From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan voted top news story of 2002» Gun-owning protesters arrested after flouting firearms law on Parliament Hill» New Year welcomed with polar bear dips, newborn babies and gun-law protest
Date : Thu, 02 Jan 2003 00:00:53 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Happy New Year. I have yet to make any resolutions. Today was a recuperation day. Woke with a bit of a hangover but nothing too bad, considering the amount of alcohol consumed last night, and the late hour we all came in. Interestingly enough, we all came home together, like a big happy family. We danced at the Khyber until past 3am, then had a big snowball fight and played “king of the Castle” atop a huge pile of snow in a parking lot on the way home. Peter B stayed overnight on the couch and we talked about the show in Saint John and artist fees over coffee while waiting for Karina and Rebecca to wake up. Then we all went to the Granite Brewery for lunch. Karina revealed to me that she was buying me non-alcoholic beer all night at the Khyber. I had only noticed that the beer tasted horrible. The 2 bottles of red wine, shots of whiskey and beer at Your Fathers Moustache were enough for me. We watched half of the hockey game but I hardly remember any of it; I think Karina and I ended up having a long conversation about our relationship, though I’m not sure. I’ll ask her about it tonight. We were amongst the first to get to the Khyber and I danced for almost five hours straight, it was fun and hot and sweaty and sexy.
This afternoon we wanted to veg out with a bad movie, so we rented The Count of Monte Christo. It was really, really bad, very typical Hollywood schlock.. Made supper and had a brief power nap, then Andrew came over and the whole house played a game of Tour de Force. Mohanad, Courtney and I lost by 25 spaces. Then I finally watched Annie Hall. I quite enjoyed it. Even Woody Allen’s perpetual whining didn’t quite bother me so much. Great cameos. Good prep for immanent relationship discussions.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Windsor, Ont., judge rejects pot charge in potential landmark case» Suspected killer of Canadian ship captain detained at Chinese port» RCMPchecks tips in FBI manhunt case but says no evidence of Canadian link
Date : Fri, 03 Jan 2003 01:58:53 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Just back from another night at the ol’ Khyber Club. Karina and I were part
of the five-member audience that turned out for the Goody B. Wiseman video
screening and Gordon B. Isnor musical evening. Maybe the snowstorm earlier
in the day kept people away, or maybe it was the lack of advertising, or the
bad timingSˇ or maybe it was Gordon’s singing. Whatever the cause of the low
turnout, for some reason we stayed late and Karina drank lots of
Jagermeister. Talked to Goody about San Francisco and depression and art and
writing about her Bathroom Gallery show. Her video was a collaboration with
other members of the MFA program she is in and was really, really wonky;
lots of over-the-top effects, and interesting and frugal use of props.
Bizarre and twisted storyline.
Had a bit of a strange day overall. Realized early this morning that I could
not locate my keys and that I either left them at work New Years Eve or lost
them while playing King of the Castle. Didn’t find them at the snow hill and
couldn’t even get into the Khyber until after noon, and couldn’t find them
there either. So for now they are lost. Met Spencer and we went over more
office procedures but it is going slower and is more unfocused than I would
like. Talked to Tom Scott about scheduling for his Lunchbox Theatre in the
Turret for the next few months. Talked to Sally on the phone and made plans
for coffee later in the afternoon. We walked up to Steve-O-Renos after
making some bank deposits but it was closed due to the poor weather
conditions. We talked about New Years, books and films. I really enjoy
spending time with her but still find I think about her too much. She is
going away to the States for a course for almost all of January and even
though I will miss her I think it might help if there is some distance
between us. Maybe that is wishful thinking. I need to get focused on
spending some time making my own art. I told Goody that the paintings are a
foil to the real work; I have no idea what that may be. I have to figure it
out; I don’t think the portraits are that strong, and the letter-writing
itself has been bothering me for some time. I feel it compromises too mush,
is inherently flawed and lacks cohesiveness. In short, I think it’s crap.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Gun registry critics urge lawful protest after Edmonton anthraxscare» Tests underway to identify substance in anthrax hoax at Edmonton post outlet» World oil troubles leave Canadian drivers grumbling about high gas prices
Date : Sat, 04 Jan 2003 01:04:47 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Rebecca came home from Wade company with the enlarged photocopies while I was eating breakfast. We unrolled them on her bedroom floor and stood on her desk looking down at them in order to best appreciate their size. The ‘gazillion’ piece must be over 12 feet long. Accompanied Rebecca and Courtney to the library as they were to gather names and addresses from a Saint John phone book. I had to go to work to meet Spencer and finalise the mailout and continue with some training. It was a bit of a blitz of a day, but everything happened that needed to; the invites were printed, all material photocopied that needed to be, envelopes stamped, addressed and stuffed, all the while going over the tasks that need to happen over the next week. Spencer looked a little shell-shocked at the end of the day. Karina had been helping with some of the mailout and offered to make sushi and left early to gather some needed ingredients.
Spencer and I swung by Biscuit after work to talk to Tashia about her work for the show. She had been working all week and hadn’t finished her bookwork, so she is going to courier it. That makes it a total of four of the works still due to arrive by mail between Monday and Wednesday. What, me worry?
Organized and packed for a bit, and thought about calling Sally to see how her grant-writing is going. She leaves tomorrow, was barely packed today and was planning to write a grant proposal tonight. I’m giving myself a week after coming back from Saint John to complete mine. But I didn’t call her. She usually lets her machine answer. We didn’t really get a chance to say goodbye today, though we did go hunting for a rotting mouse carcass in the basement that I had smelled earlier. It sort of upsets me when the little critters die on that awful sticky paper. Looking for the mouse made me feel a bit like a kid again. Weird.
Smoked a little with Courtney and Mohanad and hung out in the furnace room. We were all envisioning fun things we can turn the basement into; studios, site-specific installation areas, residency and events locations, workrooms.
Andrew is staying over tonight in the living room. He thinks we should wait out the expected storm and take the bus to Saint John on Sunday. I’m still planning to be up at 6am; maybe the storm won’t be as bad as they forecast. Earlier I was moaning about the 7 hour bus ride and the fact that we can’t take a train the whole way, and bad weather could make the trip much longer, but now I’m thinking it would be nice to get some time to relax and read. It would be easier to read on the train, though.
Am getting paranoid about a lot of things again; the reception the show will have in Saint John, the amount of work that needs to happen at the Khyber, money, making bad art, compromising the people I care about with these letters, my level of intelligence and grasp on reality; you know, the usual. I spoke to Grant Kerr from the Telegraph Journal today and really pushed the Drawing Club guerrilla art mailout; his editor really liked it too and know they want a photographer to get a picture of Rebecca with a bunch of the doodled on envelopes. Now I’m paranoid because I don’t think I have prepared myself for this level of publicity. Maybe extra time on the road will allow me to meditate a bit, clear my head. Wishful thinking?
Earlier tonight Yaga jumped through the open trap door to the basement below. It seemed to really freak him out; he scooted into each of the rooms making weird meowly noises. It must be disconcerting to drop into a whole different universe like that.
Have to go pack.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Gun registry critics urge lawful protest after Edmonton anthrax scare» Hundreds fill Que. church to mourn deaths of siblings left alone during fire» Testsunderway to identify substance in anthrax hoax at Edmonton post outlet
Date : Sat, 04 Jan 2003 23:04:24 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
We woke up before 6am to check on the weather and the snowstorm had just started. We debated leaving on the 7am bus but decided to wait and see what the roads were like at noon. By 11am they were worse. I called Acadian lines and they said the buses were leaving on time, there were no cancellations, but that the trip may take longer. Karina and I made a somewhat valiant attempt to catch the 12:45pm bus but by the time we had gathered up all our things and gone to the bank we were too late. Went back to the apartment and decorated more envelopes. Stewed about in a bit of a bad mood; over the delay, the storm, our discussion last night, my emotions, the usual. My lack of communication has come up as a topic again and again. I just don’t want to face up to how I think I’m really feeling. So I busied myself with work-like activities: sifted through old email and made some more notes for Spencer. Made some food. Watched Courtney and Andrew build a snow fort in the back yard. Courtney sprayed it with water from the outdoor hose. Went to the video store with Mohanad and rented Red Dawn and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.. We have been talked about Red Dawn for days; it seems to fit the current climate of war mongering happening down south. We watched Hedwig was to balance out our psyches after the pointless, brainless, badly-acted and horribly scripted Red Dawn. Worked on the computer some more, Rebecca is helping finalise the Raw/Beauty essay. I have a feeling I won’t finish it tonight, she has already made some insightful comments and asked difficult questions. Karina and I are going to try to catch the 6am bus tomorrow..
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Canada considers joining attack on Iraq without UN authorization» December unemployment rate unchanged despite job growth» B.C.’s failedfast ferries set to go under auction hammer at fraction of cost Date : Fri, 10 Jan 2003 09:48:04 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
We made it back late last night. Caught the 3pm bus to Moncton and then had a three hour stopover. Ate a frugal dinner at Deluxe Fish n’ Chips and regretted it almost immediately; too much grease! We wandered Highfield Square Mall; aged mall-rats.
Too much has happened the past few days so I’ll try to summarize: Arrived Sunday and hung out with Judy, Peter and Robyn. Was the Arts Centre all day Monday getting a feel for the space. There is a baby grand piano with a faux wood paneled foam cover that resides in the gallery; have to work around it. Also about 100 chairs get stacked behind moveable walls in the gallery. Met Tim, one of the directors and the one who knows everything about the lights, plugs, tools, etc. He exudes the aura of a control freak. He also owns the piano. Visited John and printed off a bunch of posters to put up around town that night.
On Tuesday met Tim at the Arts Centre at 6:30am; he comes by at this time every day to check on the building and putter around. Painted the big baby on the wall, sketched out the positions for Tim’s animals, re-adjusted some of the Drawing Club pictures. Carol came later in the morning to help. Later in the day Tim yelled at her for trying to turn the gallery lights on by herself. Later that evening he called me at Judy’s and wanted to know if the drawing of the person vomiting on Brad Pitt’s head was going to be in the exhibition; if it was, he wanted me to take it out, as there were elementary school kids visiting the show next week and he wouldn’t want kids to even doodle such things themselves, let alone see them. My Dad came by after reffing a basketball game and had supper with us, then we dropped Karina off at her sisters house and I spent the night at my parents.
Wednesday I drove mom to work and drove myself back into town. Final prep at the gallery. Tashia’s work arrived but Ben and Genevieve’s didn’t. We believe it may have been held up at customs. Finished the lighting. Did a CBC TV interview. They took a lot of close-up shots of Hannah’s work. Karina and I finished formatting the brochure and I took it to John’s to be printed twenty minutes before the opening. Carol and other volunteers had them all folded in about five minutes.
The opening was swell; a good turnout, considering the time (5pm), the day (Wednesday), and the weather conditions (snowing and slippery roads). I gave a speech and a description of each of the pieces in the show. Jack asked questions about the Khyber and Canada Council funding and artists fees. I thought he had been planted but Judy told me later he was acting on his own. I’m really glad he was there. Lots of younger people, too. The satisfied expressions, the glowing grins, made it all worth it. Stayed until 7:30, then back to Judy’s for supper. Talked to Peter a lot about art, and fees, and work. Debbie came over and we talked for hours, finally leaving to go to O’Leary’s.. She came with us. Karina had dressed up with her favourite red wig and nice skirt, stockings and wicked boots she borrowed from Judy. Open mic was a bit thin; Brent leaves early nowadays as he has a day-job with Canada Post.
Thursday we slept in a bit, then packed, got ready and headed to the gallery to take slides. Stopped at Grant’s to talk and borrow a tripod. Karina went up to document the show and I visited John, then my dad at work to borrow money so we could take a bus home. At the gallery Karina realized that our camera is broken again and went back to Grant to borrow his. I collected our stuff from Judy’s apartment while Karina finished the photos, and met her at the bus station. Julie, who works with Judy a few days each week, was catching the same bus to Moncton to visit her boyfriend so we chatted the whole way.
I have been reading Michael Winter’s This All Happened, again, only this time backwards.
Have lots to do at the Khyber today. Also plan to write a letter to the BoD of the Saint John Arts Centre explaining the importance of exhibition fees.
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Rock drops plan to run for Liberal leadership, says he can’t beat Martin» Paul Martin insists Liberal leadership race not sewn up» Copps will likely scoop up ideologues from Rock camp: analyst Date : Wed, 15 Jan 2003 00:04:12 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Sorry I haven’t written lately. Things have been hectic. Rebecca has been
spending long hours in front of the computer completing her MFA application
to York, and when she hasn’t been on the computer the cable has been
disconnected and spliced into our TV to facilitate Star Trek marathons. I
have been getting into the routine of spending time in the studio, put
weather-stripping and plastic on the windows and am getting used to the
somewhat chilly, yet liveable atmosphere down there. Have been trying to get
a couple newer paintings completed to get slides and apply for a
presentation grant. The deadline is tomorrow. Also have to prepare for my
Con Ed class. Had a board meeting tonight and a couple smaller meetings this
afternoon.
Ben and Genevieve’s work arrived in Saint John and my dad dropped it off at
the printers; now I just need to call John with the instructions and get
Carol to install the work. Have to make plans for striking the show as well..
The appointment Karina and I had scheduled with Dalhousie Counselling
services has been changed to Thursday. I am confused as to where things
stand now, as everything has seemed fine lately. We have been more intimate
than usual, especially since the arrival of a new goosedown duvet,
compliments Karina’s mom. Karina has wanted one of those ever since I met
her. A belated Christmas gift. Now it is even harder to get Karina out of
bed.
Speaking of which, I should head off. I have an early morning meeting with
Peter at the Khyber to update the payroll tables and then have class to
prepare for and a grant to write.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Tory leadership race takes on a face as MP, lawyer announcecandidacies» Ontario, Toronto cops slam Ottawa for failing to develop child porn strategy» Amid news ban, attendance wanes at Pickton serial murder hearing
Date : Fri, 17 Jan 2003 00:14:15 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
I was hoping to wake up early and write to you this morning, but our alarm
clock was screwed up. You know how we set the time ahead about 45 minutes?
Well, this morning it was actually about fifteen minutes behind. Karina and
I had an appointment at Dalhousie Counselling Services this morning at 10:30
and we just barely made it on time. It was a very productive session; our
counsellor David was clear and asked good questions and made fairly
objective assessments. We talked about how Karina and I view our
relationship from slightly different perspectives, and about my recent
infatuation with Sally. He sent us away after more than an hour to work on
“bonding” exercises, such as talking about good art or having sex. We are
meeting him again next week.
I spent most of yesterday planning for my first Mixed Media class of the
season and finishing up my provincial grant application. The class went
well; there are a dozen students enrolled. I showed slides and we did a
collage still life as a starting project. I hope most of the class returns.
Went to the Khyber office and finished my grant application. The hardest
part for me is always the project description. I was applying for money to
help propoerly frame the Jean Chrétien paintings for the upcoming AGNS show..
Today Karina took slides of a few of the more recent paintings I have done;
a few of the slides will be included late in my grant application. Had
coffee with Rebecca at Steve-O-Renos. Karina and I were going to check out
the big closing out sale at DJs‹the “big box” stores have had an impact on
independent shoes and jackets retailers‹but there was a huge lineup to get
in. They are open until Saturday. We went to the Italian Market for some
groceries. Had some sushi for supper when we got home. Worked in the studio
for awhile and spent time looking through Italian Renaissance paintings.
-chris
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From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Leslie Nielsen, David Cronenberg, Stephen Lewis named to Order ofCanada» Iraq weapons find proves UN process works and has Canada’s support: McCallum» B.C. premier avoids talk of drunk-driving arrest in speech to loggingcontractors
Date : Sat, 18 Jan 2003 01:58:01 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Am feeling a little bit tipsy after a night of drinks at the Khyber and then
Tom’s Little Havana. Karina and I went to the CFAT scholarship screenings at
the du Maurier and the Turret Room. They were ok, about what you’d expect
for many first-time videographers. Some good sound pieces.
Spent most of the day in the basement studio. Went to Loomis and Toles and
bought some supplies through gift certificates. Hung out at the Khyber for a
bit, talked t Spencer, and sat in on an impromptu meeting with Mike
regarding the lease. He seems anxious tat we sign in the next couple weeks,
so we can move forward on the floor renovations.
Am planning to attend the peace march tomorrow at the Commons. Am getting
sick of the US war rhetoric. Hate George Bush, what an asshole. Am a bit
drunk, so probably shouldn’t say much more.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Canadian peace movement gains momentum as thousands gathernationwide» Liberals concerned leadership contest will become coronation for Paul Martin» Federal Liberals in B.C. vote to alter party membership rules
Date : Sun, 19 Jan 2003 11:33:04 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Woke up late yesterday morning and went immediately to the Commons to join in the Peace Rally. Gabbed a sign (it read “aggression oils terrorism”) and was handed a white armband. Hung around while more people showed up, then found Andrew and Rebecca in the crowd. After a few attempts at rousing cheers we began marching. There was a great turnout‹over 1500‹and we marched downtown, occupying whole city blocks at times. I left the march after we wound up on Spring Garden Road, as my hands were getting painfully cold. I don’t have very good gloves. I spoke to a few bystanders afterwards who were quite impressed (one said how “proud” she was of Halifax) with the size and scope of the march. Will it have an effect?
Spent the rest of the day snacking, cleaning parts of the apartment, and working in the studio in the basement. Have completed a couple paintings in the new style, but am struggling on a third‹the one featuring you getting a “Statesman of the year” award from Henry Kissenger. The foreground and background are Ok, but I keep messing up the placement of your mouth.
For evening schlocky entertainment Karina had rented Death Becomes Her, good only for a few chuckles.
Plan to spend today alternating between the studio and the bathroom, as Karina has already begun the patching and is planning to paint today.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Judge declares mistrial in case of Canadian who fought for Serb army» Ontario Premier Eves scraps sale of Hydro One; says public control vital» Eight skiers dead, others rescued in avalanche in eastern B.C. mountains
Date : Mon, 20 Jan 2003 23:18:28 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Turned my alarm off after the first ring this morning and almost slept
through my doctor’s appointment. Luckily, our clock is back to the usual
forty minutes fast so I had time to shower, shave (poorly), and eat some
breakfast. Caught the #1 bus to the North End Clinic. Had about a
forty-minute wait. The appointment went really fast; I had thought physicals
would be more thorough. I did the whole gamut of blood tests and a swab
(that was a bit weird), but forgot to take a canister for my urine sample.
Dr. Patriquin is really quite nice and personable. She is making an
appointment for me to see a dermatologist to look at some of my moles and
referred me to a physiotherapist to see about exercises for my back..
Walked home, had lunch, and worked in the studio. Took a break and decided
to paint the bathroom. Karina came home from school just as I was finishing
and started to prepare sushi. Mohanad drove me to Sobeys so I could pick up
a few groceries. We ate while watching King of the Hill. Smoked a joint and
continued working in the studio. Took a break from the studio and rolled a
second coat of paint on the bathroom walls. Started feeling paranoid again;
about my life, relationships, artwork, everything.
Am going to try to go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : McLellan wants medicare expanded to cover home care, some drugcosts» Canada’s multicultural mosaic more colourful, crowded than ever: 2001 census» B.C. avalanche that killed seven skiers was ‘tragic fluke,’ says survivor
Date : Wed, 22 Jan 2003 00:11:07 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Slept in until 10am this morning. Lazed about the house; had breakfast, read
some of the new Harpers, drank coffee, planned my class for tomorrow night,
decorated the bathroom a bit more. Rebecca and I made plans to meet Karina
at the AGNS in the afternoon. We walked down; it was frigid out! And I
couldn’t wear my insulated rubber boots because someone in the apartment had
left their wet and dripping shoes on the shelf directly above, and soaked
them, so I was wearing my sneakers, which I usually wear in the basement,
and my feet were chilled. We met Karina and Peter in the AGNS giftshop.
Sophie at the front desk offered us passes into the Group of Seven show; I’m
sure we wouldn’t have gone in otherwise. We were there to see the Sobeys Art
Award show. The David Hoffos pieces really blew us away. We stayed in the
cramped galleries r most of our visit; breezed through G of 7 on the way
down. Rebecca and I devised a plan to make our own “audio tour” for a
gallery; it would be done in the style of regular in-house audio tours, but
with our snide and sarcastic comments. We’re going to develop this idea
further and maybe it will work as a proposal for a CFAT scholarship. We
tried to get on the CFAT website later in the evening but it didn’t seem to
be workingSˇor exist anymore. Anyway, after G of 7 we visited Michael in the
Artist in Residence studio and chatted a bit, then had coffee at Cheapside
just before they closed.
Walked back home and met up with Mohanad and he drove Karina, Courtney and I
to Home Depot. My first time. Courtney hasn’t slept in 32 hours. The place
is gargantuan. Courtney and I played bumper cars with the big, bright orange
shopping carts. He bough wood for a shelf; I bought some Russion Spruce
finished plywood, which just barely fit in Mohanad’s car, a small Firefly
which barely does 90 on the highway. It’s a cute car.
Came home, made supper (had to throw out the mussels I had bought yesterday
and forgot to eat: they were all open), sketched out the dimensions of a few
more paintings and cut down a recent one. Added the labels to my recent
batch of slides. Have to email my class and get to bed. Karina has run some
bathwater for me so I had better hurry before it gets too cool.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Federal health proposal would create fund for high-priority areas» Bitter wind-chill values and closed schools as cold snap grips most of Canada» Layton says experience in Canada’s biggest city good training to lead NDP
Date : Thu, 23 Jan 2003 18:25:58 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
The cold snap continues. Yesterday I met Trevor and Karina at noon and we had lunch at the Bluenose. Dropped slides off at NSACPC office as well as to Ray at AGNS for him to send to Canadian Art’s Fast Forward. Picked out slides at NSCAD for my class and spent time at the Khyber with Spencer, going over the consistently long and growing list of things to do. Came home, made some gel medium transfer tests, made a quick supper and then headed to class. The process didn’t take all that well and I felt disappointed; hopefully I can recoup next week.
Both Karina and I had strange dreams last night. We woke up this morning with time to have breakfast before our appointment with David. We got off to a slow start; with only an hour per session, we are going to have to learn to hit the ground running. We did get into that sticky topic known as “love”. He presented a nice triad definition; that love is a balance between passion, emotion and commitment. It reminded me of what Sally told me about love; that love was what remained after everything else.
Hung out at the Dalhousie Art Gallery for awhile after our appointment, looking at the prints of Betty Goodwin. Gave me some more ideas for the Mixed Media class.
Spent the afternoon working in the studio, mostly re-arranging, putting up shelves and making a second work station. Cut up the plywood into six various sized panels; ready for painting! Am right now about to make supper while waiting for Karina to come home. There is an opening tonight at Dal that I would like to go to; the artist’s name is Shelley Miller from Montreal and she will be showing a ceiling full of hand-carved aluminum cake pans. Should be fun.
Plan to begin more work on the paintings tonight.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Layton becomes new NDP leader with stunning first-ballot win» NDP looks to energetic Layton as saviour despite lack of federal experience» More than 100 prisoners stage riot, light fires at Montreal DetentionCentre
Date : Sat, 25 Jan 2003 23:20:16 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Spencer called me yesterday morning with news that the Club had been broken
into and robbed during the night. I went down after breakfast to assess the
situation, though there wasn’t much for me to do. The police were there and
it appeared that the perp climbed a big snowbank to get to the very back
window and break in. The odd thing was that it didn’t set off the motion
sensor. Spent the afternoon playing phone tag and trying to reach the
security and insurance companies, and reading through contracts and our
policy. Had lunch at the Med. Came home and prepared sushi for Andréa’s
birthday party. Made her a card based on the newspaper photo of you, which
was quite funny. Mohanad drove Karina and I to Andréa’s and we stayed until
late. When Karina’s sushi was gone we tucked into Jeremy’s. We ate cake and
chocolate fruit fondu and drank beer and wine and chatted and had fun.
Grabbed a cab home and almost smoked some catnip by mistake; luckily
Courtney caught my blunder.
Woke up reasonably early this morning and set to work prepping the living
room for paint. Mohanad drove me to Piercey’s and we selected paint, grabbed
coffees from Steve-O-Renos and then grabbed a couple goodies from Julien’s
for Rebecca and Karina. Spent the afternoon putting three coats of paint on
the living room walls (one primer coat and two finish coats) while listening
to the excellent CBC radio coverage of the NDP leadership convention. I was
as surprised as anyone that Jack got it on the first ballot; I thought it
would be a much closer race. I wished I had thought of getting a membership
so I could have participated in the voting; maybe next time.
Mohanad had bought some pine to make a bigger and better bookcase in the
living room and I took over assembling it when he and Rebecca went to her
mom’s for supper. He has plans to mount it on the wall, so currently our
books are all over the couch. I put up a few of the paintings in the living
room and touched up the edging in the bathroom, but the renos have ground to
a halt. Karina has booked a car for tomorrow; we are planning a 24-hour
excursion to Saint John to dismantle the exhibition. We have to be back by
Monday at noon. Andrew and Courtney may come with us. I should go pack with
the tools we need; the sander, and paint supplies.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Chretien won’t say if second UN vote needed to authorize war onIraq» Liberals to discuss Chretien’s party financing bill at key Tuesday meeting» Klein announces plan to create Alta stability fund, pay off $5.3 billion debt
Date : Tue, 28 Jan 2003 00:45:19 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Our 24-hour blitz of a trip to Saint John went fairly smooth, despite the
weather conditions. The roads were slippery and quite snowy around Moncton
both there and back, so we were a little behind schedule both there and
back. Carol and her husband Gerry and there daughter were at the arts centre
when we arrived. Andrew helped take down the posters and I sanded off Jo’s
baby and prepped the walls for painting; the whole undertaking was less than
2 hours. There was no article in Here; there is some strange politicking at
work.
We couldn’t go to Judy’s due to Peter’s recent death in his family; his
mother just passed away and he has just returned from Holland and they
weren’t really ready for visitors. I couldn’t reach my folks until after we
ate at Tapps; they had been in Fredericton for the weekend. We visited with
Loesje and family for awhile at their new house; it is huge, and has some
dramatic ancient wallpaper. Karina was upset because her brother Robert was
in town but neglected to get hold us. We spent the night at my folks,
hitting the road by eight o’clock this morning.
Spent the afternoon relaxing and unwinding from the drive; read an essay on
art criticism from October that I downloaded off the web and printed, and
had a nice nap in the newly-painted living room. It was a bit stressful to
drive with such a deadline (we had to have Karina at work and the car back
by noon), though the drive was a little bit nicer thanks to the upgrade. We
had requested an economy model and got a Lincoln Towncar instead! All the
useless luxuries you would expect, and then some‹though the satellite
monitoring wasn’t hooked up. And there was no TV or kitchen appliances.
Smooth ride though. Horrible on gas; over $90 to fill it twice. Yikes; our
funds our vanishing quickly.
Went to the openings at the Anna; some jewelry shows, some photos and new
paintings of “sushi” bu Sara Cale that were nice. Had a few beers back at
the ‘ol Khyber Club before coming home and spending the rest of the
evening/night in the studio. I feel that the more time I spend on the
acrylic paintings the more my skills regress; it is like paint-by-numbers.
Maybe that is a good thing, but maybe not; I haven’t decided yet. Anyway, I
should be able to finish “Bush rips corporate America” by tomorrow.
Listened to Hans Blix on the radio today; it sounds to me that if a
continued, dedicated and supportive effort is made to keep UN inspectors in
Iraq that eventually the so-called “weapons of mass destruction” will be
ferreted out without needing to go to war. Also listened to a bit of Saddam
Hussein background on “ideas”; he sounds like a classic bully. He’s probably
confused by the erratic shifting of positions the ‘States have gone through
regarding him and Iraq over the years.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Ottawa using Sept. 11 to strip Canadians of privacy rights:federal watchdog» Chretien ignores critics, brings in bill to limit corporate political donations» Chretien government maintains wait-and-see policy amid debate over Iraq
Date : Wed, 29 Jan 2003 22:49:48 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Sorry I didn’t write last night. Ended up staying at the Khyber Club drinking with Sarah. It was the first time we had a chance to hang out and talk since New Years. Came home around midnight and felt the urge to rent a cheesy movie; picked up The Others and watched it with Courtney. It wasn’t very good, especially knowing the ‘catch’‹that Nicole Kidman and her kids are ghosts‹ahead of time. Went to bed around 3:30am; Karina was still at school..
Woke up early this morning and worked on the computer. Needed to come up with images from the Raw/Beauty show for here newspaper, but have misplaced my slides. Found some digital images and Andrew sent me some he had taken this past weekend. Worked in the studio for a bit; have 2 new paintings near completion, just need to finish some facial details and fill in the lettering. Made a $25 pledge to CKDU during Lukas Pearce’s radio show.
Went to the Khyber this afternoon to meet with Spencer, Craig and the Alliance security rep, Norm Fenn the Third. Norm was late and admitted he had forgotten when I called to see where he was. He re-scheduled for later in the afternoon but I ended up missing him; I went to NSCAD to get slides for my class tonight and to look for colourless blenders. Unfortunately, the bookstore didn’t have the blenders, and neither did Loomis and Toles. Bought some oil of wintergreen instead. Ran into Mohanad and Courtney on my way home and we drove to Staples; no colourless blenders there either.
Came home, made supper and tested the oil of wintergreen; it works fine for photocopy transfers, it is just a little harder to control and smells quite strong.
A lower turnout for class tonight, only seven. Everyone was keen to continue working on their collages from last week so we never actually looked at the slides.
Came home and watched some Kids in the Hall episodes Mohanad has on tape. Karina has gone out for snacks; we are planning to watch Rosemary’s Baby tonight: a real horror movie.
-chris
From : chris lloyd <chrislloyd5676@hotmail.com>
To : jean chretien <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Subject : Current UN resolution enough to authorize Iraq attack, Chretiensays» Corporate restructuring officer to head Defence Department audit» Tory MPBrison joins party leadership race on fiscally conservative agenda
Date : Fri, 31 Jan 2003 02:58:46 -0400
Dear Mr. Chrétien,
Karina and I had our appointment with David this morning. When we arrived we realized he had double-booked us, but the other girl graciously switched her time. It was still a condensed session as we started late and he had a group session immediately afterwards. I do find we are both able to jump right into the topic much quicker. I felt a little more agitated today, as the discussion centred mostly on our plans for the future. I don’t know what it is exactly about it that puts me into a mood; either the commitment or just the thought of having to make the plans, to make decisions about schools and faculties and cities and moving. It also brings up practical considerations such as money, and the lack of that often puts me in a mood.
Spent some time on the computer when I came home. Am trying to find descriptions of an embossing process using water and pressure, but can only seem to find more decorative processes using special inks and crystals. I fear I may need a printmakers press to emboss the way I want to, and that isn’t really possible to do in my mixed media class. I spent the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening in the studio. Finished two paintings and started sketching out a new one. I’m still not convinced of this new style and ray hasn’t called to make arrangements to see them yet. I’ll try to have a crit with Rebecca and maybe Sarah by this weekend.
Watched The People VS. Larry Flint, then spent hours on the computer.. Here newspaper published an article on the arts centre that quotes me a fair bit, slightly out of context and over-simplified. They have a web forum and someone had already posted a reply so I spent hours trying to draft one myself. The difficulty with me is trying to come up with a reply that is concise. Hopefully if more people post it will become more of a dialogue.
Karina is still at school, but I’ve got to get myself to bed.
-chris
DEAR PM 