Okay. I’m up and the comments are written. Dr. Dear Friend and I are representing San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air at a rally in El Cajon, and I’m speaking about the health affects of power plants on pediatric asthma. It’s funny when you speak on a topic that you know well and are passionate about, it comes very easily. I started writing my comments about 45 minutes ago and I’m done now. I used bits and pieces from our journal article. Since I wrote the words with my friends, it’s okay for me to use those phrases directly. I intermixed health facts with a story. Patient stories are always powerful.
I thought I needed strength when I started blogging this morning, but I’m okay. I fill myself up on real food that is mostl vegetables and a lot of really delicious tomatoes. I also got a very good nights sleep last night. Without coffee, my body naturally quiets toward the end of the day and I don’t wake up at 2-3am anymore. We are supposed to be there by 930AM, and I’ll leave here in about an hour. Pick up Dr. Dear Friend and we’ll meet the other climate activist at 930AM. We’ll walk one mile together to the rally. I guess I don’t have as much time as I thought. My speech is done but I need to practice. Okay. Here it is.
We can learn about restoring society by looking at healthy forest.
August 20, 2021
by drplasticpicker
I’m drinking a cup of black tea plain this morning. It’s been probably six weeks since I stopped drinking coffee, naturally. I went for a very long walk yesterday. I was intending to just do a quick walk around the neighborhood and get one bag, but I ended up at the beach again and it was very wild and dramatic. I saw a father furiously and franatically waving to two young boys who were caught up far from the shore. The waves were very strong, and he was gesticulating wildly to get them to come closer to shore. I saw the ocean tide come in very far, and I couldn’t walk home on my usual path North, and had to turn south. The ocean had created a watery barrier dividing the beach. Rather than risk getting very wet or jumping across the few feet of shallow sea that block my path, I simply headed south.
But I’ve been thinking about the idea of True Noth lately. We talk about that at our HMO a lot, that quality is our true north. I heard it again on the literal 8th time I’m rewatching key scenes in Dawson’s Creek (yes I think it’s like the 8th time) where Joey Potter looks at Dawson Leery and asks him if he’s lost his true north. It’s the fixed point in the sky that you can always use to guide and navigate.
Many people seem to have lost their true north. Mr. Plastic Picker was very frustrated with work, and I was frustrated for him as well. We were not even supposed to be back in San Diego, and were technically still on vacation. But 4 sick calls in his department later, somehow my husband is working overtime shifts and filling a need. He doesn’t need the overtime and we certainly don’t need the money, and he’d rather be home. But there are patients that need procedures done and that is what happens when you are a doctor. His true north I think is his patients. He does really care about his patients.
My true north is the earth and the climate. And with that, everything is connected. And stories. In the end I’ve realized that I’m interested in stories. Fictional stories like Dawson’s Creek but also real stories. In this time of great hardship due to COVID, political and global upheaval, and also of the existential threat of climate change – what role did you choose to play? Mr. Plastic Picker chose to be the quiet hero, and show up to work. We had to cancel family and business meetings today so that he could do procedures. I’ve chosen to write and do this weird @drplasticpicker journey that helps a little and certainly doesn’t hurt. And if you’ve chosen to play the victim or the villain, than that is okay. We all have our roles. But I don’t think the victims or the villains ever get sequels. Thanks for hearing my continued ramblings regarding life lessons and the earth. Doing a lot of climate work still. Yesterday was an epic day. Dr. Dear Friend and I are going to a protest/rally. Hopefully we don’t get arrested. LOL. No we won’t! But we may make the news. Will let you know! Watch out fossil fuel company, Dr. Plastic Picker is coming to get you!
The same hike, but everyone sees a different vantage point.
August 19, 2021
by drplasticpicker
I’m storing up the memories still. Between my little sister’s visit with our nephew and niece for the first time in almost 2 years, and then our road trip to the Bay Area, our family is storing up those memories. We are back a day earlier than expected and I still have two day of vacation and two days of a weekend off, and now I realize that time is mine and does not belong to the HMO. I’m going to give that time to my climate work and getting the kids ready for the new school year. Our daughter wants to refresh her room, hang up some new posters and swap out some furniture. Our son doesn’t want to do anything with his room, but I need to venture in to dust and declutter.
Our trash art piece perched atop a rescued plastic plant.
August 15, 2021
by drplasticpicker
Joey Potter was right in Dawson’s Creek. She told Dawson during the last season, as he again had an existential crisis about the meaning of his work as a teen soap drama writer – what has he accomplished? Joey looks at Dawson (although she ends up with Pacey Witter – HUNKY DREAM BOAT) that as a writer he is lucky, he gets to live life twice. And that is true on this blog as well. I get to live life twice, and have these blog memories to revist that give me so much joy.
Two two pots. The left will become an upcycled succulent planter, and the right is my morning tea kettle. I bought it in college.
August 14, 2021
by drplasticpicker
I really appreciate everyone following along this environmental journey of mine. This morning I did something simple, I did our family’s monthly donations. Mr. Plastic Picker has to do a lot of overtime due to us being short-staffed during COVID and I got busy last month due to some big climate projects. But we are back at it and donated $200 this month. I try to be strategic with our money as it’s hard earned and we actually work for it. It’s hard to find a more impactful charity than Rainforest Trust, so I’m back at it and the money went to the Rainfroest Trust project in the Central African Republic and Chinko National Forest. By established a National Park there, they help preserve the land that is where African forest meets savanna. Protected species include lions, elephants, African wild dogs and much more. We now know elephants are like beavers, bioengineers of this earth https://www.rainforesttrust.org/projects/central-african-republic-save-a-vast-wilderness-for-lions-chimpanzees-and-elephants/. So it does feel good this morning. My living a sustainable life and working still and making money and not spending it on frivolous things, we chose to help preserve over 200 acres of African forest today.
Fancy night out. We didn’t go in. Just parked in front for free. Restaurant was down the street.
August 13, 2021
by drplasticpicker
I have no problem with fancy and those who are fancy. I guess I would be a hypocrite because I like fancy real estate (that has value of course). It’s much cheaper to join the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club than buy an Oregon Farm. Plus it’s easier to get to a local tennis and beach club than the 14 hour drive from San Diego to our farm. Previously I would judge those that were part of a Beach & Tennis Club but now I don’t. I just don’t play tennis, and I already live near the beach which I visit early in the mornings myself rather than being surrounding by others.
But we went to the neighborhood just north of us which is La Jolla. I’m forever grateful for that area because as their real estate values skyrocket and normal professionals like doctors cannot even afford to live there, our neighborhood which is just south which has larger lots and actually a home which I like more with normal neighbors (one who egged our house the night before – really people???!!!) increases in home value as well.
We went to what was for us a fancy restaurant to eat with the kids for our wedding anniversary. Mr. Plastic Picker and I have been together almost 25 years. Married for almost 20 years. That’s a very long time. We were laughing in the car as we were driving our two teenage progeny home from the dinner, and I clutched Mr. Plastic Picker’s right arm as he was driving with his left and we couldn’t help giggling at a joke. And then our 16 year old son said, “that’s what happens when you are married forever.” It was a funny and beautiful moment. And yes both teenage children were subject to our chatter because it was our anniversary and the entire point of said anniversary was to have them. And they are here now and teengaers, and we fed them fancy food. Fancy children. My parting comment as we left the fancy neighborhood, “I hope you guys get good jobs. But if you don’t, please marry a dentist.” And that is all. LOL.
I did it. I am living my truth. I applied for a regional position in Physicial Leadership Development. I have no idea if I will be considered and what that would mean for our lives if I get it, but I’m proud that I took that risk and spoke my truth and applied for it. It was the night before the deadline and I had been thinking about that position for several months, and frustrations and then successes in middle-management made me realize that it was time. I need to grow. I’m well now, and my roots are firmly planted and healthy and I’m ready to sprout. I don’t know where. I don’t know if I’ll go left or right, but I need to grow in my climate leadership and my work-work leadership. I need to move on in my career. It’s best for me and best for my department. I’ll still be part of our department and Assistant Boss for now, but it’s time to make a lot of other people grow up too.
I had a semi-bad day yesterday because of an HMO issue. It was a misunderstanding but my passionate mouth got me in trouble again. The way the HMO machinery works is that I can’t just apologize for the misunderstanding. It will just sit there, not affecting my career as it’s a miniscule little blip. But for me, it does fester. The idea that I would retaliate is so ludicrous as I’ve never retaliated and the idea that Dr. Plastic Picker retaliates is antithesis to the core of who I am. I was instructed to not retaliate because that is what the HMO script tells us as managers to tell people. I’ve uttered to same thing to colleagues. I believe we are all connected and if I hurt someone’s feelings because they misunderstood what I said, makes my heart hurt as well. But with the stress of the entire world with the ramifications of climate change and COVID-19, the same thing that happend to me is happening across our organization and I’m sure in your life. No one is listening. People are on edge. Everyone is misunderstanding everyone.
I was talking to Dr. Dear Friend and she was very understanding. We planted another big succulent on the HMO parking garage. But the condtions on said parking garage are hot and harsh, and it’s hard to survive up there. I feel that is the same way about myself in middle-management. It’s hot and harsh, and having worked so hard to heal myself and heal the earth – I’m not willing to sacrifice my well being for a title that I no longer care about. I’m rather take my sunshine elsewhere. I know I garnered this stain on my record because I was just out there. Out there teaching residents. Out there trying to work on fundamental wellness for the world. And if I had just sat in my office and not ventured out, I wouldn’t have that stain but then the world would be sicker. So I won’t stay in my office. I’ll venture out. I’ll avoid that person because that is my right. I won’t retaliate, because that is not who I am. But I can have my feelings hurt. I can be sad. And I dealt with that frustration yesterday and again found how unfair things are, because I 100% know if I was a man – I’d never have to deal with this cr@p. Women are sometimes our worst enemeies, but also our allies. So here I am, still Dr. Plastic Picker – keeping on keeping on.
I did channel my frustration with the absolute inertia of big organizations, by moving things in my small corner of the world. I’ve been talking and writing about the Air Keepers program for San Diego. It’s a program I heard about from Dr. Lori Byron up at AAP Montana, and I wanted to replicate it here. So I sent her an email and cc’ed the two other pediatricians who want to get involved, and cc’ed our famous academic friend Dr. Perry Sheffield. I also emailed a student that potentially could work on this and gave him the details. There is funding possibly from the Air Pollution Control District https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/apcd/en/grants-and-incentives/facts.html, maybe our own HMO Community Benefits and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Community and I can try to find other funding. I don’t think this type of program cost that much, and I’m hopeful we can get it done.
So that’s what I did today. Send three emails to get the ball rolling on AirKeepers. Because someone misunderstood a comment I was making and the world is not listening, I’ve decided to do something to make myself feel better. And cleaning the air and bringing people together makes me feel better. Air Keepers San Diego version was probably deployed after a frustrating day at work. Just like San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air was created after a mean comment from a politician that said we were a “publicity stunt.” Sometimes hurt and humiliation is good if you can channel it. But the one petty thing I will promise you, that person will never be invited to my house again. I can’t believe they were in our house, and ate our food and we welcomed them as a guest. I will 100% be civil and cheerful at work, but in my own home – it’s only those that I love that are welcome here. So the foxes are welcome, the butterflies are welcome, the climate activists are welcome – but those that think I’m unkind and that I would ever say anything like that. You absolutely don’t know me and you aren’t welcome. And I won’t impose myself upon you in your home either. Let’s mutually agree to be professional. And so Air Keepers was born from this misunderstanding.
Our compost is really good. Filled with worms that came from, I don’t know where?
August 9, 2021
by drplasticpicker
If you have the opportunity to stop by our front and back garden, you will see proof that our family lives a regenerative life. The cherry tomatos in front are sweet and spilling over their cages. The tomatos in the back are perfectly shaped and ripening on their vine, and are sweeter than any medium size tomato I promise you’ve ever eaten. We have little eggplants the size of your palm, because that’s the size they are supposed to be. The squash that we grow, their leaves that spill over from the planters fuel those beautiful gourds. Every last bit is used to make a savory plant-based dish. Peppers are growing. We have fennel for the first time. The bounty that is our life is beautiful and I am grateful for each piece of edible fruit and vegetable that comes from our garden.
And the bounty that is this year is due to compost. Above is the picture of our compost yesterday that I helped my mother-in-law harvest. We spent the weekend on and off replanting fruits trees, blueberry bushes and succulents from the rooftop garden. The rooftop garden is too harsh. Nothing lives up there. Those plants needed to be rescued. To me it’s somewhat a metaphor for my career. The HMO parking lot structure is also a too harsh climate. It’s been hard to get anything to grow up there. There are other HMO denizens trying. I have a couple of succulents still alive. But I’m about to give up on the HMO parking structure planters. I’m about to give up on the roofdeck garden.
But in trying to plant on the HMO parking structure harsh rooftop planters and my own windy roofdeck, I’ve learned a lot about plants and myself. I did grow something and I did sequester some carbon into the soil. But I’m shifting gears and going to try to grow plants in my family’s balcony North Park office. There is a balcony that is somewhat neglected that I think could use some plants and some love. It will bring happiness to people who I actually know, and hopefully bring them some wellness.
Replanted succulents.Gifted cuttings from my sister-in-law. Replanted in pretty vases. Excited to see them grow.
There is a youtube video that pretty much sums of the problem with all big organizations that includes government, big corporations, and HMOs. Mr. Plastic Picker showed it to me. Big organizations tend to create certain positions that actually don’t do nor accomplish anything. This is due to government regulations and very good reasons, but the end result is this bloated middle that includes what I call the inventory people. I once saw someone who belonged to a department whose entire job was to go through our entire organization and just scan barcodes to make sure HMO property stayed within the HMO. The absolutely hilarious thing is that there was a printer my old mentor had bought with his own money for his own office, and this robot put a barcode on it and then scanned it. That pretty much summed up the absolutely hilarity of the entire situation.
