S2:E4 - My World, a View from the Cheap Seats

Kitty's view from the cheap seat, but has a window

Welcome welcome welcome to the 4th installment of Season 2 of my blog "When Will The Music Stop?". Today's blog makes me very happy to share, regardless of the extreme lower back pain I've experienced this week. It's the first time for me and I have reached a new level of empathy for those with chronic lower back pain. I already have trouble sleeping and the pain doesn't help me and, by association, it certainly doesn't help Mari. But she is a world class warrior and I'm not exactly a cream puff. As previous generations believed, good things, and deaths, come in threes. Hinky. Today I am very excited to bring two prime cut choice tidbits of news, so let's get to it. First, I would like to disclose that I'm listening to The Who, The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac, all in honor to Valerie, my sister, who made sure her little brother had a proper education on great music. It's not a coincidence that I picked three groups, keeping it in the spirit of the older folks. Miss you Val.

Sharing our story with Senator Feinstein

First out of the gate is our initial success for the ALS community. Mari and I were a part of a small contingent of ALS families that told our story to Senators and House members in March and again in July. It was a very powerful and emotional undertaking and a team of wild horses, nor pneumonia, could keep us away. Thanks to the ALS advocates, us included, today we have 327 House members and 41 Senators cosponsoring the bill. It passed out of the sub committee unanimously and it took only 7 minutes for the whole process. The fun part was when the committee chairwoman said during the vote "Does anyone dare to vote NO?". So, now it goes to the full committee and then onto the House Floor. The bill, better known as "ACT for ALS" is kinda a two parter, one part is a request for additional funds for ALS research. There are so many potential treatments for the disease and they are stuck at the starting line due to lack of funding from the Feds. To all of us ALS families, the second part is the exciting part. Right now, the FDA uses the same protocol for all drug or treatment approvals. So, for example, an ALS medication is treated the same as an acne medication. The problem with that is pretty fucking simple, one disease is fatal and the other will ruin a perfectly good Tinder date. Well, we ALS'ers don't have 10 years to wait for approval or denial. The ACT for ALS bill will allow access to promising and experimental treatments to those of us who do not qualify for drug trials. I will fight for this with all I got, up until my last breath, and I know Mari will be right next to me.

I'll close this positive update by repeating myself. The odds of any of this effort most likely will not help me, but Mari and I are doing this for the future ALS families, so their road may be a smoother journey and a more promising outcome.

On location in Thailand with Klaus

On to a completely different journey, this is  my happy story #2. A little back story first. The year was, I think, 2000 when SAG went on strike and the commercial industry completely went through a metamorphosis and never went back. Clients, agencies and production companies began to venture overseas for producing TV commercials. The savings on production costs and talent expenditures were more than substantial. We went to Cape Town, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Chile, Mexico and many more, but you get the idea. Prior to 2001, I had only been to Mexico, Canada and the Bahamas. On the Bahamas job, a few drunken crew members and myself capsized a catamaran, and I had $9,000 in petty cash on my person. I spent the rest of the afternoon with a blow dryer in my hand, drying out $9,000 spread out on my bed. That is the mildest of three stories of life before sobriety. 

Next up is a Mexico story. I began going to Zihuatanejo back in 1990. I love it there. A year before getting sober, a dear friend went with me. We got into a nasty drunken fist fight and I got a huge gash on my left knee. A little visit to the emergency room, for a cleaning and stitches, I was all good, or so I thought. It didn't take long for infection to set in and I was on a plane bound for LA, to get the better treatment, for they looked befuddled at the Mexican hospital. My friend and I made up and lived happily ever after. 

All weather cocaine travel case. Each side holds 2 grams

Now onto the big tamale that helped me get a hold on my life, i.e., without alcohol or drugs. So it was year 2000 and everyone was flocking to Canada to film. Those crazy Canucks are very protective of their workers and you get grilled upon entry, especially at that particular time. Well, they found some work documents in my book and that was an invite to search further. Now I was very hungover, provably reeked of booze, and I'm sure that they would jump at any opportunity to search further. They didn't have to search much more than my wallet. They happily found cocaine on all my credit cards, caked on all the numbers. As if that didn't appease them, they went through my toiletry bag, scrutinizing every item. The one thing they didn't open was my contact lens case. Thank you Jesus, cause I had 3 & 1/2 grams in there. Needless to say, I never made it out of the airport and was returned to the US on the next flight back. I finally made it off the double check list about 4 years ago. That was international Anton prior to February 10, 2001.

On location in The Sultanate of Oman - Arabian Sea

That chapter is in the rear view mirror, where it belongs. Since then, either for work, a marathon or vacation, I have been fortunate to see a good chunk of the globe several times over. A brief list; South Africa six times, Morocco, Czech Republic six times, Austria, Hungary, Norway, Spain four times, UK four times, France, Ireland, Italy twice,  Australia, Antarctica, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Chile twice, Greece, and my beloved Portugal six times. That brings you up to date on my 17 years of travel sandwiched between getting sober and getting ALS. The last time my pasty white ass sat on a plane was the summer of 2018. 

The town of Obidos entirely within castle walls

Sharing an intimate moment with Vasco da Gama

What is it with Portugal and you guys?  From our first trip there in 2013, we fell in love with the people, the fresh cuisine, the culture and how everyone was incredibly proud of their heritage. Young and old alike, knew the country's history, and how smiles emerged on their faces while they shared the details so beautifully with us. Back in grade school when we studied explorers, Portugal's Vasco da Gama was my hands down favorite. C'mon now, the dude discovered a route around The Cape of Good Hope and it forever changed the spice trade. He is the original Google Map. So when Mari suggested Portugal & Spain for our two year delayed honeymoon, it was a no brainer. That's when she divulged she felt a strong connection to the Iberian Peninsula, more specifically to Portugal. A few years later we did two DNA tests and she has a very strong DNA connection to Portugal. Go figure. Portugal is akin to California, you have an ocean on the west coast, mountains to the east, and Porto is like San Francisco, Lisbon is like Los Angeles and the Algarve is like San Diego. The only two major differences is that four Portugals can fit in California and the cost of living is half of LA.

I do believe Mari loves Portugal - a MTM moment

That brings us nicely to today and what's brewing. There's Anton, Mari, Gavin, Roman, Tom, Don, Lisa, Karen, my dearest cousins; Donna, Jack, Tori, Braudy and Jay, are all packing me up and taking me to Portugal! This will be my final adventure, or as I like to call it, The Last Marathon. For 8 years everyone has known that my heart resides in Portugal. One thing led to another and soon the rest of me will be reunited with my heart. I wish it were for twenty years, but two weeks will have to do.

The village of Ericeira, Portugal

I know it won't be an easy trip for me but I have the core of my tribe helping Mari tend to me and enjoy the privilege of emptying my urinal. The first week we are renting a house in Ericeira, once a sleepy surfing village that has split apart at the seams due to an influx of gringos from the USA. So now along side of traditional Portuguese restaurants and bakeries, you'll find a vegan place and a yoga studio on the same street. Go figure. Regardless, it is still an incredibly charming village. I can't wait to once again eat locally caught barnacles, octopus and shrimp that are swimming in garlic and freshly made olive oil. 

Azenhas do Mar, Sintra, Portugal

The second week we pack up and move down the road apiece to the town of Sintra. The entire town is a World Heritage UNESCO protected place. Not just a building or two but the whole dang town. Go figure. Not only are we traveling with those closest to us, but we are excited to see our dear, dear friends who have become our Portuguese family. You may ask yourself, "how did we get here?", just like The Talking Heads did. My entire life the roles of provider and protector were a natural fit for me, it's who I've always been. Now something played a cruel trick, for I am now the providee and the protectee. I'm 57, in January I will turn 58. I have my doubts that I will see 59. I handicap it "pick 'em", and for the non-gamblers, that equates to 50/50 odds. That makes this trip extra special and I'm incredibly grateful. Mari kept saying no no no to going but when the forces of nature emerged (the people listed above) only then did Mari say YES with unbridled enthusiasm. I am bothered that I broke my final promise to Mari that when Roman graduates next year, that we would sell our house, move to Portugal and open up a B&B. Maybe in the next life, honey.

I think that about does it for the week, stay tuned for next week's blog when I will share our third personal triumph.

...and remember - "make good days great days, no bad days allowed".

Peace out!!!

Anton 

Douro Valley, Portugal