Back to the 80s

I was certain that I was going to miss it but according to Ottawa Public Health, I was okay.

We bought our tickets months ago; so far in the past, I almost forgot about them. But I remembered them over the weekend, when I was down with COVID-19.

"You're going to have to go with someone else," I told DW on Saturday. As yet. I hadn't felt the worst effects of my illness. That would come on Sunday and into early Monday.

"Wait and see how you feel," assured DW. We had purchased our tickets with two other friends, so worst-case scenario, she wouldn't go alone. And, perhaps, Kid 1 would go in my stead.

The 80s Show was to feature four bands from our teenage years: Spoons, Men Without Hats, A Flock of Seagulls, and Honeymoon Suite. I had seen Spoons perform three times in the past; most recently, in 2018, and they were still going strong.

I had seen Men Without Hats about 40 years ago. I loved that band in the early 80s and was looking forward to see Ivan on stage again.

I thought I had seen A Flock of Seagulls in the early 80s, too, but after the show I started wondering if I had been thinking of another synth-driven band.

I've never been a fan of Honeymoon Suite. I had nothing against them but their pop rock couldn't hold up to my taste for Yes, The Who, and of course, Led Zeppelin.

On Monday, at about lunchtime, I started feeling better. I no longer had a sore throat, my ears had cleared up (one ear was blocked, on the weekend, and I easily lost my balance), and I was no longer aching. By dinner, I was getting my appetite back and my lungs weren't burning.

I still had a cough but I'm used to that.

On Tuesday, I felt well enough to return to work and got a full day's worth of catching up done. I had been off for three work days.

During my lunch break, I went onto the City of Ottawa Public Health site, to see how long I'd have to continue to self-isolate. I had been spending the past few days in our spare bedroom and wearing a mask around the family.

According to the Web site, I could end my self-isolation 24 hours after my symptoms improved. That would place it around lunchtime on Tuesday. But would I have the energy, after my first day back to work, to sit in an arena?

When my work day was done, I took a nap. By then, I was feeling much better, and even started getting my appetite back.

More than 30 hours after I started feeling better, I was out of self-isolation and returning back to regular activities. First up, attending the 80s Show with friends.

Spoons were as strong as ever. When they wrapped up, I thought, was that it? I wanted more. (Side note: my photos are shit because we were in the nosebleed section and I'm zooming 3–10 times with my smartphone.)

Ivan, I believe, is the only original member of Men Without Hats, and I couldn't get over his energy level. He danced and ran on stage while singing and never skipped a beat. It was nice to learn that his niece was performing with him on keyboards and as backup vocals.

I have to say that I was disappointed with A Flock of Seagulls. First, they were so loud that it was almost unpleasant. DW's smartwatch warned her of harmful decibel levels. At times, the band sang a bit off-key, would miss a beat, and were generally boring.

We stayed for the first two songs of Honeymoon Suite and they were pretty good. Even though I wasn't a fan of theirs, in my teens, I had more appreciation for them now.

We left early because it had been a long day for us and for our friends, and we wanted to get out of the arena and make our way home before the crowds and traffic could slow us down.

And that had been a lot for me for the day.

It felt strange going to a concert immediately after recovering from my illness, but I felt well enough. I came so close to just staying home.

But our public health said I could do it.