It's been a Bank Holiday weekend and Andrew has this week off, which is great. We got things under way on Friday night by going to see Spamalot at the Millennium Centre, which is currently touring. For those who don't know, it's a musical version of Monty Python and The Holy Grail. The cast were excellent, though mostly unknown (to me, anyway), costumes were great and we had good seats right in the middle of the stalls. In all, we had an enjoyable evening, although to be honest, I was hoping for less music and more comedy, if you see what I mean, although they did include the classics, including the Black Knight, the knights who go Ni, the hunt for the shrubbery and the killer rabbit with a vicious streak a mile wide, not forgetting the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. Bizarrely, they also included "Always look on the Bright Side of Life" which of course is taken from "Life of Brian", and is now one of the most popular songs at British funerals. The souvenir stall downstairs was doing a roaring trade in Monty Python Tshirts and posters. Would I recommend? On balance, no, unless you were obsessive about musicals or the Pythons. Another thing which annoyed both of us was that during show, Lancelot goes on a quest to rescue what he thinks is going to be a princess, but finds that it is in fact a very camp prince who loves musicals, and one thing leads to another, and before you know it, Lancelot is in disco chain mail, camping it up like Village People. Yes, yes, funny, but not. I can't help but think it's such a lazy cliche - misunderstood gay likes musicals and is screamingly camp, complete with pink robes, limp wrist and long hair. Those sort of cliches were fine in the 1970s - well, on reflection, they weren't even then, but is it just me over thinking it? You could put the old line in of it being an affectionate parody but to me it just felt like lazy stereotyping and I didn't like it, or the treatment of women either now I come to think about it.

Had a peaceful weekend with not very much going on. We've been doing some gardening and a great deal of what I would call "pottering about", walking the dogs, relaxing and drinking wine. It's been great. Today has been a bit busier - off to the solicitors this morning to sort out some legal business (wills) and to the vets this afternoon for Booty and Andy to have their annual boosters and health checks. Poor Booty had the indignity of the latex glove which left her squeaking with indignation. We also had a discussion about her arthritis and the vet was positive about a physiotherapy assessment with possibly a hydrotherapy referral. We always knew this would be a possible option in managing her condition and I'm hopeful this will continue to support movement in her shoulder for as long as possible. Andy was a complete jessie when it was time for his checkup. Unlike Booty who sees the vet regularly for her medication reviews, Andy only goes once a year for his boosters. He cowered behind my leg, tail firmly between legs and took a very dim view when the vet was doing his examination. Once it was complete, he shot out of the door like a rocket, and once home, has been disgruntled all evening.

We've finally ordered Boola's coats for the winter, after looking at a bewildering variety of styles, fabrics and prices on the internet. Eventually we ended up going back to the supplier we used for Booty and Andy when we had them, which is actually in Maine, and supports greyhound adoption in that State. He'll be having three - a waterproof coat with fleece lining for cold wet days, a waterproof lightweight coat for wet, warmer days and a fleece coat for indoor nights during the winter. The ones we bought previously from the supplier have been excellent and wash brilliantly so we're happy to continue using them.

Boola and I will also be going back to school next week. We are going to be doing a class for six weeks - the Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Bronze Award. Unlike straightforward obedience classes, the CGC class aims to promote responsible dog ownership, and the understanding of the dog in the wider social context. So for instance, candidates will be checked to ensure they "scoop the poop", their dog wears appropriate ID and other similar features. Of course, people who do obedience classes are generally very responsible, I'm sure, but I like that this class actively encourages the owner to think about the impact of their dog on wider society. If this goes well, I might consider doing it with Andy, but I'd be more cautious, as he still has a tendancy to view very small dogs such as Yorkies as a mobile snack, which may not be the most helpful characteristic in a class of this sort. Anyway I'm sure I'll be able to decide when I've done the class with Boola, and will update here regularly.