from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 10:22 PM
subject L’Alberta résolue à diversifier son économie et ses politiques climatiques; Trudeau won’t actually pull out the CF-18s — and other predictions for 2016
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived 2015, holidays and all. I survived the midnight run from Montreal to NB, arriving five hours ahead of schedule to surprise my folks, and all of Xmas and even some downhill skiing. I’m surviving NB, the ‘burbs and about to start the commission for Robert and Judith, tomorrow if the Sol daycare plan works out. We visited Linda today and he seemed fine with it – loving access to new toys of course – but I stayed with him for the short visit. Leaving him could be a different story, but we shall see. He’s used to daycare, but the routines have been shattered with the holidays. Shattered! He slept almost 3 hours yesterday afternoon, and had been up until almost 11 the night before. How do you keep your kids’ routines stable during the holidays?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jan 4, 2016 at 10:34 PM
subject Des militants interrompent le flux d’un oléoduc d’Enbridge; Try out a new voting system and then let the voters decide
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the first day of the commission, and Sol’s first day at Linda’s. It appears I was more anxious about it than necessary, certainly more agitated about it than he was. My dad picked him up, so I don’t know all the details, but apparently it was a good day: he was a bit shy with the other girls at first, but no shy with Linda, in fact she said he was affectionate, and wished he lived in NB all the time! I’m sure he watched some video but he played and respected the rules, at lunch and had an afternoon nap, and no crisis. Let’s hope it continues! And so today I was at Robert and Judith’s for the afternoon, hanging the panels and beginning a preparatory sketch, which I do not plan to finish until tomorrow. I feel attached to making our collective teeth-brushing a key feature but am not sure if compositionally this will work; I am borrowing heavily from Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights, both in theme and composition, in an effort to comment on and bring together 20+ years of friendship with Judith. Tall order! I’m hoping to finish the preliminary sketch tomorrow. I filed my EI claim the other night and just applied for a job as head of the screen-printing department in a samples factory – mostly just to show that I’ve been applying for full-time jobs but wouldn’t it be wild to work in a samples factory? Making samples? Not so keen on working in Anjou however. Is anyone? When will the phrase “beggers can’t be choosers” apply? Hopefully not while discussing election reform!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 9:58 PM
subject Trudeau incité à approfondir les liens avec l’Arabie Saoudite; Everton Biddersingh convicted of first degree murder of abused daughter
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived Day 2 of working on the wood panels and a night in the city, distractedly watching 3 episodes of Making a Murderer with Robert and Judith. The commission is coming along fairly well and I think I am making good progress. Today I started in with some oil pastels but changed my mind and managed to scrape it off; I’m going to stick with chalk over ink washes and gesso. The intestines are the most questionable content but I like them so they are staying, for now. They’ll be nicer when the Lego man diagram gets overlaid and the gold leaf becomes the asshole. I’m of course worried about my abilities in rendering our portraits, I’m thinking to keep it as simple as possible. I could probably finish it in 2 more full-day sittings, if I don’t get carried away, but finding those full days might be tricky. Sol picked up a stomach bug from the baby that Linda is watching, all three other kids got it today. This was the first time Sol has vomited, it happened just after he went to sleep but we had laid some towels down under him. He was better prepared for the second round and was able to get it all in the bucket I had laid nearby. Quick as a whip, my boy. All that to say he might be home tomorrow, and as well I’ll be with him all weekend. I just booked our return flights to Montreal for next Thursday, so I have wiggle-room. Might even get a chance to visit a few friends. I haven’t been very social lately. Now I might just go watch the final episode of Making a Murderer, just to see how f*cked up the justice system in the US really is. Do you get the feeling that with this Saudi arms deal your honeymoon is over?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Fri, Jan 8, 2016 at 7:57 PM
subject La Croix-Rouge prépare l’hébergement pour des milliers de réfugiés; ‘A beyond terrifying experience’: Passengers critical of Air Canada response after emergency landing
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived Day 3 on the wood, mostly minor alterations and adjustments. I removed the hole that was bothering Judith. She claims to suffer from Trypophobia. The hole was lifted from the Hell panel of the Garden of Earthly Delights, where a bum is shitting coins and another figure is puking. In my version some coins were going to be falling from a shopping cart up high in a Golden Book of Bovinities structure. I replaced the hole with sketch of Roo, the cat Judith had for over 20 years and who passed away only last year, quite possibly the oldest cat in Saint John at the time. Did I tell you that I booked our flight home? Since I switched to an Aeroplan Visa I had enough points, though the two tickets still cost me $160 in fees. I’m not too concerned with money at the moment as my EI is coming in ($480 per week!) and Kim has finished our taxes and I’m getting a rebate of $5000! Clo is getting a rebate as well and we plan to buy a new used vehicle at some point in the near future. And then of course I need to get cracking on that bronze. Sol is asleep; he actually kicked me out of bed and asked to cuddle with my mom before dozing off. He didn’t eat any supper and was still a bit pale, but he had been outside a few times today – Linda called early this morning cancelling daycare, she caught the stomach bug – but he didn’t throw up at all and ate a bit throughout the day. Now for a bit of trash TV before bed.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Fri, Jan 15, 2016 at 10:20 AM
subject Partenariat transpacifique: impossible de renégocier, dit la ministre du Commerce; Police heap pressure on Canadian crime family by seizing $1.4M in properties
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived New Brunswick. The commission is finished, I sprayed on a coat of varnish around midnight Tuesday. Judith and Robert are happy with it, I think, as am I, mostly. It was more stressful than cathartic; it makes me question my capabilities and skills and decisions. The rest of the visit with my folks was fine, Sol enjoyed his final few days with Linda, the province got some snow so there was more sledding. We flew back yesterday, Sol enjoyed the plane, L-A picked us up from the airport and Sol fell asleep instantly. I gave myself a much-needed haircut and beard trim when we got home, after unpacking suitcases and doing laundry. Claudine has continued to reduce and minimize and keep the apartment neat and tidy; Sol had toys out all over straight away. Back to the new routines of pre-school and daycare, and trying to introduce a new bedtime routine of NOT lying down with Sol, which he didn’t like at all and ended up falling asleep on a blanket on the floor beside our bed as we folded laundry and organized our calendars. Lots going on, it will be busy the next few weeks with events and work. I have a week-long contract with SBC that starts on Monday. I need to finish my campaign forms, and get cracking on the CALQ final reports and grants for the bronze and research as well as some work for Judith for Tuck ready by the end of March. And I need to organize my stuff. Get rid of stuff. I thought a lot about death over the past few weeks – even before the death of Bowie – and if I have a resolution for 2016 it is probably to live this year as if it is my last. Having said that, I’m off now to meet Clo to got to court to challenge a ticket we received last year when our parking permit was taped to the inside of our car because the glue that year didn’t adhere to the exterior of the glass, where they are supposed to go. Huge waste of resources all around: the city for changing the glue (to save a few dollars?) then the numerous re-prints and complaints, then inappropriate tickets issued and fought over, then in our cases, the waste of funds of having a judge determine if this is warranted or not, the list of petty complaints goes on and on. With my resolution in mind, I will observe everything and enjoy it all. I will be patient and understanding but firm in my commitments, if and when I have any. I will circumnavigate the difficulties of being an artist and unemployed by following the advice of Rirkrit Tiravanija (Thai soup artist): “You don’t have to make art to be an artist. You make art through having an interesting life.”
And as Kelly Mark says: “Everything is interesting.”
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jan 18, 2016 at 10:41 PM
subject Les sanctions, un casse-tête pour le ministère des Affaires étrangères;Ottawa agencies seek break in flow of Syrian refugees
Dear Justin,
I am still alive.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jan 19, 2016 at 9:38 PM
subject Ottawa exclu d’une réunion sur l’EI : le ministre Sajjan pas vexé; Tom Mulcair’s critics should take another look at their leader
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I’m surviving. Surviving daily work, the routine, dragging the kids to and from, suppertime, breakfast, waking up, making lunches, working, wondering every step of the way what is it all for? I know life is too short to be angry, and that helps me stay patient most of the time, but when Sol throws huge unexpected tantrums outside in -15 degrees it grates on my nerves. Anyway, briefly, Clo won her court challenge on Friday, I was with the kids all weekend, work at SBC has been going well, bedtime is still not working with Sol, I need a shower, all I want to do is sleep, it is the measure of my ambition lately. Also WTF is up with Google Chrome? Or is it my computer? Why so annoyingly slow?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jan 20, 2016 at 11:08 PM
subject Le Bloc québécois entend participer au débat sur l’aide à mourir; What if MPs put their money where their mouths are? Question period could make cents
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived more install work. Overall I was in a much better mood today, less dark and broody and moody. Those tantrums yesterday really put me into a tailspin. How do you keep your cool when your kids act up? Or maybe they are perfect little angels?
I’ve sent a c-51-related letter to you today, here are the contents, just in case you missed it:
Dear Member of Parliament,
I am writing to ask you, my elected representative, to do everything you can to undo the damage of Bill C-51, and its dangerous spy powers.
The government has promised public consultations on amending this bill, but I’m concerned that changes will be rushed through before a proper consultation is held. That’s not good enough.
We need a real, open consultation, where the voices of all Canadians can be heard – not a closed consultation where a narrow range of choices have been preselected for us.
This means all options should be on the table, and that Canadians have the decisive say in how to deal with the most important civil liberties issue of our generation. We can’t let unaccountable pro-surveillance authorities decide this in closed-door meetings.
I want a real, robust, open consultation where all voices can be heard, and all options are on the table: including repeal. I want to have my voice heard.
Parliament resumes on Monday. As my MP, I need to know: Will you stand up for my voice, and my rights, and push for public consultation BEFORE new legislation is introduced? If so, please let me know by filling out the form at this URL: http://goo.gl/forms/mMwvt4Vp3M
I have joined the over 311,000 people who have already spoken out at https://KillC51.ca, calling for a real solution to C-51 that’s driven by the Canadian public.
As your constituent, I hope you’ll join us too.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jan 21, 2016 at 10:12 PM
subject Nétanyahou assure avoir une bonne relation avec Trudeau; Last call at Victoria’s ‘imperialist’ Bengal Lounge
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I left work early to pick Sol up from daycare, he had run a fever. I noticed last night when he came to get me in the middle of the night that he seemed warm. So the wooden stretchers are not completely finished but the Brazilians have made headway and made some decisions and their fabric is lighter and easier to manipulate and things should all work out fine in the end. Sol is asleep beside me now, he went down OK but on his own terms: after reading the entire Star Wars trilogy (with sound effect buttons), instead of eating his supper, then reading a chapter of Harry Potter, then Rose went to bed and Sol demanded going to our bed to cuddle. I find I cannot argue against that or be too regimental, not when he is running a fever and so overtired he fell asleep before eating lunch at daycare yesterday. I just want to read the new New Yorker and go to sleep early myself tonight. Clo is out again, another work-related event. I feel like such a procrastinator.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Sat, Jan 23, 2016 at 11:18 PM
subject Karl Bélanger nommé directeur national du NPD; Police detail deadly Saskatchewan school shooting; teen facing 4 murder counts
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the Jean Leloup concert at Metropolis last night. It was a fantastic show, full of great energy, he’s a great performer and the songs were bursting with passion. The crowd was really into it too, it really felt like Paradis City is already a francophone classic album. It probably didn’t hurt that I took a little MDMA and was peaking during his first set; les flamants rose felt especially powerful. Especially when considering the lyrics. After the show Clo and I walked up to Big in Japan and had a couple cocktails each and slow-danced in the aisle and basically behaved like we were out on a date. We got home, paid Dimitri and were about to snuggle in the basement when the little guy woke up and was banging on our bedroom door to get out and that was it for my night; he was feverish and restless the rest of the night, keeping me up every hour or so. Because he is still unwell we cancelled going to Nominingue and just hung round the house, had lunch at Petit Alep with Tania and her girls but Sol slept the whole time. Now I’m trying to organize our birthday ski and spa trip, but the logistics are tricky: planning to ski in Sutton, but the spas are closer to Bromont, and where would we eat, and when? In financial news we’ve received our tax refunds for 2014, so we can pay my folks back a bit of the loan they gave us to help us buy the house, as well pay our municipal taxes for this year, and possibly maybe buy a used car. Or not; I’ve got my hands full with a bunch of arts admin stuff to do the next couple months. You must know by now how much I can procrastinate when I don’t put my mind to it.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 10:07 PM
subject Sièges vacants au Sénat: le gouvernement débouté par la Cour d’appel fédérale; Lawmakers trade barbs over TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another Monday, this time waiting for a callback from the clinic, as Sol is still feverish and unwell. He and I have been sleeping poorly, as he is congested and snores heavily when sleeping. Sol wasn’t very cooperative with the doctor whom we finally saw about 8 hours after first registering this morning and who spent all of four minutes examining him before prescribing some antibiotics, which he took no problem tonight. In what must be a first he was asleep before Rose shortly past 8pm. I stayed home with him all day, he watched Paw Patrol, I organized some drawers and did some online accounting and started some estimates. I also booked Clo’s birthday ski trip, picking Tremblant finally over Sutton, as they are about the same distance but it will be easier to get to the Scandinavian spa near the Tremblant village, and there are more restaurants to choose from as well. Best to keep it close, it will be a long day. Damn, I just wasted a good hour on Facebook. What a waste. I won’t get that hour back ever. I need to be better with my time. I’ve signed up to Freshbooks so that might help with contracts and such, but I need to get down to doing the actual work. Judith upstairs has asked me to give her estimates on a couple apartment reno projects, which could be good work. And there is a ton of work to do for the NB Tuck series. All in good time, all in good time.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 11:46 PM
subject Ottawa abandonnera le régime des congés de maladie décrié par les syndicats; Toronto police laid sex assault charge against Brazilian soccer player despite knowing they had no case: lawyer
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day of install at SBC, while Clo stayed home with Sol, still a bit sick and out-of-sorts, but seeming on the mend and will probably be OK to go back to daycare tomorrow. He’s asleep on the couch behind me, was unwilling to fall asleep in his bed even though I initially was lying down with him for almost an hour. I’m tempted to leave him on the couch as his head is a little more elevated and his breathing seems less laboured. Now I just want to get to bed before midnight. I didn’t waste any time on Fbook tonight, but I did play around on Freshbook and my accounting for awhile. It’s a bit like procrastinating, only not really.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 11:21 PM
subject Edmonton autorise les services comme ceux d’Uber; Teachers hold vigil to show support for La Loche community
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived a day at home. I proscrastinated on a bunch of art things, but I did get myself and the rest of the family signed up for the RAMQ drug plan. We had been in limbo since I lost my job in August and wasn’t able to apply online until after filing taxes for 2014. Did I tell you we received our returns already? We paid my parents back a bit of money on the loan for the house, but haven’t made a move on a car yet, or other investments. I booked an appointment with an insurance broker to get a plan to at least cover our mortgage in case one of us dies. Then I decided to watch Emily Kai Boch’s video for AF Afterlife, even though it makes me cry every time, and then the doorbell rang and it was Canada Post with the package of leftovers from my mom, including ski goggles for Clo, my jeans, a couple sweaters and shirts for Sol and I, and even things we had intended to give away. Rose had a journée pédagogique today and went to a nature park and botanical gardens in Laval, she has been complaining of sore heels and then poor thing got her finger slammed in her bedroom door 10 minutes before leaving the house this morning, a bit of a crisis there. Sol was slow to get to daycare but enjoyed it once he was there, especially seeing Marlene again, she just came back Monday from vacation. The antibiotics are helping, he slept better and has no fever and seems much more his happy, joyful little self. And I’ll just add that I often still catch myself starting tho address these letters to Stephen, and my tweets to PMHarper. It’s still a little hard to believe.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jan 28, 2016 at 11:23 PM
subject L’ombre du PTP plane sur la rencontre Canada-États-Unis-Mexique; Kelly Hrudey says mental health discussion could have saved friend who died in police shootout
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day at home. I re-arranged a bit the studio, placed the larger computer TV on the wall to give more desk space, and added the corner table for the iMac, and as well re-organized some drawers in the kitchen as well as made hummus and a nice red lentil-potato-carrot-chickpea soup for supper. Can I ever procrastinate! Tonight we had Dimitri come over as we attended an information meeting for the École Alternative in Villeray, which will be opening in September and we are considering enrolling Rose. Things we like: the more flexible approach, the mixed ages, the project-based approach to learning. Things we like less: the school is up past Jarry and St. Hubert, so a bit of a trek, and as well from what I could see from the parents assembled tonight, it feels very white. Ste-Cécile seems to have more balance when it comes to diversity. So we haven’t yet made a decision. The kids were asleep when we got home but I had to wake Sol up as we had forgotten to give him his antibiotics. He eventually fell asleep in our bed, wanting to cuddle with me. He fell asleep listening to Raffi. I plan tom fall alsep reading either the new New Yorker or Infinite Jest, which I haven’t touched since Christmas.
-chris
DEAR PM 