well i haven't checked this thread in almost a week and thank you everybody for the comments.
brain enclosed, i can really relate to your situation, though i've only been in a relationship for 4 years as opposed to 14. my girl and i are 100% opposite on almost everything and are a very unlikely but happy couple. really the main thing we both love is drinking. but to answer your question about applying the things i love to read and learn about into an actual tangible thing, i have to say that the answer is a mixed bag. i love cars and i make my living as an auto technician, i love the challenge of diagnosing the car, but once you factor in all the management and policy of working in a dealership, it absolutely blows. they say that you should try to find something that you are truly passionate about and make your living doing that, but it hits the fan when you actually have to deal with people that are in it just for personal gain and money. i think that starting your own business and doing your own thing is the only way to be satisfied, but i don't have the resources or connections to take that leap of faith right now. i have to say that your post gives me some inspiration and is sending me in the right direction, thank you for that.
for everybody else, since this post has almost nothing to do with alcohol, i'll quote a very wise man that i used to work with that stopped drinking years ago. "it's not how much you drink that makes you an alcoholic, but how much trouble you get into while you're drinking."