Our backyardd with most reused planters. It makes us happy.
June 25, 2021
by drplasticpicker
Yesterday was one of those days. I doubted myself. But what I realized is that if you reach out, friends and mentors make it better. It’s good to get different opinions and then you kind of take and discard, and reformulate one’s own truth. That’s what I did yesterday. Those conversations are still in my mind, comments and impressions sorting themselves out. Life will all work out. Career will all work out. And what would have been an evening that could have ended up with a headache, ended up being one of those perfect evenings. Work stresses could have stolen yesterday’s prefect moments. But I have learned through my senses to center myself and what I remember from last evening was not the stresses, and spinning worries and thoughts that can destroy one’s true presence in the now – but I remember the moments.
Still using recycled paper toilet paper. Who Gives A Cr@p Brand.
June 24, 2021
by drplasticpicker
I’m not a guru. I’m doing yoga more and reading more Buddhist philosophy text, and just thinking. But I’m not a guru. All I know is that doing a few minutes of yoga at night, and learning a move here and there and reading some philosophy and thinking – makes life make sense. Thinking of the planet holistically, and ordering my life and prioirities within the order of the world makes sense. It helps me understand myself better. I think that is why I have been drawn to the issue of physician wellness or burnout so much recently is that finally after being a doctor for almost 20 years, I know that I could never stop being a doctor. That is how I look at the world with a healer’s eye. I will definitely early retire from our organization at 58, but I’ll just go practice somewhere else or use my skills in a different way.
Picture of a rainbow in the distance. Picture yesterday from our property in Oregon.
June 23, 2021
by drplasticpicker
Just thinking crazy things and dreaming on the blog. I half wrote a blog to get out some frustrations I felt after a middle management meeting, and then I deleted it. It was good to get it out and just virtually delete the stuff. And now I’m back positive and happy and dreaming.
I’m not sure where life will take me professionally. Mr. Plastic Picker is moving full force in his career and it’s hard to imagine having two HMO chief bosses in a family. I can’t really imagine how that is even possible. So I’m happy where I am and not worrying about the what ifs. Some of not worrying about the what ifs and able to recover quickly from a semi-annoying meeting and meeting(s) in the plural, is thoughts of the one what-ifs I like to think about – OREGON!!!!
I think I could do this and still do my current job. I really think I can. My family member is having such a great time up in Oregon right now. We actually don’t even have to pay property tax as the property currently participates in Oregon State tax programs that exempt portions of the land for being part of Riparian Habitat, leaving forest for wildlife habitat, and actually growing hay on the pastureland.
If I were to run some kind of 3 day retreat I would want the following covered. I can’t teach these. I just think they are very important for everyone’s wellness.
YOGA and MEDITATION and MINDFULNESS
SLEEP
PLANT-BASED EATING or PLANT-FORWARD EATING
FINANCIAL WELLNESS AND MINIMALISM
THE POWER OF ADVOCACY
INCORPORATING CREATIVITY IN YOUR LIFE
THE POWER OF WRITING
That is is. Just dreaming. The following activities would be optional and we could provide.
RIDE A JOHN DEERE LAWNMOWER AND MOW THE PASTURE-LAND, that would be harvested and sold for hay
VISIT NEIGHBOR who raises SUSTAINABLE PASTURE-RAISED BEEF, SHEEP and CHICKENS for EGGS (of course we would pay an entrance fee)
GO KAYAKING IN NEARBY RESERVOIR (Life jacket required and have to sign release form)
GO FISHING (we’ll have fishing poles, there is rainbow trout stocked)
JUST GO OFF YOURSELF TO VISIT CRATER LAKE OR UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST, because being in any nature setting you are working on yourself
Yoga, Yoga, more Yoga
WORK IN THE ORAGNIC GARDEN
COMPOSTING (which is just toss your veggies scraps in the compost pile)
DRIVE POLARIS AROUND THE PROPERTY
DARK NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY (we are a certified dark night photography area)
That is it. Just fun dreaming on the blog. We are just going to enjoy the property for now. But I love dreaming about it. Helps me sleep. Helps me try to continue to #fightfor1point5 . We really need to save the earth.
Garden that needs some work. Alreayd lots of black berries and vegetables. Just neglected. Our garden right now. The other side of the garden.
OMG, we are now saving up for our yurt!!! About $15K for a spruced up model. Maybe a tent for now.
June 22, 2021
by drplasticpicker
WE CLOSED ESCROW! WE CLOSED ESCROW!!!!!! I really didn’t want to believe BELIEVE it would happen until we closed CLOSED. But we closed yesterday and my family member and I were so so so happy. It was a bit of a rough ending of the deal, as things can often happen when you are closing on big financial deals, but we closed and all parties are happy. My family member is for the most part taciturn, but he was so happy he sent me this. Their family is actually up there now with friends staying in the very nice house there which has a kitchen range that is more expensive than anything I would have ever paid for in my house that is worth more than twice what 197 acres in Oregon.
Actually I just looked it up the Wolf Kitchen Range is actually worth over 10K. We can sell it used, and I can bring my KitchenAid one from my house (and buy an induction range) and then use the proceed to buy my yurt! I don’t think my family member will let me do that, but it’s fun to think about. I’d rather have a nice yurt!
Anyway, I don’t have anymore money. No – let me clarify, I’m done with buying any more properties for now. There is no secret to real estate investing. Most of our networth is actually just simple savings from have two good incomes and spending about only half of what we make and we invest the rest. Most of our investments are in old fashioned target date stocks through our retirement funds and college savings for the kids. We have a good portion every year and try to buy as much real estate as we can. We always put at least 20% and sometimes 30% down. Nothing fancy. And we did the same this time, after selling another rental and buying a farm instead. But I am so excited about the Oregon Farm!!! I’m still living in our area and I’m still happily working, because I’m going to buy a YURT!!!
And this is the secret to Dr. Plastic Picker’s financial success. When I buy things, I buy things that hold VALUE!!! I will buy a yurt and I’m going to rent it out to YOU (well not YOU, because you are my friend, but other people), and then teh yurt will pay for itself. I “spend” money on things that will increase in value. And the earth that the yurt sits on is increasing in value as we speak! It’s over 90 acres of timber forest and lumbar is up 400%. We aren’t going to clear cut the forest, but the forest has to be maintained and thinned periodically to keep it healthy. This makes the lumbar you buy at Home Depot to build the addition to your house. And more importantly, we are going to be stewards of the land. More oxygen for all of us!!!
Wildlife sanctuary nearby. They breed cheetahs. Hopefully one does not escape onto our land!Lots to due near the property. It’s not as remote as we thought. Can’t wait until we can go with family again!
An otter with asthma, using an aerochamber spacer device.
June 21, 2021
by drplasticpicker
“Explore how pressure from and collaboration with wider healthcare stakeholders, such as the public, providers and policy makers, can help to further move the dial and deliver change for the broader ecosystem” this was part of the agenda for a webinar I missed. I had received it from a Healthcare Without Harm email. I missed the conference, but it was enough to prompt me to do something I’ve been meaning to do.
430AM is so much better than 245AM. My sleep cycle had shifted with everything that was happening, and I had been getting up too early. I was getting sleepy during the afternoon and then napping. That was not safe especially when you have to drive home in the afternoon at around 2-3pm when one’s cortisol hormone level is at the lowest (thank you 2/3 endocrine fellowship!). But working through things, I am better now and 430AM – 5AM is about the normal time I wake up. So I am better and the world is quiet, and I can do some climate work.
Gift from a dear patient, so I know what day it is. They are very dear to me.
June 19, 2021
by drplasticpicker
My baby sister texted me to ask me if I was okay. I’ll call her later this weekend and touch base. I had a really difficult child protection situation this week, that I’m still kind of processing. But it was an exhausting 48 hours emotionally for various reasons. I’ve learned that for me in my 40s, it’s better to imagine myself like gumby rather than teflon in terms of the emotional burdens we carry as healers.
From the internet.
I had cried the entire night home after that day in clinic, quietly though. I had processed some of it with clinic friends. I was able to parent my children and get a fitful night of sleep. I had a slight headache the morning afterwards but able to send our monthly newsletter with joy. It was so pretty. I made some trash art which was helpful.
Upcycled coffee pod. Mr. Plastic Picker decided to donate the Keurig.
The trash art piece really helped me. It’s the Wooga Wooga man. Trying to scare bad people away. I imagined myself this creature when I was a child. I realize that now. Making scary facies to scare the evil away.
The top of the tall parking structure is this harsh environment. It’s hot up there with all the concrete, and the wind makes in inhospitable. It’s hard to grow anything there. I think the spinklers were turned off over a decade ago during the last drought. I had heard about the empty planters there, but at some point during my wanderings around the HMO clinic building trying to figure out life and getting exercise, I wandered up there.
It’s easy to throw out the idea that trees should be planted there. Likely if there was money and labor, I could have done in quicker. But when I started, I didn’t know what I was doing and getting permission would have taken an act of congress. So I just would exercise and cleaned out some of the lingering plastic and coffee cups and litter folks had tossed into those containers over the years. Instead I brought leftover food scraps, hay and yes bunny poop. We have two bunnies and I always knew that the ubiquitous bunny poop is good for soil. That is before we started composting at home. After the Aerobin400 has been doing it’s magic, I brought the actual compost to the planters too. It’s a good hike from my desk to the parking garage and up the steps. But I’m greeted by a beautiful view of our area, and I go visit the plants. I make it a game to myself and can also mostly use repurposed things. So when there is wilted salad in the fridge or lunchtime orange peels, I bring that up. I did that about a year ago. Now I bring proper compost because I want the entire regenerative process to go faster. I’m getting a little impatient.
