THE SCENERIO -
On Christmas morning we had all of our kids and grandkids together for the first time in a very long time. My wife and I have 5 children (of which 2 are married - add in 2 in-laws) and 7 grandchildren. Including my wife and I, there is 16 total.
There were soooo many gifts under the tree. The gifts took up the entire living room. We took our time and opened gifts slowly and really enjoyed watching the little kids having the 'BEST OF TIMES'.
After several hours of pure Christmas pleasure my wife went into the kitchen and started to make a big breakfast. Bacon & eggs and hashbrowns with little chunks of peppers and onions. The eggs were scrambled and the bacon cut-up and mixed into the eggs. She loves to cook and she's closest to heaven with all of her family around her.
I stayed in the livingroom and cleaned up the wrappings, bagged the trash and hauled-off the garbage. The smell of bacon filled the house. I was putting some of my gifts away when the announcment was made that breakfast was ready.

THE ALTERCATION -
When I walked into the kitchen most of the family were seated around the table. My wife was standing at the range with a spatchula in her hand. I asked her if she wouldn't mind making me a couple of fried eggs (over easy). She quickly retorted, "NO." I was a little startled (to say the least). I re-asked the question for assurance sake. "Do you mean that you won't cook me a couple of fried eggs?" She re-answered the question, "ABSOLUTELY NOT. I'm cooking for 16 people here. We're having SCRAMBLED EGGS. If you don't like that then don't eat." I left the room. She only had to cook for 15.

LEAD-UP -
My 'Busy Season' at work starts on Sept. 1st and runs through 24 Dec.. This particular year I had an exceptionally busy 'Busy Season.' Home Forclosures in the Phoenix / Scottsdale area were at an all time high. Banks were stuck with an abundance of properties that were in serious dis-repair. We were given a lot of contract work from banks and other lending institutions to ready REPO houses for a difficult sales market.
I had so much business that I was working 7 days a week with little opportunity for de-compression. When I was at home I was working on bids, contracts, payroll, etc... I was seriously worried that my wife would start complaining that I was "never home." From that fear I struck up a conversation about the hectic workload. I even asked if she "would prefer that I slowed down and didn't take on this extensive a workload." She didn't complain, and suggested that I "stay with the 'FLOW' and reap the monetary benefits as long as it is available."
The benefit in $$s was dramatic. We were in the best financial position we had seen in years. In addition to the benefit in $$s, I was giving my wife more money than ever before to use as disposable income, on Christmas gifts for the kids (several are adults) and grandkids. She had the benefit of unchecked spending and I had given out a considerable sum. That sum was more than three times what our normal Christmas budget would be.
There had been several other years (alternately) where we had some leaner Christmases . I was happy to see my wife have such a good year and enjoy the shopping (which along with cooking for her family is one of her greatest pleasures). I believe she holds an Olympic Gold Medal in shopping. She is a loving grandmother and her gift giving brought her great pleasure this year.
By Christmas, I was physically spent to the ultimate point of exhaustion. I had never before worked so many hours in my life.

DAMAGE (out of) CONTROL
Try to keep in mind that I wasn't asking her to defrost meat and make me steak & eggs. I wasn't presenting a request for pecan waffles or corned-beef hash. She wasn't being asked to create something completely out of the range of the supplies at hand. The frying pan was RIGHT THERE on the stove-top, it was already hot, and the can of PAM spray was on the counter. Directly next to the can of PAM was the open container of eggs. HOW difficult would it be to make for me a couple of 'FREAKIN' eggs?
I'd also like you to keep in mind that in the course of a five year period, I might ask her to cook something special for me, (maybe) once or twice a year. Usually I'm happy to eat whatever she's cooking. She's a great cook and I'm the beneficiary of that blessing. In general, I DON'T present requests for anything special. I eat what is prepared for the family.
Don't get me wrong... If she's heading out to the kitchen to get herself a tuna (on rye) sandwich, I'll beg for myself to be included.

RETALIATION -
On this day, I merely walked out of the kitchen and wouldn't eat with the family. Later in the day when the turkey came out of the oven, I didn't participate in that meal either. I couldn't believe that she didn't have it in her heart to grant me such a small request. I was the FOUNDER OF THE FEAST.

THE MARRIAGE COUNSELOR -
The marriage counselor steps into a serious breakdown and points out that, "She WAS cooking for 16 people."
Obviously, the counselor is a woman.

ANALYZATION / DETERMINATION -
We make sacrifices for our families and especially for our spouses in grandiose ways. It isn't unreasonable to rarely ask for a little bit of special treatment, different than is given to others in the family. It isn't unreasonable especially if we are willing to give that little extra at on-going intervals. That little extra treatment is what makes our spouses stand out as the most important people in our lives.
When that desire to provide special treatment goes away and the treatment of a spouse is just like any other person we come across, the absence of love is felt in an overpowering way . There is nothing special about the realtionship. In many ways the treatment of strangers is better than that treatment you receive from your spouse. A husband will feel like all he is is a paycheck. He might as well be the yard-boy (who does get a special tip at Christmas).

ADVICE -
I defer to the marital experts, but offer that Denny's make great fried eggs for under $5. I further suggest that you avoid extended work hours and buy Christmas presents for the grandkids yourself.