Who R U?

Philip- welcome! You got bit by the bug, my friend! Welcome to the madness. Just kidding. It is a wonderful journey and you are lucky to have discovered it so young.
Tip on the girlfriend front
1. get her involved in your hobby and help her "hear" why it is so cool - this will help out in the long run.
2. Also, be ready to compromise - now, before you say WHAT?!?!?! - what I mean is, support her "hobbies and ESPECIALLY spending" as well.
3. Ask her to come along and listen, let her know that the female ear is so much better than a man's and that you NEED her to HELP. This, my friend, will go a LONG way to her feeling a part of it and not in COMPETITION with it.
4. Never stand her up for something about audio or HT. If you made a date - KEEP IT.

Any other tips?

Now, Phillip, you just sit there and stare without it being on? You may need some professional help (just kidding).

How did you "stumble upon us"?
Glad that you're here and hope that this helps in your journey.
cheers,
AJ

Welcome Phillip!!
Angela,those are very good tips you gave! I wish I would have known about them 7 girlfriends ago!!
"EWE" should write a book "Love and the Audiophile"

pcweber11: glad to have you among us, phillip. you've been buying equipment since you were 17? interesting that you can't buy cigarettes legally 'til you're 18, and they're much less addictive than audio/ht gear! (but, for god's sake, don't let the politicians know this.) -kelly

David, too kind and thank ewe for the inside joke! and it's never to late to start with the girlfriends -
I would title the book
FAW - Females and Winning (that's WAF spelled backwards)

No no, I said I have loved home theater since I was 17. I didn't get my first piece of gear till I moved out at 18 to go to school. That was a Harmon Kardon AVR20 mk2. After that came the Cerwin Vega RE25 speakers and a Toshiba SD3006 dvd player. I was in heaven at the time! My how times have changed though!