from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jan 6, 2014 at 10:32 PM
subject Deux activistes montent sur scène pendant une allocution de Harper; Stephen Harper promises pipeline safety as climate protesters pierce PM’s security
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday, and all of 2013, including the holidays. Happy New Year. Back to work and all those lovely routines, so I’ll write more frequently, but not tonight, as another load of laundry begs folding. The kids are asleep in their beds and I want to be down myself by 11. Getting up at 7 this morning was tough.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 10:05 PM
subject Des manifestants bloquent le chemin de Stephen Harper; Protesters follow Prime Minister Harper on Vancouver Island visit
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Survived the second day of work and a drastic drop in temperature. Sunday night driving back from Nominingue the snow turned to freezing rain, which became regular rain by morning and had washed a bunch of snow away. It was mild as spring yesterday but the temperature dropped about twenty degrees so now everything is ice. The wind was nasty after work, I picked up the two kids and prepared supper, a tasty stir-fry with tofu, yum! Kids in bed now, kitchen cleaned, a few loads of laundry done and even used the dryer, which I have found only works if the temperature outside is warmer than -8. Not the case presently. Off too have a shower then bed early to facilitate leaving the house in the morning with the kids before 8:30. I don’t know what we’ll do when Rose starts school: it’s too early!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jan 8, 2014 at 9:44 PM
subject Sécurité de Harper: la GRC dit avoir corrigé l’«erreur»; Fatal case of H5N1 bird flu reported in Alberta
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Hoping that our compost is picked up tonight; they missed it on Saturday, so we have the equivalent of 2 buckets now. Also I just paid for an additional 26 weeks with money I really don’t have. Booked a meeting with my bank on Friday to apply for a line of credit so I can transfer my credit card balance and avoid paying ridiculous interest and balance protection fees. And tomorrow I am getting the gums on the other side of my mouth done. Clo is out with Elie tonight, Rose just went down, and Sol has been asleep since 7:30. Today after work I added another barrier to his “bed” (he is currently sleeping on a mattress under Rose’s bed), but last night he burned his finger on the baseboard heater. We woke to his crying but I only noticed his head against the heater, that freaked me out enough. We feel like totally negligent parents, assuming he wouldn’t climb over his pillow barrier and slide into the heater head-first. While I was at it I fabricated a barrier for the electrical outlet near his bed as well. Then tonight he of course fell and banged his head against the barrier, which is just a piece of plywood. He does like to stand next to it and throw his toys and animals over top. Oh, and my wrist is starting to act up again, oh joy.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jan 9, 2014 at 9:49 PM
subject Sécurité ferroviaire: de nouvelles règles adoptées en douce; Heritage Minutes series feature Canada’s nation-builders, Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir George-Etienne Cartier
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another gum surgery, this time on the right side. The worst part is after the freezing when the dentist starts to cut into the gums and I can’t feel it but I can hear this awful crunching as the scalpel cuts into the flesh. Ugh. Spent the day recuperating, mostly tidying up the apartment. Looked in vain to find Roses’ bicycle helmet so I can take her skating. Picked her up early from daycare we walked to the rink at St. Zotique and Gaspé but without her helmet or a chair we only stayed 5 minutes. Also the hockey players are a bit intimidating, shooting their pucks off all over the place. That reminds me, I received your book for Christmas, twice. I’ll return one to Chapters at some point but I have to admit I have not yet found the time to even start it. It is sitting by my bedside table though. Maybe I’ll start tonight?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sat, Jan 11, 2014 at 11:45 PM
subject Premiers ministres canadiens et présidents américains saluent Ariel Sharon; Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, once respected and feared, dies at 85
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived a night out with Victoria at Bethlehem XXX and then Sol was up sick with a fever and tremors until about 3am. I was tired this morning slept in a bit then we were off to UQAM for Rose’s first music lesson, then a brief nap for everyone, then Rose and I went to Lue Neva’s birthday party and So and Clo went to an opening at the Belgo. Home for a simple supper and we watched a film en famille, Bach et Botinne, a Quebecois classic from 1986. Now trying to decide if I should shower now before bed, or just go straight to bed. Clo still sick, Sol not well and his fever hit 40 today, though has subsided to 38 or so. My gums still feeling odd but I started the Peridex today so hopefully soon my mouth will stop smelling like death warmed over. Also, it rained today so now everything is really, really slippery.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Jan 12, 2014 at 11:00 PM
subject Les avocats fédéraux avantagés dans les négos avec l’État; Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, once respected and feared, dies at 85
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived a sick wife, sick son, and hyperactive daughter. I survived breakfast, lunch and supper, leftovers, and 3/4 of the film Grenouille et la baleine. I survived a walk to the hardware store with the two kids only to find that they had no road salt left. I survived chipping away the ice from our front walk. I survived two kids that wouldn’t fall asleep until 10:30. Luckily I shaved and had a shower in the afternoon when everyone was sleeping. Because now I am just too darn tired myself. And my damn gums still hurt, worse than last time.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 9:41 PM
subject Harper rencontrera ses homologues nord-américains au Mexique; Ancient fossil shows evolution of fins to feet on Ellesmere Island
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday. Last night I survived 4 hours at the emergency room at the Children’s Hospital because Sol wasn’t sleeping, his eyes and nose were leaking sticky green-yellow goo, he looked like shit. Unfortunately we didn’t see a doctor as the wait time had been lengthened to between 6-7 hours. I watched parts of Ratatouille and The Lorax then came home at 5:30. Clo took him to the clinic today they both have ear infections, he has eye infections, and a skin irritation from all the snot, and welts from sucking on his soother too hard. He keeps coughing too. I hope the antibiotics kick in soon. Tomorrow we are taking Rose to get a flu shot. I left work early today from exhaustion also I suspect I am finally catching the same bug. Brought my computer so I can work from home a bit, there is a lot of planning to do on the Chapman show, it is a big one. It almost makes me feel like we are Justin Trudeau, “In over his head”, haha!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 9:24 PM
subject Harper, premier PM canadien devant le Parlement israélien; Canadian man fighting Syrian regime ‘executed’ by other rebels: report
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived a flu, and a second day home from work. I survived a couple visits to the clinic, but am not sever enough to require antibiotics. Felt crappy yesterday and was in bed early and sweat profusely throughout the night, it was really quite something. My pyjamas were literally drenched. I had a fever all day, made leftovers for supper, today I made a chili with pulled pork. Took Rose to swimming lessons out in Anjou. Had my computer from work with me and was able to get a good chunk done on the initial layout of the Chapman show in all the spaces. Needs a lot of finessing but that will come as we move the works around and edit, and of course get input from Jake who is coming for a site visit in 2 weeks. Here we go again, Rose is up out of bed, wanting to sleep on the couch or in with us. Sol slept almost all day and I think he is improving, and Rose somehow never got sick, but the nighttimes are still a scattershot of pain. Bed-wetting, babies coughing and crying and waking, we don’t know where we or they are half the time.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jan 16, 2014 at 10:13 PM
subject Oléoduc Keystone: Ottawa exige une réponse rapide de Washington; Liberals to debate hot-button issue of doctor-assisted suicide
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived waking myself up in the middle of the night spitting up blood on my pillow. The glue on the roof of my mouth had come loose – maybe I had sucked it off? – and my mouth was full of gooey blood. It was disgusting. It was hard to get back to sleep. The kids were mostly alright, though Rose was in bed with us by 4 or 5. I also survived my first partial day back to work in over a week, as I then had a follow-up appointment with the dentist, who seemed to think the grafting went well and the results are great. Tomorrow morning I finally have an appointment about my knee, the torn meniscus from way back when. When was that? September. I’m missing the grand re-opening of Clark tonight as I still feel a bit unwell and can’t deal with a ton of people at the moment. Also need to mentally prepare to have both kids to myself this weekend as Clo has yoga. Luckily everyone seems to be feeling better, Sol was back at daycare and was in great spirits tonight, Clo back at work and Rose, just as hyper as ever.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jan 20, 2014 at 10:52 PM
subject Les médias palestiniens choqués de l’inaccessibilité de Harper; Stephen Harper warns of anti-Semitism in speech to Israeli Knesset, is briefly heckled
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 11:04 PM
subject Harper accompagné d’un pasteur homophobe au Moyen-Orient; Liberal brand clash looms in key battleground province
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived more work, meetings, plans, more meetings, more plans. I never thought I would be drawing 3D KKK Clansmen and inserting them into exhibition floorplan models, but that was what I was doing today. The kids are alright, no one is sick at the moment, knock on wood. I am working on an application to Concordia University for the position of gallery coordinator at the FOFA Gallery (Faculty of Fine Arts). I was rejected twice already by Concordia, once for an undergrad and then a few years ago for my masters, so this would make it an even three. Still, the exercise of applying is good and I am taking it seriously. The starting salary is almost $20-thousand more than what I am making at DHC!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 11:48 PM
subject Harper en Jordanie pour discuter de la Syrie; Stephen Harper warns of dangers of Syria’s ‘sectarian war’
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another day at work, then a whirlwind evening whereby I picked up both kids from their respective daycare, bundled them into the car which luckily started, drove to Anjou for Rose’s swimming lesson, fed Sol at the nearby Tim Hortons, picked Rose up, had her showered and washed her hair, returned overdue DVDs and came home, re-heated the supper we made last night, fed Rose and I, put Sol to bed, read stories, put Rose to bed, then worked on my FOFA gallery application and CV. Now, to bed.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 11:56 PM
subject Anciens combattants: Harper rejette les critiques; Anti-Keystone ad reveals Canada’s vulnerability to U.S. politics
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday, also another Tuesday. I also survived a weekend in the Laurentides, in Nominingue visiting Kim and Jean-Michel and Thomas and also looking at chalets in Ste-Agathe and Riviere-Rouge. I survived a quick little interview over the phone with a talk-radio DJ from Vancouver. The producer is a woman named Caroline Chan whom I met years ago at the Khyber because she was trying to track down info on the OTHER Caroline Chan, the one who had more or less started up the Khyber, or at least inherited it from Phil Grauer. Did I forget to tell you about our visit with Mohanad last Thursday? He was in the city visiting his family and came over for supper. Later on Sarah R. came over and helped whip my application letter to FOFA into decent shape. Still waiting to hear if I get an interview or not. I’ll continue to look, as morale is hitting new lows at work.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 12:10 AM
subject Fantino s’excuse auprès d’anciens combattants; An unstoppable bully finally meets an immovable target
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. I survived: the walk-through with Jake, and the waiting, and lunch at Chez Delmos, and then more waiting, then a final walk-through, then getting Sol, then getting ingredients at the market to make a jazzed-up pâté chinois, then feeding Sol, then changing multiple soggy diapers, then a bath, then supper, then bed, then Clo and Rose arriving from swimming lessons, then heading out to cabaret Mile End to see a mediocre band (whom I could not resist throwing a beer at), then the bus ride home. Now, to bed, because tomorrow is another day.
-chrisfrom chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 10:37 PM
subject Les sénateurs s’accrochent à l’étiquette libérale; Veterans better off than Fantino affair might suggest
Dear Stephen,
I am still alive. Survived work, the slight hangover, the ongoing internal complaints about lack of contracts, clarity and direction. On the plus side had a positive follow-up meeting with Jake and he suggested a pop-up tattoo parlour for the opening, which everyone actually seemed keen on, so it is a possibility if the legal and health potential issues don’t crush the idea into oblivion.
-chris
DEAR PM 