Must be nice to have a wife that doesn't draw the line somewhere. Mine was quite understanding about the new D* HD receiver. DVD player, amp, and speakers I needed to go with the new TV, but drew the line at the TiVo that cost a few hundred bucks less than the TV itself. :)
I feel your pain. I live about 25 miles from most of the Seattle towers and get inconsistent reception.
Fortunately, Seattle is a top 20 market, so the HD locals should show up soon after they get those new birds up the middle of this year.