Gamer's Block

So I have a copy of Earth Reborn that I got for Christmas.  I've read the first few pages of the rules but haven't even punched the cardboard yet.  It's pretty much my dream game, even though my only opponent will be my son, who is eleven (and a great gamer).  I also picked up a copy of Ravenloft. It looks amazing, but sits on my shelf unplayed.  Joey, the aforementioned eleven-year-old, played a solitaire game after reading the rules.  

Part of the problem is that my wife and I went through a boardgame divorce.  We're still married, live in the same house, sleep in the same bed (unless she's obsessed with some BBC soap opera and watching it on her laptop until 2 a.m.) but she won't play boardgames any more--at least any that take longer than 20 minutes.  Part of this is my fault--I suck at explaining games, and longer games don't work with the family.  So there's this tension around games and it's difficult to get a game on the table at home.

So what keeps you from playing that game that you couldn't wait to buy, that sits on the shelf like a broken promise, taunting you?