Girlfriends and wifes, how do YOU cope?

Just wanted to clarify one thing in the event there was any mis-impression. When I refer to, ummmm ....., other things.... I mean things such as ... oh, Neutrogena Body Oil, edible undies et., etc. to excite and enhance the senses.
The use of Herb, as Gumby suggests, only dulls the senses. That is unless we are talking herbs such as Cilantro or Wasabi, when incorporated into a nice piece of pan-seared salmon would do just the trick.
Oh, one word of caution to the equipment dudes out there. The Neutrogena body oil is not for use as a cable treatment or any other demented purpose. It is to be used by you and your wife and/or girlfriend, or husband and/or boyfriend, as the case may be, to be spread on each other. I include this stuff in my list of inexpensive tweaks.
I wholeheartedly recommend the Neutrogenia oil for anyone who has not tried it. I mean, really... seriously, this stuff is wonderfull, even if you are not listening to music.
David

Well, I don't know what you were talking about, but that is exactly what I meant.... Mint grown fresh, soaked into the oil you rub on.....

You mean you don't TASTE it??

Oy Vey!

Now how does that dull the senses?

I know that this forum is supposed to be about audio and such, and not a counseling session, but as I can see the two are obvious related. I feel compelled to share my experience.
Presently, my live-in girlfreind's property is sitting in my driveway, and I can't play a blues record because I removed my clavis dc from my turntable for safety reasons.
One place where it all went wrong, is one day I brought home a piece of equipment, I was happy about and in a good mood with my new purchase, and the sense of joy that I shared with her was met with obvious disapproval and disappointment. It soured the experience. Why did I buy if I was going to have a bad experience, or, why do I have her here, were what I think stupid questions going through my head.
It's good to have a sense of humor. Life is fun, and it's fun to evan play things out with a sense of humor.
We all have disagreements about things, big and small, that can affect how we treat our hobby(s).
For me, I don't need for a spouse to be into audio, I don't need one that doesn't care about money, but evan If they don't care about sound or what I just did to my turntable, or what a bargain I got, I would want them to care about my happiness. When you love someone, you have a desire to tell them about things that make you happy, evan if they aren't interested. You like to see them happy, evan if you could care less about what it is that makes them so.
Furthermore, I find this to be a healthy hobby. Listening to music, to me, is far more fulfilling than watching t.v., I can also do things while I listen instead of being occupied on the couch, wacthing a screen. I can engage in conversation, and music fills the soul whereas t.v. fills the mind. And what woman would not want her man doing his thing, playing with his hobby THERE, where he can be with her and share his happiness, and be THERE for hers? That seems INSANE!
Do we have to share all the same interest to enjoy each other? I think not. I don't think we really need share each others passion in certain interest to benifit from that passion.
My freind just told me that I need to find a woman that feels the same way about me as I do about stereo equipment, they're out there. That's shallow. I think I need to find a woman that my stereo can be happy with, 'cause I don't want to be shallow and not consider my stereo's feelings. It doesn't deserve to be treated like this.
Would I be shallow if I said that a woman could have extra ugly points if she was an audiophile?

Basement, you will hardly find one of the female gender, who is both the woman one would dream of and a true and dyed in the wool audiophile. Why? I suggest you read Slawney's post above..with that proverbial pinch of salt, mind you. The point where I think he's right, is, that we males rather cling to objects, to the other gender, relationship is important. So if we relate more to our hobbies, compared to HER, well then mostly there is fire in the house and the hobby is quite rightly seen as a rival and opposed against.
Besides, you don't need your "significant other" to be an audiophile at all. What you need is a music lover and if you're lucky, she will lend a kindly ear to your efforts in the true sense of the word, be a friend and a critic as well and more often than not, your relationship will deepen and be enriched with and through the common enjoyment of music.

Basement- fwiw I don't hang out with girls that don't express even the slightest interest in the rig. I over heard my latest interest bragging to her friends on how great my stereo sounds and looks; needless to say I felt very good. If they disapprove or don't mind it any attention I don't mind them any attention, a relationship is about mutual respect and admiration and I ain't given up this hobby- so I save us a lot of time. I just can't imagine women not encouraging music in your life, they always seem to love the fact it is my interest. You just have to know when to listen to the rig and when to shut it off(or at least turn it down) and listen to her, listen to stuff she likes(sometimes) and do other things that interest her, once you have that down its a piece of cake- my problem is finding one that is worth the investment of time. There's a million fish in the sea and I must have met half of them- gotta be gettin close!