from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca,
date Dec 3, 2007 9:39 PM
subject Winter hammers Canada
Dear Stephen,
School was canceled today, a rarity I had been told before, due to the dumping of snow we received today. Probably more than 30cm of snow. As a result I spent a good chunk of my afternoon shoveling, with my landlord’s shovel. Mostly just keeping the car clear so if I have to move it—I won’t know until the signs are placed, later today, or tomorrow, or the next day—I’ll be able to do so easily. I’m thinking that the next time I need to move the car I’ll take it direct to a Canadian Tire and finally get those winter tires installed.
We had a quiet weekend. Yesterday we washed many loads of laundry at Mousse Café and wrote some more wedding thank-you cards. Last night Caroline and Françoise came over for supper, I baked a chicken and vegetables which gave me bad gas. Too much oil and/or chicken fat. We all watched Tout le monde en parle. Then I finished off my Canada Council grant application using their GO! Grants online. Dropped the disc with images in the mail today. At some point in May I’ll receive my rejection letter.
Today I met Claudine when she finished work and we borrowed Crazy Carpets from Annie and we went to la mont and slid for a bit. It was fun, cold but not too cold. Claudine baked little eggplant and veggie pizzas, and made a red cabbage and barley soup. Probably not going to help the gas situation.
I’m still working on some texts for the Robyn Moody show at SKOL, the article for C Mag, and continual tinkering with the dates for the Sky Vessels show in Saint John. Jen’s pregnancy was unexpected, and she can’t be there for the original dates, so we might bump the opening up. If Tamara can get there from Japan for the March break then even better. Still, a lot of coordination needs to happen…and we’re now 3 weeks before Christmas and I’m already stressed about it. About everything, really. It is the worst time to be poor.
On the positive side, Tricia Middleton contacted me for some picture-hanging work at Concordia this week. Should be quick and easy. And there are job application deadlines this week, the most important being the directorship of the re-newed SBC gallery. The call sounds perfect for me. Almost too perfect. I’ll keep you posted.
In other financial news, I’m still waiting on the VAS bursary and need to send them receipts—ironic, isn’t it, given that one of the objectives of the summit was to improve the financial situation of artists—and still waiting for Peter to send a ROE so I can (maybe) qualify for some EI. The fact that I haven’t completed my taxes for three years might also impede this.
I have to go; CA is on TV at the moment, with that delightful Isabelle Blais.
-chris
—
Chris Lloyd Projects
http://chrislloydprojects.googlepages.com
A Division of ADD Painters:
“we’re here to swerve”
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca,
date Dec 6, 2007 10:16 PM
subject Schreiber wanted funds sent to lawyer
Dear Stephen,
I’ve had a couple days of bizarre work. I don’t even know if I can call it work. Yesterday would qualify, though today was far off. It was Tricia who offered me a couple days of technical work, hanging and moving paintings at Concordia. Yesterday actually required some technical understanding of how to hang paintings. Today all I did was help her move a couple pictures from one building to another. Didn’t even hang them anywhere. It pays ridiculously well for the difficulty level, and time. I was there 2 hours yesterday and about an hour today. The $ will come in handy as you of course know I’m not making it anywhere else, and my EI is still held up in limbo somewhere. I’ll hopefully get my VAS bursary just before we leave for the holidays, and I’ll have some $ from Oboro after painting there and dismantling the walls next week. But that’s it.
I dropped off my CV and letter of interest at the new SBC Gallery in the Belgo building this afternoon. I left my folder with the guy who was about to stain the floors. The place looks swanky; big, heavy wood and glass doors leading into the space. I probably have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting the job.
I fared even worse at Galerie Trois Points. I only had to speak a few phrases of introduction before the director told me they were looking for someone who could write, perfectly, in French. She and I both knew that person was not me; I didn’t even leave my resumé.
I finally received the latest two catalogues from Third Space Gallery. I know Meghan had been busy with the NY trip, and her upcoming studio show, and the members’ show, so I knew they would come eventually. Imagine my horror when I open the envelope, see the crisp colours and feel the smooth, coated stock paper, and open up Kitchen Party to find that the inside page is UPSIDE-DOWN! Aaarg! How could this have happened? Our designer was so careful, and I’m 99% positive that the proof I signed off on was the correct orientation. So now I have to follow up on this embarrassing gaff.
So in other positive news tonight, the city cleared the snow from one side of the street, and it was not the side that I was parked on, and I was home when they cleared it and so managed to move my car to the freshly cleared side, which means I won’t have to scramble for a spot tomorrow night. In our running tally of La Ville de Montréal vs. Christopher, the score is now la Ville: 3 and Christopher: 1. Did I mention we got a parking ticket while attending an opening at a print studio in the Mile End?
I’m tired and going to bed earlier and earlier lately. And waking up earlier and earlier lately…
-chris
—
Chris Lloyd Projects
http://chrislloydprojects.googlepages.com
A Division of ADD Painters:
“we’re here to swerve”
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca,
date Dec 9, 2007 10:01 PM
subject Truck driver charged in fatal crash; Pickton now a convicted serial killer
Dear Stephen,
Have you picked up the current issue of The Walrus? It is all about Canadian cities, and is quite good. That magazine is really put together well. I find good writing inspiring.
How was your weekend? Friday I walked to the Service Canada HRDC office nearby, on Jarry. I had three questions, all of which were shot down / answered briefly in the negative by the receptionist. The questions were, is it better to wait for my ROE from happinez or fill out a separate (better to wait), am I already registered with Emploi Québec so I can avoid paying the $40 re-inscription fee for the January session of francisation (I’m not, and I have to pay), and the third question was regarding Clo, and whether she would qualify as a seasonal worker or would have to look for work during the two months she is laid off (she’ll have to look). So not a very fruitful visit.
Friday night Clo and I went to a party held at the artist Jake Moore’s apartment. The party was to celebrate JR Carpenter, an artist herself and chair of the board at Oboro. Jake’s partner mixed Manhattans and we circulated, talked with guests, usual party stuff. Emily, a girl I met briefly at the VAS, herself a recent emigre to Montréal, was there. I spent the later part of the evening talking to a composer, another Emily, originally from Halifax. Clo and I were amongst the last to leave, she after having fallen asleep on Jake’s dog, Bernadette. It was a very cute scene and I do hope that JR sends me the photos.
Saturday we had Elie over for brunch and a relaxing afternoon. Clo went on an épicerie run and I cooked eggs and bacon. Saturday night we were planning to go to Kiss My Cabaret at Sala Rosa but we lost momentum and stayed inside to watch films. I cooked a steak and pesto pasta with a delicious side salad (the salad Friday night was better, with grilled mushrooms). The first film, Kicking and Screaming, we couldn’t get past the first fifteen minutes. The second film we watched in its entirety but I detested, Stupeur et Tremblements, and the third, Scenes from a Marriage by Bergman, we stopped after fifteen minutes because Clo was falling asleep.
Today I was at Oboro all afternoon helping Rickie-Lee paint the small gallery back to white from black. The primer and one coat of white is just about enough. Tomorrow after class I’ll go and start dismantling the walls.
Clo made a soup/stew tonight, and we watched the Meilleurs Moments de Tout le Monde en Parle 2007. Exciting weekend, let me tell you.
-chris
—
Chris Lloyd Projects
http://chrislloydprojects.googlepages.com
A Division of ADD Painters:
“we’re here to swerve”
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca,
date Dec 15, 2007 1:33 AM
subject Black sentence divides Canadians
Dear Stephen,
It amazes me how specifically out of touch the conservative media is in this country. As Canada is being lambasted on the international stage for its recalcitrance over the emissions targets at the Bali conference, the headlines tonight are about Conrad Black’s prison sentence. No mention of the 100,000+ petition signed in the past three days over your inaction on the Climate Change front; that would only give more credibility to the environmentalists. So finally, some sort of vague compromise if reached; deep cuts, my ass. “They seem to be backing away from being tough guys,” the Canadian source said. “I think we’re in a good zone now.” Yeah, a good zone of being able to shirk whatever responsibilities are thrust upon us. Hey, we blew Kyoto out of the water, so who cares about Bali?
really, your ‘development at all costs’ approach to climate change—tempered as it is, no doubt, by your bizarre adhesion to biblical book of revelations theory—really sickens me. What I don’t understand is that you have young kids, so one would assume that you would want to leave them a world that is still somewhat livable. Oh right—you’ll make sure they are wealthy and can escape the malaise the rest of the world will suffer.
And Mario Dumont, who I should appreciate for the fact that he is suddenly coming out with the most asinine and backwards and ignorant statements that are sure to be the nails in his party’s coffin. I wonder if you regret your cozy relationship with him now? Will you try to distance yourself from him the way you are doing with Brian Mulroney?
I’ll stop now, I’m tired, I’ve had some wine, I’ve baked a cake, bought and wrapped some gifts and waited to meet up with Rebecca and Sarah and it didn’t happen, their evening was delayed and so was everything else. Earlier today, after class, I stopped by the Employment Insurance bureau and dropped off a replacement ROE—because Peter still hasn’t sent mine—and I was told it will take 21 days to process. I’m really backlogging my potential EI payments. Then I spent the afternoon shopping for small gifts for Joanne, as I bought the salad spinner yesterday, but it took all afternoon, I couldn’t make a decision. What is the right book? How would she feel about this or that? I over-question myself.
Anyway, tomorrow we are going to Isle Perrot and having a Noël Famille Hubert style.
-chris
—
Chris Lloyd Projects
http://chrislloydprojects.googlepages.com
A Division of ADD Painters:
“we’re here to swerve”
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca,
date Dec 18, 2007 10:29 PM
subject Ottawa to tighten consumer safety laws
Dear Stephen,
Are congratulations in order, for our reluctant signing of the Bali accord? I was pleased that over 100,000 people signed the AVAAZ petition in less than 3 days. It makes me think optimistically that there might actually be some willing and effort on the part of us citizens to take some serious action on the climate change front. Comparatively—but with far less urgency or hype—1,000 have signed the collective agenda for the visual arts.
We survived and made it home safely from both the Noël weekend with my inlaws and the massive winter storm that dumped almost 60cm of snow on Montréal yesterday. The drive home Sunday was harrowing, but since there wasn’t that much traffic on the road, and most were driving slowly, it passed relatively well.
We stopped at a massive new and used winter sporting goods store on the way home, and rented 2 pairs of raquettes for $60 each for the whole winter. If we like them we can buy them at the end of the season for an additional $60 each. I already took mine for a spin, Sunday night, walking around in the snow taking pictures. Claudine had a girls-only supper with some friends.
So the gift exchange went well, we received far more than we needed or asked for or gave in return (always a source of guilt for me, and much harder this year as I am poorer than ever). Still, the visit with Jo and Phillip and little Nataniel was fun and relaxing, I think, for all. We arrived a bit late Saturday afternoon, after running a few errands, including dropping off all the documentation required for our health cards. They involve just as much time and paperwork as a passport application.
Yesterday was a snow day; no school. I passed the day indoors, working on marriage thank-you cards, the C-magazine text, and washing dishes.
Today I had the first of four exams for my french class. After the exams we played scrabble. I received a scrabble board from Rose Marie for Xmas, as well as a pair of Gilles’ used pyjamas. They are clearly from the 70s but I like them a lot.
I spent a lot of time in the afternoon walking from bank to bank trying to cash my cheque from Oboro for the wall work. I first went to a Caisse Populaire, as the cheque is drawn from a Caisse account, but they wouldn’t cash it; I needed to have my own account. Then I went to a TD but they would still put a 5-day hold on it, and with Xmas next week, after the weekend, that turns into a possible 8-day hold. They said I have to go to the actual Caisse branch on Mont Royal and ask them to certify the cheque; then they would cash it.
Honestly, this sort of nonsense just about makes me go berserk.
And while I’m ranting about money, perhaps you can appreciate the irony in the fact that I have yet to receive my VAS bursary, even after sending in a form and original parking receipts all to recoup my $250 registration fee and some travel expenses. I should have added the three months of VISA interest charges I am paying on top of the registration fee. The irony is that the goal of the summit was to improve the financial situation of visual artists. Ha! They could start by paying the bursaries on time!
-chris
DEAR PM 