from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 6:50 AM
subject ‘Swirly-face’ Canadian suspect denies Thai charges; Bernier-Couillard: l’opposition veut démarrer une enquête
Dear Stephen,
We had a great breakfast at a great restaurant called lili margot, on Belanger, with Rose-Marie and Gilles. The Tour de l’Île was going on so most of the main arteries were closed, so it was an impulsive and unexpected stop. The concept is simple: choose your ingredients from a wide selection, place them in a bowl, and hand them to the chef. Same process for omelets, crêpes and waffles.
Afterwards we were dropped off downtown and headed towards the Musée des beaux arts. We wanted to see the Cuba show, but price of admission was $15 each, with no discounts for other gallery or cultural workers, or artists. That pissed us off and we left without seeing anything. It really burns me up when bloated institutions like that display no flexibility or empathy. How are they actually serving the public and fulfilling their mandate by turning people away at the door? We tried to recoup a better mood through some shopping on Ste-Catherine, finding a replacement shower curtain and hooks at Simons. Eventually the crowds and over-consumption was putting me in a darker mood, so we changed strategy.
We hopped on the metro and headed to the Jardin botanique. It was raining when we re-emerged from the tunnels, so we concentrated our visit on the greenhouses. My favourites were the cactus and the bonzai, though some of the tropical plants were quite amazing, especially those with really, really big leaves. We even bought a few small plants cultivated there.
On our return home we opened a nice bottle of wine and prepared a supper of fresh pasta and flavoured pesto, and had a long Skype conversation with Judith in SJ. She was enjoying her first day off in a month, from her upcoming CBC radio program, Alien Nation. She and Robert seem to be settling into their new house well.
We’re eagerly awaiting summer and our cottage and time away. I bet you’re anxious for a summer vacation too; your government seems to be in a nosedive.
OK, off for another week of DHC renovations.
-chris
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jun 4, 2008 at 10:21 PM
subject Harper will be asked to testify at inquiry; Le gouvernement survit à des votes de confiance
Dear Stephen,
The pace of work has slowed down somewhat now that most of the demolition is complete and the second dumpster removed. We all have guilt complexes from throwing away so much material but the majority was unusable do the liberal application of “Black Death”—the acoustic caulking which was everywhere, and never dries, and never comes off.
The other night after work James and I stopped by the Fonderie Darling, waiting for the sugar-sucking machine to come take Aude Moreau’s Tapis away. The city vacuum truck arrived just as we were leaving; we elected to miss it.
Watched the Pens stay alive in a marathon hockey match the other night, then watched partial bits tonight as the Red Wings finally won the cup. Hockey should end before June.
Claudine and I have both received our 3 copies each of the decentre book, but still no cheques. Welcome to the life of the self-employed writer or artist or translator; one gets paid last, if one gets paid at all.
Speaking of getting paid, I finally got my recent cheque from DHC, it had been languishing on Penny or Phoebe’s desk for signatures all last week. Paid rent, a few bills and voila! C’est deja disparu.
Ate a poutine and hot dog for a late-afternoon snack as I was driving the crew back from Lachine in the big 18-foot truck. I have to get up early again tomorrow to return the truck and the portable plastic dumpster bins.
-chris
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 6:42 AM
subject Shock defeat for Vancouver Mayor; Le gouvernement victime d’une cyberattaque
Dear Stephen,
A heatwave finally struck the city, leaving us lethargic and sticky. Last night, just before heading out to catch a documentary at Cinema du Parc, a snap thunderstorm struck. We took the car, even though the rain was refreshing. The documentary, called Helvetica, was all about the typeface and its impact on not only the world of design but the broader world as well. It could have been condensed into a half-hour TV format, but it was still nice to get out.
Both Saturday and Sunday were massive cleanup and re-organization days for us, as we prepare for subletters and a couple months in the woods. Saturday there was also an artist talk at Oboro by Peter Flemming. Afterwards a group of us cycled down to the edge of Chinatown for a fabulous Schezuan meal at a place called Niuke; it was really delicious. Afterwards we re-grouped at Parc Lafontaine and drank beers and people-watched. One shirtless guy practiced tirelessly a bizarre 2-wheeled articulated skateboard. A girl joined us to hide from her friends, a group who had gathered for a parc-wide game of hide-n-seek tag.
We heard some bad news on the weekend; our friend Melissa is one of a dozen employees who are losing their jobs as 940AM drops the talk radio format, and Claudine’s grandfather has been diagnosed with level six Alzheimer’s.
Off to another fun-filled week at DHC. The construction crew is well-underway, and the galleries are taking form. We have a lot of errands to run this week as we find a way to manufacture our own light diffusers for the Iguzzini lighting system. They want $180 each unit, which is a round, tempered and frosted piece of glass held in a piece of plastic. We need 160 units; you do the math.
-chris
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 9:22 PM
subject Fifth human foot washes up in B.C.; Julie Couillard refuse de témoigner
Dear Stephen,
Sorry for not writing lately. It was a bit of a crazy week. Work is crazy, but mostly in that way of trying to stay organized and focused. The construction team is moving ahead quite quickly but our team often finds itself running errands, and often just running around in circles. We made trips out to the storage facility in Lasalle, bought and installed huge rack shelving units and organized a bit, so we have room for Sophie’s crates. David ordered steel and made customized vents for the new walls, as everywhere else would take 3-4 weeks. He made them in a weekend. I actually worked over the weekend in what would eventually be a useless endeavour, as I was trying to prep the wall panels for a skim coat of plaster but we have since decided on the 1/4″ drywall solution. We’ll deal with the added weight of the panels in 3 months, when we have to move them in order to change the air filters. Paint was ordered, but there was a miscommunication regarding colour so more paint was ordered and retrieved. Everything seems to happen twice or backwards before it goes forwards. Today I ran out of gas in the van on maisoneuve and crescent. James had to fetch gasoline in a can.
This past weekend was Claudine’s choral concert at le Chapelle historique de bon pasteur; I went on Saturday night. It was really good, a packed house, numerous standing ovations at the end. At the same church on Friday I stopped by for the end of the RCAAQ assemblée génerale and the Montreal launch of decentre. Rob was there from Toronto, but we didn’t talk about the fact that Claudine and her team of translators have yet to be paid.
Yesterday was Caroline’s birthday and to celebrate she and François had a barbecue in Parc Jarry. For a time the sky threatened to boil over into a raging thunderstorm but aside from some thunder, lightning and a heavy wind, it passed us by. We played kickball and drank and smoked cigarettes—I am smoking more, by the way, mostly as a result of James picking up the habit for the install period—and then I fell in the lake while chasing the ball. It is a weird, shallow, manufactured lake, with a membrane all along the bottom. I ended the soirée in the parc triumphantly standing in the fountain. Then we went to Caoline’s and had a bottle of wine, the result being I was a tad hung over at work today.
I could tell you more but I get the impression you don’t really care to hear about my petty life, my flirtations, fears or aspirations. Did I mention I will have an exhibition in Val d’Or next summer? It will happen in June-July, following the residence and exhibition in Chicoutimi in February-March.
Oh, and we’ve booked our plane tickets to Mexico. Yep, we’re spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Mexico with Caroline and François. Now I just have to try to pay down my credit card. Notice how I didn’t say “pay off”.
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 8:58 PM
subject B.C. airport to test ‘virtual strip search’; Dion dévoile «le tournant vert libéral»
Dear Stephen,
I’ve had a rough couple days, starting with the news that I was within a razor’s edge of losing my job. Apparently the issue of C Magazine with my DHC article came out this week and caught everyone at the office by surprise. There had been a big miscommunication about my request to meet Tammy and Penny a couple months ago to prepare for the article; they thought I was just being a keener about the technician work. Today I met with Tammy and Phoebe to apologize; in hindsight, I really should have passed the article on to them so they could have proofed it and made me more aware of some of the confidentiality issues I let slip accidentally. D’oh! The one good thing that came out of this is that I feel a little more confident in my job; the fact that I seem to be doing good work is one of the few things that saved my neck. A good rule of thumb to follow: don’t write about where you work.
Oddly enough, I probably break the confidentiality agreement clause in my contract everytime I tell you about work. I should probably be more careful about that. Then again, does it count if the letters are private? But then what happens if I publish or exhibit them? I think I might be digging myself a bit of a hole here.
Today, after the vinyl decal installers being kicked off the job for stupidly scratching the floorboards with an exacto knife while removing Masonite and paper—which were there to protect the floor—I puncturing a wicked-deep hole in my thumb trying to undo the damage they did. It feels like I impaled the tendon or scraped the bone. Thomas is stressing because his team is down to the wire in getting the spaces all prepped and painted in time for the big cleanup, which starts tomorrow. Partly what slowed them down was our late decisions in dealing with the removable wall panels. At least we know now that even with the 1/4″ drywall on them, we can still lift them off; we have to raise them all up 1/8″ on the gravity bars.
Did that last paragraph reveal confidential information? Or was it just boring, monotonous or plainly uninteresting?
Last night I met Clo at the MAC for a few brief artist talks, including Karen. The show still looks good, but it was a Wednesday and free night so there was again a big crowd. I’d like to see the show with less people around and a little more time to spend with the work, but I don’t have much time left. Clo and I left, rented a movie and came home and made a random supper from stuff leftover in the fridge and pantry. The movie was called le secret, about a boy growing up in the shadow of his parent’s former lives, erased by the horrors of the Holocaust. I found the film jumpy, uneven and oddly-paced, and difficult to sympathize with the majority of characters, though the premise itself was intriguing.
We ordered our solar panels and backup battery power pack, it will be shipped to my parent’s house in NB. We’re really looking forward to this summer off the grid and I’m curious to see how, if at all, it will impact not only my art practice but my life in general. In case you haven’t noticed, our species it cruising along a tipping point at a fairly speedy clip. Overall, I just want to live a more sustainable and fulfilling life.
I’m off to get ready for bed; these full-on, work-intense days are leading to relatively early nights. Also my thumb aches and my feet smell funny.
-chris
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Jun 22, 2008 at 9:19 PM
subject Khawaja faces terrorism charges Monday; John McCain défend l’ALENA
Dear Stephen,
It was nice to have a day off today, even if I spent most of it moving
more stuff around. I slept in until 11, then Clo and I loaded up the
van with our summer stuff, and yard-sale stuff for Sarah, and headed
to Anne’s place to retrieve more yard-sale stuff. Last night we had
supper with her and Laurent at le folie, one of our favourite casual
dining establishments on mont royal. Anne is heading to Singapore in
the fall and leaving her apartment this week. We were there longer
than anticipated this afternoon, as she was also giving Clo clothes,
which she was trying on, and her parents were there loading things in
their car, and visitors were arriving to look at other furniture for
sale. Then it was off to Sarah’s to drop off some of Anne’s stuff,
some of which was refused, so we made another trip to goodwill. Sarah
had stayed over at our place Friday night after a walk along St.
Laurent and supper at the new Iranian restaurant. We tried to watch ET
but we all fell asleep.
Then after goodwill we dropped our summer stuff off at the visitors
apartment at oboro, which will be home for a week or so once our
subletters arrive next week. We ran a few more errands and prepared
for a barbecue for James’ daughter Simone, who is turning 2. It was
originally going to be held in Parc Jarry but was rescheduled to his
studio—the Super Studio—as it was threatening rain. We brought along
some sausages and I helped james prepare the barbecue, which he had
borrowed from Etienne. It is a similar model to ours, a bit smaller,
but we had wicked hot coals burning. Stayed awhile, not too late, and
are now planning to watch a documentary on John Lennon. It will be an
early night; I’m meeting the electricians at work tomorrow at 6am.
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jun 23, 2008 at 10:32 PM
subject Gov’t email used in terror plot, trial told; Le «tournant vert» libéral récolte des appuis
Dear Stephen,
What a day. I was up and at the gallery for 6am to meet the electricians; the guard doesn’t arrive until 7, and everything is a day or so behind. Which is becoming stressful, as there is a little more than a week remaining before the show opens. Today half the crates arrived, and we were in a whirlwind getting masonite off the floor and cleaning. We loaded a ton of things into the big truck, and then at the end of the day phoned a couple ex-cons to come and take away a truckload of garbage. We ran out of time and realized that even Eco-centres and dumps will be closed tomorrow. Bonne St-Jean!
Though it was a full-on day, we had another barbecue at the Super Studio, right out on the sidewalk. It even attracted a whole other group of hipsters, part of the Lab synthèse group, who were screening Memories of Underdevelopment by Cuban director Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. François has a copy; he had just arrived ffrom Toronto, where he had been for the weekend for the memorial service for his and Simon’s friend Dillan. The film was great, and helped me appreciate more the Stan Douglas take on it, though there are many moments of pure gold in the original film that don’t make Douglas’ cut.
Today was the first day for Judith’s radio show, Alien Nation. If you get a chance to hear it try to let her know what you think. Your kids will be teenagers soon, you might very well appreciate the show.
Clo is in Québec City to celebrate the Fête de St-Jean with Kent, and Fanny and Hugo. It is tempting to hop on the bike and go parc-hopping, but I’m exhausted and really must have a shower before heading to bed; my feet stink so bad it is making me gag.
-chris
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 11:01 PM
subject Harper denouces ‘corrupted’ Zimbabwe vote; Les libéraux fédéraux amorcent une remontée
Dear Stephen,
I am so exhausted I can’t write a full letter to you. Suffice to say that the install is progressing, things seem to be more or less on schedule, but that there are often things that come out of left field that keep us scrambling. Clo and I are now at the Oboro apartment, we’ve cleaned and vacated our apartment and our Belgian subletters arrived today.My back is stiffer than it has ever been. Clo went out to Île Perrot today to visit Jo, Phillipe and Nataniel but I couldn’t make it; I’m working an average of ten to twelve hour days. Also I have started smoking again, though not regularly. Just whenever James, or Hannah, or Kristen, or Marc are smoking. The apartment is too hot. OK must get some sleep, tomorrow we start at 8am again.
At least the show will look great, and the photos and prints are of an incredible quality. You should come for the opening! Feist is playing!
-chris
from chris lloyd <dearpm@gmail.com>
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Jun 29, 2008 at 11:55 PM
subject Dion readies to sell carbon tax proposal; Stockwell Day a privilégié d’anciens policiers
Dear Stephen,
Things have really picked up pace and everybody is working harder and longer hours to get this exhibit up. Sophie Calle arrived today for a walk-through of what has been hung already and made a number of changes which kept the hanging crew busy for the rest of the day. We managed to unload the carpet from the window in G6 and get it through the front doors to G5—did I even tell you that last week we brought in all the carpet, including an 800-pound roll, through the window? The window is our de facto loading bay.
It’s hard to describe what we’re doing as there is just so much. Denis Baril came through with the diffusion lighting holders in 2 days, but we’re still waiting on the majority of the glass from Formiverre. The Canada Day long weekend is playing havoc with us as some of our suppliers are closed Monday, and some Tuesday. Everyone is really tired but still working incredibly hard.
My only interactions with Sophie thus far is when she bums cigarettes. She also recounted a nice story about her last time in Montréal, thirty years ago, about being caught in the rain and running through the streets naked. I’ve been buying cigarettes lately, to make up from the ones I’ve been bumming from James, and Dave, and Kristen, and Marc.
The show is looking soooo good. The fact that Phoebe has made this all possible, the generosity and lack of ego is enough to make me want to cry. It is such a gift.
Last night a bunch of us went to a screening at Drawn and Quarterly of a documentary by Zin Taylor about the Martin Kippenberger Metro-Net station in Dawson City. I went to Sarah’s afterwards to hang out and watch a movie; The Savages. Even though I had seen it before, and even though I was exhausted, I didn’t fall asleep. I even liked it better.
Tonight there was an informal dinner at John Zeppetelli’s house. He and his partner provided amazing food and drink and it was a nice chance to socialize with the broader DHC team, Sophie Calle and the AIA production team. Of the French members present I’m finding Sandrine more and more attractive and alluring. She seems to be the nicest, more down-to-earth and laid back. She is also incredibly attractive. Despite this, I enjoy just the occasional conversation with her, and my more lustful urges from years past seem to be completely dormant. Maybe it is because we are all just working so hard, or maybe it is because I am completely content with my relationship with Clo, but I have no desire to involve myself with anyone else. But there are times, and you must notice it too, when you can tell from looking a person in the eyes that you could be a good match. It’s almost a sad thing to pass up.
-chris
DEAR PM 