Return to the Old Ways?

One of my June traditions is to get together with my former coworker T, and our friends S and I to celebrate our birthdays, which fall within a week of each other. T and myself worked together for years, we met S when he worked for us as a contractor during our busy Fall fundraiser season- he became an indispensible ally during a stressful period at work, a steady, even-keeled presence who managed the young parking professionals who make large events possible. I is S's husband, a hilariously funny fellow who is as animated as S is staid. Typically, we'd meet for dinner, by which I mean a few drinks accompanied by some food. Today, one of T's friends is playing in a band at an outdoor venue not too far from my workplace, a venue which I patronize on those rare days when I work a afternoon rather than a graveyard shift. Today, I'm working the graveyard shift, but I am planning on heading out for the 5PM performance- it'll be tough trying to cope with my schedule because I have to return to work at midnight. This is not an ordinary happy hour, though, so I will just have to deal with taking a nap before going to work. Even better, old friends from the Yonkers crew will also be heading up to this summer-friendly venue, so it will be a good opportunity to get two social circles to intersect. As an added bonus, I haven't heard live music in over a year, and hearing a live band play on a nice patio while sipping a gin-and-tonic is something that wouldn't have seemed feasible even three months ago. I imagine it will feel like a bit of a return to the old ways in the old days, though I plan on wearing a mask while wending my way to our table. And it's not even the 4th of July.