September 7, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

I feel better. I feel better just titling the blog post “It’s hot. I’m tired.” I just sent the Public Health Advisory Council San Diego email group and a included a few other doctors and medical students a plea for someone to show up on September 17 at the Vista Unified School District at 6pm to help present with one of the staff. All this work is volunteer, but the volunteers are very busy physicians like myself. I just wanted to remind them that there is some work that is important, and since we are laser focused on decarbonization – electrifying this school district is very important.

It felt very good to send the following email snippet

“One last plea for anyone who might be available to speak at Sept 17 at 6pm with Climate Actions Campaign to help Serena with the work up in Vista to help electrify.  We asked PHAC members first, but I’m including some of my AAP peds colleagues and some of our medical students who might know someone.  As long as it’s a med student, pediatrician or other physician – we can catch you up easy.

I’m asking because if no one volunteers, I will go. But I will be honest, I’m completely exhausted.  I have a PHAC OC press conference that morning (because we are doing a press release for the CAP report there which is hugely important) but the VISTA work is important too. No one in OC can physically be there yet, as I’m trying to build up the council.  And I have realized I need to figure out how to fit in a bunch of dental stuff for myself and my daughter because her wisdom teeth are coming in.  So asking for help, if anyone can do it. If not I will do it, and it will be fine. But it helps me to ask knowing that I reached out.  I’m not as good as Bruce as keeping connected with everyone, but would like to start making sure I ask because I know everyone wants to help with impactful stuff – and helping VISTA get to district electrification is fundamental decarbonbization and important.”  

I was on KPBS yesterday and the interview went well. It actually got published as an article “San Diego Unified students sweat it out in class as air conditioners malfunction” Let me update my doximity resume. Here is the link if you want to watch it. https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2024/09/06/san-diego-unified-students-sweat-it-out-in-class-as-air-conditioners-malfunction

I’m glad I can just type stuff on this blog. I posted on Instagram and it’s true, whenever it’s time to retreat and delete the social media – I’ll be okay. I’ll always keep the blog and my personal emails. But the social media Instagram stuff, I’m not sure how much of it is real? You know? I’m tired because I have real stuff I need to catch up on. My daughter has real teeth that we already went through braces, and her wisdom teeth are starting to move. I also need to see the dentists myself. I also need to do my real taxes. I totally forgot we could paid yesterday. But I need to pay the government their substantial portion so I need to file our taxes. I started real folding and organizing our closet, and I need to move our teens ceramics from the extra dining room table we have to the upstairs game room that has a perfectly good display case already. Lots of real things that need to be done today.

Decarbonization is real work as well. So I hope one of my other PHAC and doctor friends shows up in REAL life to help do a presentation. If not, I’ll do it. But I’m hot and I’m tired because there is a heat wave. But at least I was on KPBS for it! That was COOL!