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A Classic Shave

During a busy hospital medicine service, I typically work seven 12-hour shifts in a row.  During these weeks, sometimes I can get a little lazy in the shaving department.  Things really got out of hand this week though.  If I let this beard go on much longer, I’ll start to look like Tom Hank’s character in that movie, “Castaway.”

 

The reason I tend to put off shaving my face is that I don’t usually enjoy the experience.  In the past, I had always just used disposable razors and viewed the whole process as a big inconvenience to stumble through before starting my day.  However, I recently discovered some high quality stainless steel razors by Rockwell.  These ones feel so much more substantial and might even change my thoughts on shaving all-together.

There are several different settings that can be used with the razor, depending on how close of a shave is desired.  I went for one that would give a closer shave.

The razor feels really smooth as it glides across the skin.  For the first time ever, I found the process of shaving to actually be enjoyable.

Okay, I don’t know if this look straight out of “Breaking Bad” is going to work for me.  Yeah I think I’ll forgo the goatee and recruit this razor to finish the job . 😉

Using: 
Rockwell Razors Razor

Promo Code: MIKEMD
 
 
 
I really enjoyed my first shave with the Traditional Safety Razor by Rockwell.  The whole setup has a high quality almost vintage feel.  You know what I mean?  Like I could see my Grandpa using something like this as he actually took pride in his morning routine each day.  And you know what?  That’s not exactly a bad thing . 🙂

Afternoon Coffee

Late night study sessions in medical school turned me into a bit of a coffee aficionado.  My fondness for the beverage continued after graduation as I transitioned to life on the workplace.  Since my schedule as a hospital doctor alternates between night and day shifts, an energy boost from a cup of coffee is always appreciated.  While I’m not one to turn down a cup of hot coffee, years of burnt mouths from hastily consumed hot brews have left me favoring the cold brew variety.  For this reason, I was super excited to try out some new cold brews by Lucky Jack

The first brew I sampled was the Old School.  This unsweetened coffee has a pleasant balanced taste.  Neither too strong nor too watered down, this is a cold brew that I can see becoming a staple of my morning routine.  As someone who typically takes his coffee black without cream or sugar, this was the perfect cold brew for me and probably my favorite of the bunch.

The next brew to grace my palate was the Sweet Thing.  I usually steer clear of sweetened beverages because I prefer to avoid the high fructose corn syrup that’s used so commonly in them.  However, Lucky Brew’s Sweet Thing is sweetened by organic cane sugar and provides a more natural sweetened kick.  10 years ago, when I was new to the taste of coffee, this one would’ve been my pick.  But nowadays, since I’ve grown to savor a more bitter, unadulterated taste, I prefer the unsweetened variety.

Check out:

Why does nature turn the world into art every sunset?  This is my favorite time of day.  The hilly neighborhood in Silverlake, Los Angeles gave me the perfect vantage point to enjoy the views illuminated by the setting sun.

Basic Life Support

All healthcare providers, from newly minted 3rd year medical students to the most seasoned interventional cardiologists, must obtain basic life support recertification every two years.  In a nutshell, this entails taking a CPR class and getting a refresher on such concepts as chest compressions, bag mask ventilation, and use of a defibrillator.  While these concepts may be pretty simple (hence the name basic life support), they can be life-saving in the event of cardiopulmonary arrest.  Throughout my years practicing medicine, I’ve participated in many code blues where mastery of these concepts proved instrumental in saving patients’ lives.  I took my recertification course today and am pleased to announce that I’m certified to use these skills for another two years.

Although the basic life support class is required for all clinicians, it is open to the general public.  I encourage everyone, even people who are not in the healthcare profession, to take the course.  You never know when you might find yourself in a situation where these skills could empower you to save someone’s life.

Wearing: 
Koihappiness Scrubs

The basic life support class is hands-on.  All the students practice giving CPR (chest compressions) to mannequins.  Ideally, compressions should be 100 to 120 beats per minute and must be forceful enough to depress the chest wall two inches in order to optimize circulation during a cardiac arrest.  As you can imagine, this can be quite a workout for the practitioner administering the compressions.  For this reason, I knew I needed a comfy pair of scrubs to wear to avoid feeling too restricted during the exercises.  These scrubs by koihappiness were perfect for the job.

American Classics

       


Wearing: 
Ralph Lauren Leather Jacket
Ray-Ban Aviators
Zara Skinny Jean

The leather motorcycle jacket is a timeless look.  From Marlon Brando to the Ramones, this is a style that has definitely stood the test of time.  Despite the look’s continued popularity over the years, it’s not always the easiest style to pull off.  If not worn carefully, the leather moto-jacket can have you looking less like a symbol of classic Americana and more like a B-list Fonsi impersonator at the office 50s-themed party.  In order to avoid this, I try to skip the whole white T-shirt and bluejeans combo when wearing leather.  Instead, I go for a sweater to soften the look a bit. For footwear, suede boots work well and also help to tone down the overall look.  Even skate shoes like low top vans pair nicely with the jacket (provided that they’re scuffed and well worn).  Overall, this is a look that you can really go to town on.  By mixing and matching various layers and accessories, you can end up with something that is truly your own.

 

Central Park(s) of Los Angeles

Every large metropolitan area needs a park, a little oasis of nature to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.  New York City has Central Park, Tokyo has Yoyogi Park (among others), and Berlin has it’s own Tiergarten.  But what does Los Angeles have?  In LA, there is not really one centralized park, but rather a series of smaller parks and surrounding hiking areas in the hills to provide the much needed nature escape for it’s 4 million residents.
These pics were taken early in the morning at Echo Park.  The area around the lake offers some of the best views of downtown LA.  It was actually somewhat overcast the morning I visited which is a rare contrast from the blue skies more typically seen around the city.
If you’re looking to find this bench at Echo Park, good luck.  You will search for hours and come up empty handed.  This is because the bench is not actually located at Echo park, but rather at neighboring Vista Hermosa natural park.  The scenic backdrop to this bench makes it an attractive site for engagement and portrait photographers. If you’re here at sunset, expect to see a couple with a well choreographed kiss or perfectly timed eye-to-eye stare for the camera.

Here’s some trivia:  Why do all the buildings in downtown LA have flat rooftops?  Why don’t you see any decorative pointy rooftops like the Chrysler Building in NYC?  The reason is that all skyscrapers in this city are mandated to have helicopter pads at the top in case evacuation via helicopter is needed.