From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 01 Jan 2001 19:56:14 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Happy New Year
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year. What did you do for excitement
last night? Karina and I went to the Khyber Club to listen to The Walsh
Brothers. There were more people there than I had expected. Becka organized it. It was her birthday.
We just finished watching Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. I want to read
the book now. Have you ever read it, or watched the movie version? It
is long, but well-paced. It is almost exhausting watching people’s lives
unfold, and what some have to go through to achieve happiness.
Any New Year’s resolutions?
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 02 Jan 2001 16:56:24 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: back to work
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I walked to The Khyber today as the weather was mild and the skies were
clear. Karina was going to school to sort out her registration and student
loans. We got into a tiff about terminology. What does “We have our ups
and downs” mean to you? Generally, and especially given the events of
the past few weeks, things are wonderful between us. Everyone has their
ups and downs, right? I am sometimes brief when describing my relationship
with Karina to my friends, a sort of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”
mentality. People talk more and in explicit detail when there are problems.
Holidays are stressful, don’t you find?
I am stressed already about my new position at The Khyber, but I haven’t
really started yet. I am now the Interim Administrative Director. I am
pleased, nervous, anxious and excited. So far I have been reading through
past documents, trying to familiarize myself more fully with the history
of the place. It is like archaeology, finding treasure tucked into old
files in the smell of past events, exhibitions. In sensing the energy
that once existed there. I worry about finding the money to keep the heat
on. I don’t understand oil prices. Why is it so expensive? Why is there
pressure on OPEC to cut production?
Just watched The Winter Guest with Karina. Nice dialogue, good exploration
of life and death in the examination of a days events, but feel like I’ve
seen and heard it all before. Going to watch Andy Kaufman Plays Carnegie
Hall next to balance it out.
We have watched a lot of movies over the holidays. It will be nice to
get back in the groove of meetings and teaching in the evenings. When
do you go back to work?
Yours Sincerely,
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 03 Jan 2001 18:12:41 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Alaska?
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I am nursing a tension headache which has returned to me this evening. It actually started this afternoon while at Mills Brothers. I was consulting with Barb and Ian on his ideas for the next window change, which were so obscure my head started to throb. First it was graduating shades of blue with no brush marks (almost impossible to do right with latex house paint stretched over forty feet of wall), then stripes, then the stripes looping over and into something else at the top… How am I supposed to make heads or tails of it? Why is he involved in the first place? If I weren’t so broke I would have gladly told them I was unavailable, that I had finally found a real job. The other source of my headaches, but at least closer to my heart.
I have neglected to congratulate you on the third straight majority. You must feel content to be in power at a time when those upset with your policies are so splintered and fractured in their alliances. I even voted Green this year, but I felt it was a given that Alexa would hold her ground. At every election I always wish I had ran, but by the time a new one rolls around I lack the motivation. I must admit, you caught me off-guard with the snap election. I wasn’t expecting it until spring.
I want to make a video comprised only of on-screen footage of Mel Gibson yelling “Nooooo”. The excerpts would be taken from every film he has starred in which he has uttered that phrase. I can think of a half dozen off the top of my head, and he has been in something like twenty films. Of course, the incidence of him yelling “Nooooo” in lame comedies is rather nil, but are more than offset by films like The Patriot and Braveheart. I don’t know when I would ever find the time to do it as it is a lot of Mel Gibson to sit through. I’d want to collect the quiet “No’s” as well. A seamless cacophony of Mel Gibson’s screenography of “No’s”.
Karina is watching Dumbo in the next room. She has pointed out the blatant racism in some of the opening scenes, where the circus workers are all Black and featureless and sing about wasting their wages. The things you don’t remember from watching as a child. I’ve often thought that most Disney films are inherently imperialist. The embodiment of pure American values, of saccharine normalcy and innocence. It hides its razor sophistication well. I should be making an agenda for a meeting tomorrow night but I want my headache to subside so I’m going to go finish reading a book instead.
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 04 Jan 2001 12:44:48 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Gold Flakes One Day Prior
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
A recent blowing of snow has filled the air, and I must make adjustments to my plans for the evening. Fresh snow makes cycling treacherous; I will bus, or if I have time, walk to the Khyber tonight. A gala meeting and then an event in the club, Emily Vey Duke and friends with music and video projection. I wonder if they had trouble securing a projector, as they are prohibitively expensive. Maybe they borrowed Tim Dallet’s, but I think it only projects in green. A nice contrast to the snow.
At the Khyber today I was opening up studios and storage rooms tracking down lengths of telephone wire for an MTT repairman. He was installing a phone line for the new tenants. I have new respect for the tiny physical wires that now connect us so seamlessly, and so seemingly effortless. The repairman, John, was adjusting the pressure of wire to ground based on chirping sounds from a special cell phone, a joining of the aural and nimble tactile arts. Magic with small pliers.
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 05 Jan 2001 19:57:27 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Insomnia
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
One of the cats, I think it was Kuan, was playing with a small nail or tack and woke me up at four o’clock this morning. I couldn’t get back to sleep. Are cats insomniacs or just nocturnal? Thought of a few more movies as possible choices for a midnight movie fundraiser for the Khyber, but mostly tossed and turned. Fell asleep again by six-thirty. This hardly ever happens to me.
Worked with Jamie for a few hours this morning, finishing the cloud room we started before Christmas. The designer wasn’t happy with the shade of blue, so we rubbed a white glaze over it, softening the intensity.
While at the Khyber this afternoon Karina and I went for tea. We ran into Peter, and we talked about the difference between writing snail-mail and email letters. He told me he thought that writing email letters to you reminded him of the Sex Pistols reunion tour. I hope its not like that. We went to the Med for tea. Karina had poutine and I had coffee and a vanilla milkshake.
A long Khyber board meeting tonight. There is lots to do next week. I am going to take the day off tomorrow, concentrate on organizing my own files and an application for a grant. Maybe play on the computer. Spend some time with the cats.
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 06 Jan 2001 19:29:37 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Rain, Slush and Wet Jeans
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Today was a housecleaning day. The cat hair has been building little fortresses in dark corners, and the salt stains on the stairs are hiding the colour of the wood. We were going to wash some laundry as well, but it started snowing early in the afternoon, with lots of wind. Then it turned to rain.
Eventually I did venture out, but only to buy some groceries. We can wash laundry on Sundays, but not buy groceries.
There was a screening by Centre For Art Tapes scholarship recipients at the CBC building on Bell Road tonight. We couldn’t call a cab, as all the lines were busy. One company I did get through to told me that there were no cabs in my area. So Rebecca, Karina and I walked. We got soaked. It was worth it, the videos and audio work presented were well-done and some were quite thought-provoking.
One video called Hear Me was made by a woman dealing with her son’s autism. He is losing the ability to speak and needs surgery, but jumping through the legal and provincial health regulation hoops is taking a long time. The video is highly personal and really highlights the painful effects of slow-moving bureaucracies. It reminded me a little of Mary Kelly’s Postpartum Document.
Now that we are home drying off we are going to watch a movie, The Forbidden Planet. Have you ever seen it?
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 07 Jan 2001 14:43:17 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Sanding Gold Flakes; A Russian Dream
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Last night I had the oddest dream. Karina and I were hitchhiking in Russia, but no-one was stopping to pick us up. It probably didn’t help that we weren’t on a road, it was more like a beach. I recall images of ourselves in empty storefront windows; our backpacks swollen, sweaters and jackets rolled up and hanging from straps. It must have been summer. Somehow, we lost our luggage and became lost, swimming in the sea for three days. Even in my dream I couldn’t understand how we survived in the water for three days. When we did find land it was winter, and we were poorly under-dressed. We stood at a playground fence, icicles in our hair, and asked the children playing there if any of them spoke English. A middle-aged couple with lots of children took us in to use their phone, but we couldn’t reach anybody. We stayed with this family for days, but they were quite poor and we ate nothing but Kraft Dinner. Then the alarm went off and woke me up.
I walked to Mills, stomping through frozen slush with my green rubber boots. Danny let me into the store and locked me in. Tom had primed the window yesterday, but the areas of the previous design where gold spray-paint was used had come through, and needed to be sanded for the primer to stick. Hard on the wrists. After sanding and priming those spots I painted wavy stripes, and was finished by four o’clock. Ian MacLellan came by to let me out of the store and he drove me home. He talked mostly about cars the whole way. He said the store did fairly well over the holidays, then he knocked on the wood panelling for luck. I couldn’t help but notice that the wood was plastic, but then again it was my first time in a Mercedes Benz.
Karina has rented High Fidelity for us to watch tonight. I read the book a couple years ago, so I look forward to seeing how the movie measures up. Last night we watched The Forbidden Planet, I was surprised at how advanced it looked, considering it was made in 1956. What a classic.
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 08 Jan 2001 17:41:53 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Wavy Stripes Continued
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I took a bus downtown with Karina this morning, as I had to return some books to NSCAD library and she had to pick up some film from Carsand Mosher and then go to video class. I walked up to Mills to paint window #7, but
Danny, Tom and Mike were still dismantling the Snow White backdrop I had painted back in November. The store is going to use it every year. It is a mural of a forest scene in the shape of an open book. I had expected the window to be stripped and primed before noon, but dismantling was more complicated than they had anticipated. I bought some art magazines (Mix and C) and walked to the Khyber to make some phone calls.
At two o’clock I walked back to Mills and the window hadn’t been primed yet, but Danny was just about to start so I stayed and helped. Then I had to wait for the primer to dry, and by the time I had the tricoloured wavy stripes all painted it was quarter past five. I was hungry but decided to go to the openings at NSCAD before eating. Ryan Murphy was having a mini lifelong retrospective of his art and collectables in gallery 1, and there was a really neat robot and mechanized object group show in gallery 3. Ryan was serving Shreddies® from a box that had been manipulated to include Ryan himself on the box, and ice cream on the rocks. There was sushi and pita and hummus in the robot show. The hummus was really lemony. I met up with Karina and helped her carry some lighting equipment back home. That included camera, lens, meter, flex-fill, a tripod for the camera and one for the lights, and the lights. A lot of stuff to lug around. She is going to photograph some of the doll heads that Rebecca’s Dad’s ex-girlfriend gave her. The ceramic heads are quite spooky.
I made spaghetti and home-made sauce for supper and am now off to do some Khyber stuff.
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 09 Jan 2001 19:47:53 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Long Days Ahead
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Today was my first official day as Interim Director of the Khyber Arts Society. Overall, it was fairly uneventful. I spent a good portion of the afternoon trying to hunt down a contract which our files seem to have eaten. I am enjoying it thoroughly.
Karina received her student loan today, with remarkable ease – only a five business-day wait. We ate at The Bluenose for supper to celebrate. I have to stop eating there, the food is awful and terribly over-priced. We wanted to eatsushi as a celebration but Karina had a darkroom booked and needed to eat close to school. Now that we have a bit of money we can pay our November rent. My bank sucked a five hundred dollar student loan payment out of my account in early November, bouncing my rent cheque. I haven’t been able to make-up the money. I had been waiting months for money to come in through Judy in Saint John, as she sold a painting for me, but there were huge delays as the client was waiting for money to come in from ACOA. Money is such a tiresome concept.
What do you think of reports that the US is heading toward a recession?
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 10 Jan 2001 17:52:56 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: The Blur in the Background Noise
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I haven’t decided yet if working at the Khyber is a good thing or a horrible thing. I like being there, and I appreciate the challenge, but the fact that the centre may not be able to pay me is frightening. I can’t afford to be a full-time volunteer there. That is just asking for burnout.
Karina and I had our sushi night at Doraku, and dessert at La Cave. We had sworn we wouldn’t go to La Cave again but Karina was really craving a good cheesecake. I drank three beer, which is my new limit, then we took a bus home. At the Christmas party we threw back in December I drank way too much home-made eggnog and made an ass of myself, so I have sworn off drunkenness for good.
It looks like we are going to have Raising Arizona as the Midnight movie at the Oxford on January 20. I hope it does well, the Centre can’t afford to lose any money. We are also going to stage another Mugshots fundraiser, which was quite successful in October. I have to go and make a poster for it right now.
Yours Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 12 Jan 2001 19:16:55 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: I Can’t Believe She Bought The Soundtrack
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Mathew and I had a nine o’clock meeting with Pat Kipping from NSAC this morning to determine whether or not it was worth the effort for the Khyber to apply for an Operations Grant. From the sounds of things, it isn’t. NSAC isn’t expecting an increase in their funds, which were cut last year. Those cutsdirectly affected The Khyber in not receiving operations funding last year. Pat suggested a letter to the MLA in charge of Culture and Heritage, Rodney MacDonald, might be of some effect. We need to show how much the Centre does for its community and how little administrative support we get, which certainly isn’t hard.
Had a meeting today regarding the plans for a Digital Media Centre at the Khyber, which is an exciting but daunting and frightening undertaking. The Khyber has been approved as a CAP site but there is a lot of work to be done in terms of raising sponsorship and technical support. We confirmed the Lord Nelson as a venue again for the second annual Fool-Hearted Gala, which will take place April 21. Do you think you could come? I could reserve tickets for you. We haven’t finalized the acts yet, but I’ll keep you posted.
I missed the openings at Dalhousie University last night as out Gala meeting stretched out until ten o’clock, so I made special effort to go to the openings at Saint Mary’s tonight. The food was great. The art was good too, Donna Wawzonek curated a show called Vanitas, featuring the work of three artists taking a contemporary look at Seventeenth Century Dutch painting. There was also a neat show of trains by a Sackville-based artist, I can’t remember his name.
Anyway, I have overextended my time on the computer. Karina and I are going to watch an old Woody Allen flic to relax. I have woken up three times this week at 4am, my head is too active, I need to chill out a bit. And I need to eat more, Jessica mentioned to me tonight that she thought I looked thinner than usual. I didn’t think I could possibly look any thinner, so I had better take her advice.
Sincerely,
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 13 Jan 2001 17:54:15 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: One Step Forward Two Steps Back
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
We just came back from a textiles opening at MSVU with Andrew and Rebecca. Are you familiar with the jacquard weaving process, and the new advances made in weaving using computer technology? Some very slick results. The food was average.
This morning Karina and I spent a few hours in the lighting studio at NSCAD using one of the really pricey medium format cameras, then realized at the end of the session that the camera wasn’t set up properly and none of the photos will turn out. Karina was quite disappointed, as her schedule is tight and there isn’t that much margin for error.
We had a late breakfast at The Med and I spent some time at The Khyber looking for an old contract with CARNS. Made and distributed some more posters for Raising Arizona and Mugshots 2.
I spoke to Judy on the phone this morning, she wants Karina and I to go to PEI with her the first week of February for the ECMA’s. I doubt Karina will try to get out of class, and I will be quite busy at work, but a quick vacation would be nice. Mind you, I’d rather go to PEI in the summertime.
I’m off to watch that Woody Allen flic. We watched Pulp Fiction last night instead, which was much longer than I had remembered from seeing it the first time. I think there was more footage added, though I can’t recall where.
Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 14 Jan 2001 18:15:40 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Nothing Like Ginger Carrot Soup
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Judy called this morning. She had her tongue pierced yesterday. She didn’t sound too bad today, just mildly retarded. She said her tongue is quite swollen, but it should be healed in about a week.
Nice and mild today, I biked to Mills to paint window eight and window nine. After Danny let me out of the store and locked up I saw that I had missed a spot, but the guys can probably finish it tomorrow. I had Carrot Ginger soup at Steverenos, it was awesome. Spent the rest of the afternoon biking around putting up posters for Raising Arizona. I biked down Quinpool, went left on Oxford, back up Coburg, down Robie to Cunard, right on Winsor, then down and back Agricola. Tomorrow I’ll get Gottingen.
Spoke to Sym on the phone tonight. I want to go over some Quark and Illustrator tricks with her. She has a great idea for a fundraiser for the Khyber on Valentine’s Day; a wig party, with intermittent love songs and letters. Should be fun.
I liked that soup so much this afternoon that I made a version for supper. I added some red potatoes to the carrots. For spices I used garlic, grated ginger, a touch of tumeric, a dash of paprika and some rosemary. Delicious.
Anyhow, Karina and I are in the middle of a movie, we just took a break for The Simpsons. We are watching Notting Hill. It is sweetly romantic and sickeningly predictable, but I can’t help but watch it. There are some funny bits, but I know at the end I’ll wonder why I bothered to sit through it.
Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 15 Jan 2001 18:21:39 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Haven’t Gay Marriages Happened Before Already?
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Just came back from the Superstore. At the start of each semester Karina likes to get a big haul from the grocery store. Andrew and Rebecca came with us, and we shared a cab for the way home, as we had too much stuff to carry.
I received a rather urgent email from Bryne at Canadian Art today. The EPS file I sent him was at too low a resolution, so they can’t use it for the article. I am going to Fed-Ex a copy of the actual catalogue tomorrow. This was for a show held at The Space back in November. Ray is writing an article about it.
I started a book last night, called About a Boy by Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity. I think this book would make an excellent movie, it is much more interesting in terms of characters. The observations on life, told from the perspectives of a strange 12-year old and a self-centred 38-year old, are almost remarkable in that they unfold in a realist “thinking” time. The thoughts unfold neatly, like a package. I want to finish it tonight, as the rest of my week will be crazy busy with Khyber stuff.
Oh, speaking of which, today I was in the office for a bit and we actually got some good news in the mail. It appears that we may qualify for Charitable Status with Nova Scotia Power, which I assume will give us a better rate. I filled out the application and mailed it today, the faster we hear back the better. I am getting anxious about the Midnight Movie. I am afraid we will lose money on it. My tension headache is returning.
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 16 Jan 2001 19:03:41 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: It’s All Good After A Few Beer
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I Fed-Exed a copy of my catalogue to Canadian Art today. They won’t get it until tomorrow at noon. I can’t help but think of Tom Hanks, and what he would possible do with a copy of my catalogue if it washed up on the shore of his desert island. Probably laugh his ass off, then use it as kindling.
Just came home from openings at the Eyelevel Gallery. Craig Ferguson was paired with Montreal based artist Jo-Anne Balcaen in the first annual Eye-To-Eye series. The show was called Blind Date. Jo-Anne had arranged a bunch of tubular multi-coloured balloons in a heart-shape on the wall, while Craig displayed a pic-nic table with the cover of Van Halen’s album 1984 carved into the top, and a series of small wooden carvings of beer, wine and liquor bottles. A successful Blind Date, I think. Hung out in the Club afterwards for awhile, which was nice in that I felt comfortable in the presence of others. A comfortable evening. My depression of the past week or so seems to have lifted somewhat.
Karina has complained that I have not spoken to her in the past week so I am going to do just that.
Sincerely,
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 17 Jan 2001 19:49:56 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: OPEC Causing More Rubber Cheques
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Biked to work this morning, leaving a lovely spray of muck on my backpack as I have no rear fender for my bicycle. I have no front fender, either. I do have splash pants and rubber boots, however, so I stay fairly dry when biking in wet weather. It was mild this morning, so the roads were slushy.
I received good and bad news last night. The oil painting class I was scheduled to teach tonight was cancelled. It is good, because there was an Outspoken Lecture planned for tonight, which I would have missed had I been teaching. I missed all the Outspoken Lectures last semester because they were always held on Wednesday nights and I taught Wednesday nights. The only downside is the lack of money.
Tonight Thierry Delva and Helen Yeomans were discussing their work in the Khyber with a couple of the subjects of their work, Jamie and Leah. Leah was filling in for Mat, who called to say he was sick. Stomach wasn’t feeling right. For their exhibition Thierry had arranged thirteen True Temper wheelbarrows half filled with cement in the centre of the gallery. The cement had the names of his friends carved into it, like “Mat luvs Sym” or “Robert luvs Tonia” only the ‘luv’ was a heart. Names like you expect to see in sidewalks or tree trunks or park benches. Helen was exhibiting large digital printouts of photographs of the interiors of her friends fridges. The discussion tonight focused on the degree to which the ‘subjects’ were objectified or not through the work. Jamie and I had a good discussion afterwards on the fundamental survival of the Khyber and other artist-run centres upon which it is modelled. When Karina and I went to leave my debit card was declined on $20 worth of drinks. I had forgotten that our cable bill is debited automatically from my account the middle of each month. I hope this doesn’t mean that my rent check has bounced again.
I received a couple replies from your office today, but they didn’t say much.
Sincerely,
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 18 Jan 2001 18:33:40 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Did Latimer Get A Fair Shake?
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
It was such a clear day today that I walked downtown. Walking over the packed snow through the Commons reminded me of my childhood in Ottawa. I seem to associate a lot of snow with Ottawa. There is something about the slippery hardness of well-packed snow, the way it reflects sunlight which is almost blinding, that I find comforting for some reason.
I picked up a cheque from Mills Brothers and apologized to Barb for overlooking the closet doors from Sunday. She didn’t care. I went to the bank and was dismayed to find that even after depositing my cheque I was still overdrawn by $50. It appears that Judy has still not deposited the $200 she owes me from a painting that sold in November. Cheques and Balances and holds and the way money travels and doesn’t travel is such a pain sometimes. It looks as though both rent cheques went through though, which is good news. If one had bounced I wouldn’t be overdrawn now, would I?
Typical day at the office today. Had to string a fifty-foot extension cord from the Refugee Clinic office to an outlet in the hall, as they keep blowing the circuit. It could be days or weeks before the city gets around to investigating and fixing the problem. This should be a short-term solution.
Had a Gala meeting tonight, we made a time line for the event and things
are taking shape. I’ll keep you posted as to the development.
Sincerely,
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 19 Jan 2001 18:39:16 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Has The APEC Inquiry All Butter Hazelnut Cookies?
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
My travel timing was all out of sync this morning; missed a bus, then showed up at the wrong place for a meeting, then missed the ferry to Dartmouth and by the time I arrived I was an hour late for the NSAC grant preparation workshop. I didn’t miss too much, however, and the workshop was productive.
There was a NSCAD public lecture tonight. Vancouver-based artist Stan Douglas gave a presentation on his recent work. It was an amazing talk. Boy, can he talk. A non-stop verbal torrent of the ideas, influences and reasons behind the direction of his photo, video and film work, and some examples of each, it was quite something.
Talked to Ray afterwards and he said he would help with the planning of the Khyber Lightbox. Maybe I will ask Stan to show a photo in the space when the lightbox is completed. No harm in asking.
Sincerely,
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 21 Jan 2001 04:29:11 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: President George Bush Makes My Day
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Well, one of my worst fears for this week was confirmed last night, as we lost money on the screening of Raising Arizona. Just what I needed. Now we have to have an even more successful Mugshots to make up for last night. The movie itself was good to see on the big screen. I woke up this morning to music from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and couldn’t help but wonder if a screening of that would make more money.
Had a late supper last night with Tamara and Trevor at The Athens on Quinpool. Good spanokapita. Spent the late afternoon and early evening at the Khyber, working on some forms and helping Helen dismantle her show. Thierry came and went and moved his wheelbarrows in a flash. An easily movable show, if not as compact and portable as Helen’s.
I’m up early this morning to get either Mathew or Jamie to drive to NSCAD so we can borrow some easels for the portraits today. I didn’t hear from either of them last night. Now its snowing.
Sincerely,
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 22 Jan 2001 19:26:28 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Twelve Year-Old CEO On Trade Mission
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Just came back from my first class teaching this term. Ten students showed up, three from my previous two classes. We went over colour theory and made colour wheels tonight, basic yet fundamental tools for oil painting. When I came home Karina, Rebecca and Andrew were watching Ghostbusters. What an odd movie, so eighties.
Spent the day at the Khyber. Received a couple bills for the internet hosting of the website. I made a new email address though; clloyd@khyberarts.ns.ca. You should write me there sometime. And someone from the Police Association of NS came by to collect $70 for an ad for their All-Stars hockey game program. It’s a fund-raiser for cancer research. Mat got talked into it last year and I couldn’t help but agree to do it when they called this year. Mostly out of irony, I think.
The Dirty Dishes started working on the installation of their show today.
Yours Sincerely,
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 22 Jan 2001 05:53:23 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Good Turnout For Mugshots 2 Despite Storm
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I called Mathew early yesterday morning to help me move easels from NSCAD to the Khyber. It was snowing, but it seemed to clear up a bit before noon. It was just the eye of the storm, we ended up with a huge dumping. Mugshots went ahead, as we only had the room available yesterday. Global News covered it, which is good for exposure for the Centre, but I’m sure the weather kept a lot of people away. We did OK, but made less than last time.
Fund-raising is so frustrating. A lot of time and energy for little return.
Back to the drawing board, I guess.
Sincerely,
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 23 Jan 2001 16:56:30 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: S’s To The East, S’s To The West
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
The whole “S – word”, as it is so intelligently referred to, seems to be rearing its head up above the last dumping of snow-stuff to take a look around at the political landscape. Climate-wise, I prefer this over rain, though cycling is more treacherous. Funny though, it is also more fun, like the added bit of danger and risk makes the senses more keenly aware of what they are doing. I’m so glad I received splash pants for Christmas.
I think I am going to re-set my alarm to CBC Radio 1. I would much rather wake up in the morning to some classical music than news reports of twelve year-olds beating each other with brass knuckles and more assasination-type murders in the Gaza Strip. Is that escapist? Neil Postman once wrote “The news elicits from you a variety of opinions about which you can do nothing except to offer them as more news, about which you can do nothing”. Quite pessimistic, isn’t it?
Sincerely,
chris lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 24 Jan 2001 19:21:33 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Worse Than Bits Of Red Rags
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Karina was feeling quite ill today, and went back to bed before I left for work. She has a dry cough. I hope she feels better soon, it is no fun being sick when one is really busy with schoolwork. She has also been quite busy developing some of Rebecca’s photographs for her show at the Khyber.
Work was work. Paul Greenhalgh stopped by afterwards to discuss starting a poetry group at the Khyber Club. That would be a boost to one of the slow nights, maybe Thursdays. When he left, Craig, Winnie and I walked up to Argyle Fine Art to take a look at the new art. There is an opening Saturday of “Eight Emerging Artists”. Some OK stuff, but nothing shocking. Rebecca, Sarah, Ben, Caitrian and Shelley Mansel are some of the artists showing. There doesn’t seem to be a willingness on the part of the commercial gallery scene here in Halifax to push exposure of more experimental or confrontational works. Probably because there may not be a market for it, and as we know, the market rules. Or is that dictates?
Rebecca heard yesterday that her grandfather just died. She is going to Chicago tomorrow, and will be back on Sunday. Karina will continue to develop her prints for the show at the Khyber, as it opens on Monday.
We watched The Nature of Things tonight on CBC. It was a shame to watch the footage of the Galápagos Islands with the knowledge that there has just been a huge spill of diesel oil offshore. Man, we just keep getting in the way, don’t we?
Sincerely,
-chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 26 Jan 2001 05:09:00 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: How To Aid An Earthquake Victim
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
After work yesterday I biked to Pavel and Clara’s to paint their kitchen cupboards. I have to go back on Sunday to paint the ceiling and the walls. I am booked up with meetings and other jobs until Sunday. Pavel expressed interest in starting a restaurant in the Khyber Club. I will meet with him sometime next week to talk more about it.
Good news about the gala: CBC is on as a presenting sponsor. Hopefully others I have approached will follow.
I am on my way out the door. Karina needs help with Rebecca’s prints today. They are so big Karina needs someone to adjust the enlarger while she checks the focus. I have to pay our power bill first, before they chop it off.
Sincerely,
-Chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 26 Jan 2001 17:47:30 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Big Mergers Mean Big Job Losses
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Just came back from a building committee meeting. Am feeling a bit run down. Hope I am not coming down with the cold Karina has had all week. I helped her a bit this morning with Rebecca’s prints. It was slow going.
Bethany called from The Coast today and said that they are keen to sponsor the Gala. I am meeting her on Monday to go over details.
Things are looking up in regards to building improvement. Marieke is keen to start work on the third floor skylight and Ray had very helpful comments to make about the floor. He also has tools, skills, connections to the NSCAD woodshop and a truck. Dan is eager to help, too. We may get a lot of stuff done next month, providing the city okays the work. I will send a letter to Cardinal Management on Monday outlining materials required.
I work with Daryl tomorrow. I should try to get to bed early tonight. I’m going to make Karina some ginger root tea first.
Sincerely,
-Chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 27 Jan 2001 18:29:57 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Hoses And Rubber Bullets For IMF Protesters
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Had a nice conversation with Krishna, who called from London early this morning. I was just on my way out when he called, but I was still at work early enough. I worked with Darrell at the Sheraton Hotel Convention Ballroom today. We were decorating for a fund-raiser for Symphony Nova Scotia. I spent most of the day affixing a 40-foor Canadian Flag to the back of the stage and arranging fabric displays in the front lobby. The theme was “Around the World in 80 Minutes” and the main decorations included really large helium-filled balloons in netting with little baskets hanging below.
I was hoping to go to see the Rheostatics play tonight at the Marquee, but Karina is still feeling quite ill and not up to going out. Besides, it would cost $15 each at the door. I checked my account today and Judy still hasn’t put the rest of my money in. I also forgot to cash my paycheck yesterday, so I am broke this weekend.
Sincerely,
Chris
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 29 Jan 2001 05:37:31 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: No Survivors To Be Found
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I’m sort of in a rush, heading down to the Khyber to meet Robert. He and Mathew are installing surveillance equipment for their opening in the Closet tonight. I am meeting Bethany at some point this morning to go over some of the sponsorship details.
Yesterday I finished painting Clara and Pavel’s kitchen. It didn’t take too long. Karina was still feeling sick so we just made supper and hung out in the evening. I watched some short films on ifilm.com. Karina was feeling so lethargic she actually watched the Super Bowl. We watched the new Survivor TV show afterwards, and it put me over the edge. I now want to purge the desire to watch any TV from my system. It makes me so angry, how contrived it is.
Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
From: frottage@canada.com
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Date: 30 Jan 2001 19:29:39 PST
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Guardian Angel Fails Ottawa Woman; Russian Diplomat A Bad Person
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Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Well, its official. After Karina spent the last week and a half with a wicked cold, she is getting better while I am getting sick. It hit me yesterday while everyone was running around, frantically getting the shows pulled together. I had to bike to Strawberry Hill Road to drop off a cheque to Save-On-Fuel, as we were desperately low. That probably didn’t help.
The openings went well, lots and lots of people showed up, it went late, I got drunk from sucking red wine from an IV tube that Mathew and Robert were distributing from The Closet. They were in there for two hours, it was a really neat set-up involving surveillance cameras, video and sound.
I dragged Karina off to The Marquee afterwards as I was convinced I needed to hear Joel Plaskett play for the final night of Month of Mondays. Karina was not impressed with my behavior; I got really nasty. I had no idea the wine would hit me that hard, but I guess that’s what happens when you suck it from a tube.
Did nothing at work today but lie on the couch, alternately shivering and sweating from Hot and Cold Flashes, and went directly to bed when I got home. I’m having some Neo Citran now and going back to bed, I can’t afford to lose a week or more to this cold.
Sincerely,
Chris Lloyd
DEAR PM 