As the weather has improved, The Bloke and I have been ‘out and about’ over the last week.

On Wednesday we went to see a performance of American Idiot at the Alexandra Theatre, a musical based around the songs of Green Day. I wasn’t sure what to expect – The Bloke is a huge fan of Green Day and our assumption was that it would be done in the same way that We Will Rock You and Mamma Mia are – incorporating the songs into the plot line. Marking the shows 10th anniversary, it was exactly that – set after 9/11 it follows the stories of three childhood friends and the individual journeys that they follow as they make their way in the world.

It was certainly a talented cast and I loved the fact that all three main characters performed with guitars either as part of their solo songs or while accompanying others, but the sound levels were really quiet. It was, at times, dark and harrowing, and I found it a little difficult to follow on occasion. It also didn’t help in the fact that during the first half we were seated next to a woman who was indulging in some sort of enormous salmon salad buffet thing, and in front of the world’s biggest Greenday fan who was loudly singing along to every song at the top of his voice, making sure that he made everyone aware that he wasn’t going to stop ‘for nobody,’ as this album was ‘his all time favourite album, man.’ Thankfully, we were allowed to move in the second half and I was able to concentrate a bit more. Would I see it again? Probably not – I could appreciate it for what it was, but it didn’t have the same impact on me that many other musicals have.

The Bloke and I met up with Em from A Brummie Home and Abroad and her husband Chris at the Rose Villa Tavern in the Jewellery Quarter yesterday. We arrived early, so we decided to pass the time by checking out Warstone Lane Cemetery, just down the road from the Tavern. It’s one of the places to tick off my Birmingham Bucket List, particularly after seeing numerous pictures of the catacombs. It’s small and in desperate need of repair (it’s clearly been subjected to lots of vandalism over recent years), but it’s a beautiful and rather unusual place. We ended up having a chat with a man from the Friends of Warstone Lane and Key Hill cemeteries (Key Hill is just a bit further across the road) who does a tour on the second Sunday of every month, so The Bloke and I will definitely be signing up to that when the weather gets warmer!

I’ve been to the Tavern on numerous occasions and the food is always nice, so after our walk I was looking forward to Sunday lunch! Em and I met through blogging and Chris and The Bloke have lots in common with their photography, and it was nice to have a chat and a catch up. Em and Chris have been travelling all over the world, so The Bloke and I got the chance to get some recommendations on where we should go next. It’s one of the best things about blogging – you already feel like you know someone through reading their articles online, so conversation is easy. I talked so much that I forgot to take pictures… just imagine a face full of hotdog, onions and fries with ketchup smeared up my cheeks and it will be about right.

I’ve also had a little friend to look after over the weekend. Paddy, AKA ‘The Bunny Who Hates Me’ had the pleasure of my company while his mum was away. He was clearly delighted about it, giving me lots of the side-eye and making a point to poop next to his litter tray (he’s a house bunny) to show me who was boss, but after an hour or so of running around and sniffing everything he wore himself out and fell asleep under the table. He’s a bunny after my own heart, bless him – old, grumpy and enjoys a nap, although I have the edge on toilet training… just.

What about you guys? What have you been up to recently?

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