Willie and I have only been to The Barnyard once before for one of his staff functions.  It was really fun and we said we would definitely go again.  Turns out we didn’t but when our anniversary rolled around this year he booked tickets for us to go.  He also booked tickets for my birthday.

On our anniversary we went to “Six of the Best” and it really was so good!  It just kept getting better.  The cast was fabulous and we kept turning to each other saying “that was so good”.  There was the one part which was a bit of a play on Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Also, Darren Verciul who ‘played’ Freddie Mercury was absolutely fantastic! He lived the role and he enjoyed every second of being on that stage.  Of course all of them were absolutely amazing but he had just something extra!  I loved it.  It was just fabulous! We had really great seats and the evening was really great.  We also had really nice pizza.

I must just mention that the staff there are great!  All friendly and on the ball.  The guy that is at the pizza place is just so cool.  He is really funny and he makes you feel like he’s known you forever.

We walked out really looking forward to the next show which was on my birthday.

On Saturday we got there at about the same time we did last time.  It was pretty empty but I assumed it had something to do with the Sharks game that was on.  So we ordered pizza and drinks and we took our places.  Once again we had really great seats.  The place started filling up pretty fast after that.  It was pretty clear it was a different crowd compared to the last time we were there.  About 45 minutes before the show started the couple sitting next to me walked in.  It was  clear from the start that they had had a few drinks already.  They went to order drinks and came back with what looked like the whole bar.  Bottles of wine and beer.  In my opinion they didn’t need any more and besides,  Barnyard is not exactly the place you go to get drunk and party.  I would assume you would head off to a club or pub for that instead of a show.  They got really loud and seemed to hit it off with the folks that were sitting next to them.

The conversation got louder and cruder as time went on.  Eventually they got up to go smoke and pee (yes, they let us know where they were going) and then came back with 12 shooters.  12.  For 4 people.  It should have been pretty clear that it was all going to go downhill after that but it was my birthday, we had paid for the tickets and we were really looking forward to “The Final Countdown”.  Willie asked me if I wanted to leave and I said we will see how it goes.  I really thought that once the show started they would calm down and enjoy the show like the rest of us civilized people were planning on doing.

Well, the lights came on, the music started and Kirsty Madgin played the Saxaphone.  It was really great.  My neighbours however, went ape.  Stomping and kicking the platform and table.  Banging their hands on the table tops.  Screaming and shouting the oddest loads of rubbish.  I know it was sounding great but really?  Of course everyone turned to stare and look and we got loads of those stares as well.  The couple sitting next to W were also getting pretty annoyed and I could see that he was not the type of person to keep quiet.  In fact, he looked about ready to punch the guy in the face.

2 minutes in I spotted W sitting forward in his chair and he looked over to these folks with *that* look.  I knew it was time to leave.  They had really ruined the atmosphere and the night.  I couldn’t imagine going through a show with drunk out of their minds adults behaving like apes.  If I wanted to see and share in that I would not have chosen The Barnyard for the evening.  It is not how we have experience it before and not what we associate with The Barnyard.  Don’t get me wrong.  People were having fun, having a few drinks, being a little silly.  There was fun and then there was the couple from hell.

We ended up walking out before the intro was even finished.  I just couldn’t stand it.  I can’t understand why people behave like that.  To make matters worse, this couple came together.  Which means they had to drive there together. Which means they were leaving together.  Neither of them arrived sober or in a position to be driving and they sure as heck were not going to leave in a much better state.  I wonder how many peoples lives were in danger that night while they made their way home.  If they made their way home.

Thank you Barnyard for being great and for really understanding.  You guys are awesome!

I will admit that I watch Dr Phil, Oprah and probably any other talk show you could find. Ok not really all of them. Recently – I’d say the last 2 weeks or so – there has been alot of “experts” on sex and relationship and all stuff about it in general.

There was alot that I could agree with but also alot that had me thinking/questioning. Basically one “expert” reckoned that men want 3 things. Love and Loyalty, Support and Sex. If they don’t get either one of those 3 they will find it elsewhere. Another “expert” says that there are so many different factors in what makes us choose our partners. One of those is kissing. She said that if you don’t have at least one 10 second or longer kiss a day then there is probably something wrong in the relationship. Another person was having emotional affairs with other men and the “expert” said that she was addicted to the thrill and excitement of it – even if there was no physical contact with the person – and she wasn’t even considering what it was doing to her husband. She in turn said she doesn’t get trust and communication and such from him. SO she went looking elsewhere. She also said she never had sex with any of these men. Truth is she could’ve. Who will know. Her husband said she broke his trust. She told someone else she loved him and SAID she wanted to have sex with him. When you want to then in your mind you already have. Emotional affairs are just as painful as sexual affairs. Cheating is cheating. I tend to agree with him on that. Another topic was how some people could have happy relationships without the constant teenager sex binges but chances are they found that one missing thing somewhere else. Another topic was how what women want and need most is to feel desired. That will attract them to that person no matter how tired, cranky or bad the day was.

So here is my question. Are we just doomed by the fact that at least one partner in a relationship/marriage/partnership is going to find something that is missing elsewhere? Is it really possible to give all those things to your partner while still getting everything you need from your partner all the time in every way? I mean can a women feel desired by her husband while still supporting him and loving him no matter what and her husband kiss her for more than 10 seconds every day – all the time – every day. What if you have an off day? If I have an off day and don’t feel like being kind and caring and loyal and kiss him for more than 10 seconds and still have sex, does that mean he is going to find someone else?

Well I would like to believe that there is more to a relationship than just sex. I would like to believe that just because the “experts” say I have to do all these things every day doesn’t mean that one day I can’t. Surely there are still some relationships that are good and loyal and stable. I know some people cheat on their partners. I know bad things happen to relationships. But all of them? If my husband is going to cheat on me I doubt there is very much I can do to change his mind. I can watch him and be paranoid and suspect but is it going to change anything? If I kiss him for 30 seconds every day is he going to stop thinking about the other person. I doubt it. All I am saying is that I doubt that just these things keep relationships together. And if – like the “experts” say – we are all doomed for cheating then what is the point? Why have a relationship? Why get married? Is that really all there is to it? I seriously doubt it…..

Traffic here has been a headache for me for quite some time now. Maybe not the traffic so much as the lack of road rules. Diago posted about the topic today and i really enjoyed. Have a look here

I’ve just had a very interesting conversation. I climbed onto my normal soap box about smoking and drinking. I have very particular views regarding this.

I am referring specifically to the warning messages on cigarette boxes and the laws around smoking in public places. I by no means say that smoking is a good thing or that the way things are at the moment are a bad thing. I just simply feel that drinking/alcohol should be much higher on the list of concerns than cigarette.

You don’t hear about a multiple car pile up on the highway because someone was smoking and driving. You don’t hear about someone dying in a car accident because of a smoking driver. You don’t hear of family murders where the person had a smoking problem and had a few too many cigarettes that day. You don’t hear a young child whisper that Daddy smokes too much and then hits Mommy.

Again, I totally agree with the current laws around smoking but surely the same laws should be applied to alcohol. Put warning labels on all the bottles. We’re not allowed to call it the Rothmanns July or the Gunston 500 but yet we have the Castle Test Series. Can someone explain the difference to me?

I strongly feel that the laws and restrictions should be the same as far as alcohol and tobacco are concerned. In my view alcohol is far more damaging than tobacco. Yes, both are extremely harmful to your body but I mean on a social level. Car accidents, murders, bar fights, domestic abuse, animal abuse – alcohol abuse can lead to this.

I did a simple google search and found these two links. Take a read if you’re interested and decide for yourself. Something that was very interesting for me was the different types of death linked to alcohol that was not “self inflicted” – which to me is what smoking is to a large degree.

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/homework/a/blfacts.htm

http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/antismoking/a/statistics.htm

So, just to make things clear. I support the tobacco laws 100%. I know smoking is bad for you and I think the way things stand now are good. BUT – for me – alcohol is much worse. I really believe that the same rules (or as close as) should apply.

Just my opinion….