A Luce Affiliation

Whilst shopping for Pen's birthday present, I found a picture book that sums up my life's work in 20 pages. By Japanese-American artist Ken Tanaka, it is an artful reminder that our lives are better lived with an awareness of our certain mortality! To the best of my knowledge Mr Tanaka has not worked in an intensive care unit, but he seems to understand the conversations ICU doctors and nurses have on a near-daily basis. It is not macabre, it is simultaneously hilarious and sensible: If I were to write a sequel, it would be called, 'When Your Heart Stops, You're Dead: A Guide to Cardiac Arrest and CPR for the 'ER' Generation.'

I miss my housemates! They made me feel more interesting by association, what with their dance shows and their trips to SXSW and their freebie-press-passes to Golden Plains. If I had flatmates today I would have told them the following banal observations: 1. These days whenever I drink water instead of wine people assume I'm pregnant. For the record, I'm not. Moreover, I am not a big drinker at the best of times so you'll probably never spot it when I *am* pregnant! Ha ha!! 2. The new housing commission flats on Brunswick st are less ugly than any of the new apartments that are being built in Fitzroy. 3. Shit ICU doctors say: "She didn't want to live any more so we gave her some amitriptyline." and "She kicked me so I paralysed her." 4. Autumn is awesome. 5. Gorski and Jones (the restaurant) sneakily fill Aesop handwash containers with non-Aesop purple, artificial-smelling handwash. 6. I think it would be great if 'home theatres' were actu

So, I do Bikram yoga. I rarely admit to this because I am aware that it seems like a sweaty, hippy cult. Actually, it is a bit of a sweaty, hippy cult. Nonetheless it is a useful hobby to have in my armamentarium when an alternative health freak attacks me for being a *medical doctor*. "Do you use garlic when you get a cold, Lucy, DO YOU?!? Hmph. No WONDER I have no faith in doctors or vaccination or the obstetric care that has seen the maternal mortality rate drop 100 fold in the past century. NO WONDER!!" "No, but I do Bikram yoga..." Game-changer! I will never be one of the skinnies who do 60 day challenges drinking only coconut water. Who really has time for 90 minutes of yoga, plus arriving fifteen minutes beforehand plus mandatory post-yoga shower every day?? I only go once per week. But I love it. Even when it makes me so light headed I have to lie down. I like that it's difficult every time you do it, except for maybe once every six months when i