#916: Oh My, I’ve Been Shot! (Again)

A sequel to #894:  Entertainment Needed at the Vaccine Clinic

 

At an age that seems like a another lifetime ago, I refused to get vaccinations.  I wasn’t anti-vax by any means.  I was actually quite pro-vax, but simultaneously, a chickenshit.  As soon as I was old enough to make decisions for myself, I stopped with the needles.  Then about 15 years ago I decided to get the flu shot.  My reaction was so bad that I swore off needles once more.

A global pandemic has a way of forcing you to get over your fears, and so I’ve just had my second shot.  My arm is just starting to get sore as I write.

When we last caught up at the vaccine clinic, they were administering Pfizer.  This time it’s Moderna.  Canada has approved the mixing of these two brands, as they are so similar.  As for the side effects, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

As before, things were fast and efficient.  We were in and out in 45 minutes, including the 30 minute wait afterwards.  There appeared to be about four times as many people, but the massive facility didn’t feel any more full than last time.  Good to see us getting on top of this.  I like being in the percentage of people who are double vaxxed in Canada.

As before, the volunteers were excellent — the perfect mixture of professional and friendly.

You know what?  None of us here are scientists.  (If you are, raise your hand!)  We’re just music fans trying to make the best of a worldwide crisis.  This the first global pandemic for any of us, unless you’re 103 years old.  We are living through history and we are even making history.

16 months ago, near the start of this pandemic, I predicated and hoped that we’d see creativity blossom in new ways.  I think we have seen that.  Our friends in the band Suicide Star are a great example.  They recorded their new album Isolation during lockdown, learning to work in new ways, and finding a bloom of creative sparks.  Elsewhere, Styx were also working on new music.  Lawrence Gowan was able to use some vintage and not-very-portable keyboards on this album that he never thought he’d play on a Styx record.  How cool is that?  On the other side of the coin, the new Dennis DeYoung album 26 East Vol. 2 has several lyrics directly addressing the pandemic, such as “St. Quarantine” and “Little Did We Know”.

We have suffered, we have lost, and we have sacrificed.  With this second shot in my arm, I hope that I am doing my part to get this behind us.   If that makes me a guinea pig, so be it.  You can thank me later.  I have a birthday coming soon, and my whole family will be double-vaxxed by then.  Does that mean I can actually have a birthday party this year?

I miss walking into record stores and toy stores.  I miss my grandma.  We all hope this is slowly but surely coming to an end.  After so many false hopes, it seems somehow unlikely, but hope I shall.  Wish me luck with the side effects and I’ll be sure to let you know how I’m doing.

Let’s end this — no mercy!

42 comments

  1. Aww man, I hope you get to hug your grandma soon! So glad to hear you got your second covid vaccine Mike and that your family will be fully vaccinated soon. This Delta variant in the U.S. is getting me worried, so the more people get vaccinated, the better (all over the world). Good luck on handling the side effects, you got this!

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        6. They can’t eat anything but bread without throwing up, and they got the second dose in April.

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    1. I think that one time I had a bad reaction to the flu shot was a fluke. I probably already had the flu. I won’t take chances in the future. Besides I can go to the pharmacy and get it from a friend now.

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    1. Yep and we might have to do it again in a year? Maybe? Whatever it takes to keep Grandma safe. Incidentally she’s 96 and had no side effects. She was tired, but she’s always tired.

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      1. Yep, I remember the interview and it was great. I think I just had something else later that saturday that distracted me from checking them out. Oh well, better late than never

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  6. It has been great getting back to a record store. I’ll be going again sometime this week. Visiting family is still out for the foreseeable future though. I hope that changes before another year goes by.

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    1. I just went to Toys R Us! I did pretty well. I got a couple Transformers for my lake collection (don’t ask) and some 6″ figures. Got me a Jar Jar (don’t laugh, actually quite a good figure) and Infinity War Falcon and Bucky.

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  7. Congrats on the 2nd shot! And for being brave and for sharing the story. Hope it all goes well.
    Listening to House of Lords Live in the UK. Sounds good.so far.
    About Def Leppard, got the cd single for Action, grabbed it since u and John talk of the band so much.

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  10. UPDATE:

    No side effects after 2 days. Same with Jen.

    All conspiracy and antivax comments will be deleted. For those who wish to post those type of comments, I suggest re-starting your own site where you call the shots and can post whatever you want. This is my backyard and my rules.

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      1. Around here they announce walk-ins and there are line-ups around the building. I’d rather book and have a time. I’ll see what I can do. It’s 28 days after the first shot, is that right?

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        1. I actually do not know. Sorry!

          But yeah I prefer a booked appointment as well and I prefer to go with Jen. Fortunately we did that. Your turn is coming!

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