're just in it for the argument, like that's your saturday evening thing or whatever.

If she's got her head buried in her work, leave her alone.  If she's got her head buried in her work, leave her alone.  That's important enough to mention twice.  If the house is on fire, maybe let her know.  Otherwise, act as though she isn't there.

One of you has to cook, shop, pay the bills, handle the weird little details of being alive.  Guess who it is?

None of the above is true when you add kids into the formula, near as I can tell, but I can't state that for fact, because I don't know and, with luck, will never know.

If you follow a few simple rules, many years of maintenance-free happiness can be yours.  Probably the most important is:

Never apply advice from someone else's marriage to your own.