February 12, 2021

by drplasticpicker

My siblings and I met virtually for various family reasons and the subject came up on how much do you give your children? It’s funny how life has taken each of us in different directions but our core values are the same. For those that are given much, much is to be expected. That much is what one contributes to the world. Yes, we don’t want to end up like societal leeches that accomplish little like the Trump children and the teen children from all those reality shows that are just horrible with ennui so early in life. But also in terms of material wealth, you should leave them something but not too much. Money should certainly give one security in case there is a grandchild or family member with some unexpected medical condition that needs long-term care, but otherwise money too early or the knowledge there is a pot at the end – will take away one’s chance to earn one’s place in the world.

What is earned is so much more valuable than what is given. The picture above is my son from the back, home from Cross-Country. He is proud to wear the jersey every sports season because he earns it from running 3-7 miles a practice. Those are real miles run, foot to the dirt. Pounding that he voluntarily subjects his body to. It’s part of growing up and this is why sports for so many kids is character building. It truly isn’t about how fast one is or how you place. It’s the journey, and the miles run.

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February 10, 2021

by drplasticpicker

It’s Wednesday and I haven’t blogged at least for a day or two. When I give up blogging for the day, it’s because work has been too demanding or there is a vital climate project that needs to be done. Yesterday was both. We had a middle management meeting where we are meeting with the Nutrition Department to help them and us change to offer better education on plant based diets, and also I am pushing personally to make sure offerings make sense for my patients who are predominantly part of Environmental Justice communities. The more vegetables and plant-based meals all of us eat, the more we will heal the planet and as a community. The other project that is taking some of my precious headspace (which we should all think of precious and not waste on things that are hurtful or hurtful people) is leading our American Academy of Pediatrics author group in writing our opinion piece. It was accepted and everyone is excited. Now comes the real part, we have to write the 8000-12000 word piece. I see it is an opportunity and I’ve done similar things before. It is due in 3 months, but we have to start on it now. The abstract is essentially done, our amazing premed intern has created the common google doc and we are working on the bilbiography. This is important because it is a major academic journal and we are writing about active transportation and changing the built environment to reduce both carbon emissions and address the active transport needs of children. Being able to walk around neighborhoods, bike to school in natural settings improves mental health and physical health, and wards off chronic diseases that are now occuring in adolescence.

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February 7, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I am reminded this morning that not every post has to be soul-wrenching or an introspective piece. My environmentalism is about doing something now about the climate crisis. And the thing that started it all is plastic picking! So here are my monthy totals. I commit to at least 20 bags a month and I hit my goal. Feburary is a shorter month, but I’ve already gathered 3 for the month. If I’m low, I’m just do a quick bag at work because the HMO parking lot is still a mess. At least I cleaned up around where I park my car.

For Janaury 2021, I cleaned up 20 bags of plastic pollution and salvaged 67 Items from the ocean or landfill. In total, I’ve cleaned up 381 bags of plastic pollution and salvaged #1461 Items! Click here to see my lifetime totals page https://drplasticpicker.com/plastic-picking-round-up/

20 Bags of Plastic Pollution

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February 6, 2020

by drplasticpicker

I have nothing TO DO this weekend. I will probably DO a lot, but I have nothing TO DO. I even put my work text messages on BUSY. Not DO NOT DISTURB just BUSY. I will finish Fridays charts this weekend, and probably do a couple of patient follow up calls. But even with the climate work, I don’t have anything TO DO. Last week we gave UCSD Family Practice Grand Rounds and submitted an abstract to the Journal of Applied Research in Children. So a lot happened.

And it is Saturday morning and even the kids don’t have anywhere to be because it is quarantine still. Last night I came home late from clinic on the later side, but not as late as the Friday night before. Our daughter had a Girl Scout meeting at 630pm and their father picked up sushi with lots of plastic packaging, as the kids requested sushi. I guess the carbon footprint from sushi isn’t that much because at most it’s little bits of fish. So we had sushi while our daughter was listening to her Girl Scout meeting and I went to bed early. Even with a normal full clinic day, work is tiring. Dr. Dear Friend had a very irate parent and multiple child protection issue cases, and she had a harder clinic day than I did. But it’s hard these days at work because of all the saddness when our families come in. COVID-19 has particularly hit the hispanic and southbay communities more, and this is where I practice. This is where I grew up.

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February 5, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Slowly but surely I’m getting to the 24 hour pizza dough rise. The original recipe was the bobbie flay recipe, but I’ve done it so often now and added my own variations that I feel like it’s my own. Plus I use it as a food waste recipe to use the last remaining bits of flour. Today was 4 cups of flour (2 cups of bread flour, 1 cup of wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour), 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 package of yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and sprinkled rosemary AND thyme (the thyme is new). The sensory experience of kneading the warm dough in the relativeness darkness of the kitchen is very relaxing. It’s set on the kitchen counter covered near the cookbook area, covered with the pretty green beeswax wraps.

I have a full day of clinic today, and I may or may not have to show up at our Girl Scout meeting. Girl Sccouts is a whole other blog topic. But yesterday I wasn’t that helpful after clinic because I was tired still from the emotional elation of the UCSD Family Practice Grand Rounds entitled “Creativity, Wellness and Climate Activism.” I stopped by to thank Dr. AF for his honest and powerful presentation. But I’ve learned to self-care in a fundamental way. So last night I was napping on and off late afternoon, and then our tween daughter wanted me to toss the ball to her while she practiced volleyball. I was feeling tired initially but it was something important to her. So I self-elevated my mid-40s body off the couch, and threw her the volleyball again and again and helped her practice setting and spiking. I’m amazed that she likes volleyball, personally I’m scared of a ball hitting me. I think it’s because I wear glasses.

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Febraury 3, 2021

It’s on the later side than when I usually blog. It’s 6:16AM and I’m sitting at my kitchen table drinking instant coffee out of my Unicef Mug that my Girl Scout Co-Troop leader gave me. She is a friend and we have a long and strong relationship. The mug like that friendship is complex. Today, I added a bit of vanilla to my coffee for the first time. I don’t need to drink instant coffee and prefer real coffee now. But we have instant, and being green and sustainable is about being flexible. I’ll need to recheck on our coffee buying habits again soon. I thought we had decided to switch over to a rainforest friendly brand? The instant Nestle keeps on popping up?

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February 2, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Who knew saving the earth would include discovering new foods and making them? I was already Financially Independent https://drplasticpicker.com/the-road-to-fise-financial-independence-to-save-the-earth/, as I was born super frugal. But now with my culinary adventures and misadventures, I’m having a super fun time in the kitchen trying new fancy recipes. I thought I wasn’t a “foodie” and our tween daughter actually hates that term, as she thinks it’s very elitist. But I do love good food, and truly good food can lead to a good earth for all of us. Maybe if I end up writing my first book, I’ll just call it Good Food Good Earth???? I’ve thought about a book on and off, but honestly I’m having too much blogging to myself in the mornings.

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February 1, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I never expected Dr. Plastic Picker to be a rediscovery of my love for good food. We started the project at work called #kpkidsgoodfoodgoodearth and that is the crux of the issue, we need both. To save the planet, we have to change our food systems and our food supply. But the byproduct is that our food will become delicious, wholesome, plant-based and we’ll be healthier for it.

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January 30, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Yoga continues to provide me with moments of bodily and emotional discovery. Last night I went to sleep just listening to the Ocean Waves Dark Screen YouTube Video, and it did help deepen my sleep. But the previous night I also did 10 minutes of Yoga by Adrienne and also the Ocean Waves Dark Screen YouTube Video – and I slept much more deeply. Good sleep is very important to have a clear spirit and mind.

Something Adrienne at Yoga by Adrienne said really struck me during one of the meditation YouTube videos. It was a series of simple stretches and meditation exercises toward the end of the day, and she said something along the lines of “embrace the close. The close of the day. And with the close, tomorrow you can accept the morning and a new beginning.” Maybe I made that up, but I could swear she was saying that directly to me. For no particular reason my thoughts started turning toward shifts in my professional life and other big life decisions. My thoughts turned to the two little toddler patients that had cancer that are intertwined in what had been a period of deep personal saddness for me, and whose story I have alluded to others several times and has been each time painful. And I realized that on multiple different fronts, I was ready to emotionally embrace the close.

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January 29, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I’m really proud of myself. I think it’s a function of having very encouraging parents who always taught me to be proud of myself when I deserved the praise. But I’m really proud of myself. I spent my time last evening being certified by the California Department of Public Health as a California Vaccines for Children Provider (VFC). It’s simply a series of 5 modules one has to go through, and are very specific for vaccine storage, distribution and how to account for these vaccines. Because it tests on a specific set of tasks that is required to order, distribute, store and ensure the safety of vaccines – you really can’t guess. I had done a similar training at the CDC website when I thought about leaving my current job during the height of my physician burnout and opening my own office. Good thing I started walking along the beach, and stopped feeling so bad. But this training was specific to california. For each module I was able to answer most of the questions as the material was similar to the federal one, but it was not exactly the same. Therefore missing one question, I had to go through the entirety of all four modules and test out. I passed them all.

I proud of myself just like I’m proud of myself when I pick up a bag of litter. I have 2 more bags to reach my 20 bag a month goal I set for myself. It’s raining today and I have to orient a young pediatrician regarding the minutiae of quality metrics and then also have patients. But definitely this weekend I eyed a new spot I want to hike at, and maybe will pick up a bag of trash there.

Well. That is it. Nothing earth-shattering (which is good!) this morning. I spent last night on my OFF time training to be a California Department of Public Health as a California Vaccines for Children Provider (VFC). I’m one of two pediatricians in my organization, and it helps save our organization millions of dollars. Certainly that 4 hours is worth it. I also updated my resume on doximity! LOL.

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