DEAR PM vol.16
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 11:24 PM
subject Aide médicale à mourir: les sénateurs se montrent intraitables; Dellen Millard called a ‘cold-hearted killer’ and ‘lunatic,’ as Smich’s lawyer makes final pitch to jury
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived Rose with me for the day as she seems to have developed pink eye, from what she and her classmates called a “coup de soleil”. She awoke in the middle of the night with her eyes fused shut from the pus, which was a tad traumatic for her to the point where she tried to keep herself awake for the rest of the night. She has since refused the drops, blaming her glued eyelids on the treatment. The pharmacist said it would probably clear up on its own anyway. The video file I was trying to upload overnight had only hit 26% so I switched files and then Rose and I went to DHC to see the Joan Jonas show, which is one of the best I’ve seen them put on. Rose was smitten with Jonas’s use of crystals, only wanting to know where to get them. Oddly enough, Barbara was there, not in her role as curator but as a accompagner, as her daughter’s class was visiting the exhibition, so we were able to ask and find out that they were ordered online on eBay. In other news, I just now sent my CALQ grant off. Fingers crossed for three or four months.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 10:54 AM
subject Aide à mourir des provinces: manque de clarté, selon Jane Philpott; Liberals planning to buy Super Hornet fighter jets before making final decision on F-35s, sources say
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived my parents’ visit, Rose’s pinkeye, and an all-nighter with Mutek. Oh, and a day- long RCAAQ meeting on Friday in St-jean-sur-Richeleau, which also meant I survived some wicked traffic snarls bother there and in Montréal from construction and street-closures. Just barely got Stéphanie to her son’s school in time on Friday, then back down to L’Arsenal for the opening of the BIAN, where I met Pip and Clo and Pip and I had fun with our irreverent running commentary on the works (“Artwork by machines” I can understand, but to follow that up with “for machines” is just ridiculous. I didn’t see one machine at the opening who was there to look at the art, unless we extend the definition of machines to include humans, and then what’s the difference of any other kind of art? Afterwards we zipped over to Théâtre Le Licorne to check our Sarah W. in her collaborative piece with Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau called The Rules, part of OFFTA. Saturday I took my folks and the kids park-hopping 9we went to 4) and walking along the avenue Mont-Royal, closed for poetry and commerces, a weird blend and too many people which got on my nerves a bit. Clo was at work as there was an opening and audio performances at Oboro, which was busier than she had expected and so she wasn’t home until 8:30, we put the kids to bed, tried to nap for an hour before we were out again for Mutek. First we met Sarah and Pascal at their place for a drink, Pip met us there and then we cabbed down to Metropolis and we danced until 5:55. A Swss DJ called Moonear played from 3am until close, it was very energetic. It was one of our planned MDMA nights to celebrate our 9-year wedding anniversary. We’ve only got one or two more planned for the year, as we don’t want to burn out. Clo and I shared some details about our secret lives. We have an open, “don’t ask don’t tell” policy and under the influence we asked and told, which I find quite liberating. Do you and Sophie have any arrangements of this nature or are you strictly monogamous? I see your anniversary was just last week, how did you celebrate? My folks watched the kids for the first part of Sunday so we could sleep in a bit as we didn’t get home until 7 (cabbed to Parc Jarry to watch the ducks before walking home). They got caught in the deluge of rain while walking home from McDonalds, and the kids played indoors for the afternoon. Last night we ordered Thai food and watched Inside Out, a movie that never fails to leave me teary-eyed. My folks hit the road this morning, heading to northern Ontario as their road trip out west begins. The kids are back in school and daycare today, Rose’s eye is cleared up. I’ve an appointment this afternoon to remove a couple large cysts that have been on my skull for about the past ten years or so. I can’t quite remember when they formed, but they haven’t always been there. Oh, and I need to get my ear checked out. I bought an earwax kit last week to try to clear it up but it hasn’t worked, if anything it sounds worse. My middle-aged body is acting it’s age, I guess.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jun 7, 2016 at 9:39 AM
subject Réforme électorale: «plus complexe» qu’un oui ou un non; By sole-sourcing Super Hornets, Liberals now look identical to Tories on fighter-jets file
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived having a couple moles sliced off my head yesterday afternoon. It cost about $700, but seeing as I was already on the hook for a $250 consultation charge I figured why not. The freezing and lancing of the two moles took no more than 15 minutes. So this is what private health care looks like. Today I’m heading way the hell out to Côte-Saint-Luc to have my ear checked out. I paid $15 to have a guaranteed appointment and this was the closest clinic that responded, WTF. I’ll take the bike and make an adventure of it, maybe listen to a podcast on the way, snap a few Tim Horton cups. Marjorie is coming to clean the house today, so I’m off to the market for some groceries before hitting the road. I have a phone date later this afternoon with Pan to discuss the dear PM tour. Fingers crossed!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jun 8, 2016 at 10:58 AM
subject Aide à mourir: le projet de loi poursuit son chemin au Parlement; Buying Super Hornets, not F-35s, will saddle air force with ‘the wrong aircraft forever’
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived having my ears flushed out, and now I can hear again. It was a nice leisurely cycle to and from Côte-St-Luc, the last time I was in that neighbourhood was about 11 years ago while working with Mohanad on renovation projects. A lifetime ago. What else happened yesterday? I had a good talk with Pan about getting the Dear PM tour organised, he had some good suggestions and will help with at least a letter of support, which could come in handy if the CALQ ask to see that kind of support material. In my application to finish the bronze I said I had already included letters of support from institutions in Charlottetown, Montreal and Alberta. Now I need to get Montreal and Alberta. Speaking of Alberta I had to mail that Tim Hortons photograph back to Tomas AGAIN. It came back as undeliverable a second time. WTF! And Canada Post finally wrote me back last night about my first complaint with a completely unacceptable email that said nothing at all except some sort of resolution was anticipated before the end of the month. Not acceptable, I’ve now spent $100 on shipping this photograph back and forth to Calgary. Last night I couldn’t sleep so watched The Martian. After that I still couldn’t sleep and laid in bed wondering about alternate origins to humanity: maybe we are living in a simulation that was created by entities so foreign to our self-conception, in a reality so foreign to ours that we can never see it. So would there be clues? Are déjà vus be a clue or a kind of ripple in the simulation? I wonder if perhaps I have too much time on my hands. In the quest to stay busy I’m heading down to DHC shortly to have lunch with education and will take a longer look at the exhibition, then maybe get my haircut before the AGA at Skol tonight. I have also started looking more seriously at used Foresters, but buying a used car is so outside my field of comfort I don’t quite know how to proceed. Have you ever bought a used car, either from a dealer or an individual? Any tips?
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Fri, Jun 10, 2016 at 11:23 AM
subject Aide à mourir: réactions mitigées aux changements apportés par le Sénat;Liberals refuse to budge on Senate’s proposal to expand assisted-dying rights to the non-terminally ill
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the Mathieu Lefèvre catalogue launch and round table discussion at Clark last night. I bought a copy of the fever Foreverrr “unofficial biography” that comes with a “Kayé” – a copy of one of his (last?) Moleskins. I had 2 beers, talked a bunch with Daniel Olsen, then cycled off to Alexandraplatz to meet up with peter and swintak, post eastern bloc event. BTW I totally thought I had written you yesterday, I was at home on the computer most of the day writing letters and tweaking the Dear PM proposal, and now I check and realize I didn’t tell you about the Skol AGA, which was very well-attended with lots of new members, and for which I was woefully un-prepared in my capacity as president to chair the meeting. A little research could have gone a long way, but I guess my multiple gaffes just show how little I care about governance procedures. So back to the ‘Platz, after a couple more beer we walked up to The Ritz to meet Iliana and Carlo (her new man) and hear Beaver’s show, he’s a better singer-songwriter that I had thought, but I had to pour out half of my beer and replace with water after his set, I just can’t handle that much beer that late in the night anymore. It was 1:30 when I got home and getting up with the kids at 7 this morning was slightly painful, and after the dropoffs I am back at home writing more letters trying to get some confirmation for the Dear PM tour. I did hear back in the positive from Ray, but he is no longer with the AGNS and so he would most likely contribute a text to the book, unless he wants to take on more. I am realizing once again how difficult curating one’s own work can be. The letters could use a thorough editing as well, although some could use some annotating or marginalia. For instance, my letter of October 21 2011 discusses the master class I attended at Skol and how I became feverish while working the bar for the Jean- Maxime Dufresne (because I had caught pneumonia during my trip to Halifax) and how it was that night when I learned of Mathieu’s death. Charlotte came to me at the bar, she had been crying, elle a dit que Mathieu est mort, un accident en vélo à Brooklyn, elle est sous choc, puis moi, j’avais lui connais seulement par nom, pas personnellement, mais moi aussi j’ai subi un choc, je me souviens comment cet information a comblé avec la fièvre, j’ai regardé les ongles de Charlotte, un manicure trôp bien detaillé… I left early, skipped Clark, felt shaken somehow but never bothered to include the info in my letter to Stephen, just as so many other details and memories that stick around longer, that in my head outlast the documents that are written describing my “everyday”. My point in writing this to you, if there is a point, is how does one decide what remains, and what stays hidden? But now I’m going to go for a walk, clear my head, maybe write at a café, become one of those people who work but don’t have jobs, that have a place to live and work from (and for 3 more weeks, even a studio) but who, for whatever reason, decide to buy time at a café to work amongst strangers. The proximity of other humans? Tonight is Rose’s spectacle fin de l’année, sa groupe présentera un chanson techno de les Minions. Dimitri will join us there so Clo and I can go off to see Jean Leloup solo at Place des Arts, part of Francofolies. At some point today I might need a nap. Before I head out I need to water the little patch of lawn in our backyard that my Dad might have killed when he took the manual lawnmower to it last weekend; sometimes a tad too helpful.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jun 13, 2016 at 3:57 PM
subject Important remaniement au cabinet de Kathleen Wynne; at University of Toronto: 911 caller had third-hand information, police say
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the weekend. I survived Rose’s spectacle – she was the most animated and energetic on stage, dancing to the White Stripes 7-Nation Army redux as Minions dance number, and then despite some confusion around the pickup time – Dimitri met us in the schoolyard at 7, Clo made a note for Marie-Claude so we could leave Rose with her class but in the end she saw us and wanted to leave with us so by the time Clo and I got loose and cycled downtown and she seated her Bixi and I waited in line to print the digital tickets (because Place des arts isn’t yet ready for digital tickets) and we waited in line again for drinks we were seated just seconds before Jean Leloup took the stage, twenty minutes past eight or so, for a very singular, mesmerizing and somewhat schizophrenic show. Really, he’s all over the map, but it was a great show, and that massive skull on stage with the changes in lighting and subtle backdrop videos were really captivating.
The rest of the weekend a bit dull, we hung around the neighbourhood, played in parks, went for little walks and at one point a quick drive to B&B to get art supplies for the kids.
The kids watched videos of course, and last night Clo and I watched Bladerunner. This morning I watched chunks of Interstellar again – just because. It was after a visit from an exterminator with a dog. On Friday we saw 3 bug bites in a row on Sol’s back, and Clo freaked out thinking we might have bed bugs again. Apparently the 3-bite rule is an urban myth, at least according to this particular exterminator. Neither he nor the dog found any traces so we are still in the clear, a big relief. I guess Sol was bit by a spider or some other insect, which is also troubling but it’s summer and bound to happen.
Still dealing with Canada Post and trying to get that photo to Tomas in Calgary to give to Renato. According to tracking it will be delivered today but that is still late and eligible for a refund. I am still waiting on a response from the very first service ticket I created, for the first return, back in mid-May.
There is a deadline for Sagamie tomorrow, so I am distracting myself and procrastinating. Trying to avoid reading about Orlando, listening to some podcasts and some music that I found out about through Fbook, an artist named maggie Rogers who attended a master class with Pharrel Williams which was recorded, went viral and voila, she has an instant career. I first saw that heartwarming video of Grace Van der Waal thru FBook too, so can it be all bad? Between mass-shootings, executions of hostages, ongoing war and poverty and repression, one needs a few feel-good stories, no? Is this balance or a necessity?
Should I even bother trying to circulate the Dear PM project as an exhibition? Isn’t this just further asserting my privilege? More exhibition time for yet another white, male, hetero artist. Who needs this?
We’re planting a new tree in the front yard and in the research regarding digging holes we received a map outlining exactly where the blue line metro tunnel is in relation to our building. Reading the email I think the roof of the tunnel is only 6.6 feet below our foundation; could that be correct? The STM engineer says “Le niveau du roc se situe à ± 6’-6’’ pieds de profondeur.”
This just makes me want to drill a little hole down just because how cool would that be? -chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 4:12 PM
subject Les conservateurs veulent débattre des rénovations des bureaux de Sohi; This black Lab has made the Canadian government about $2.4 million — all with his nose
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day of quasi-procrastination: The Sagamie deadline isn’t until tomorrow, so I worked on it a bit, but also daydreamed and went for a walk to deposit the canada Post refund cheque for one of the shipping fiascos. Sent an email and left a phone message in regards to the first one, the one still outstanding from mid-May, still no response. While I was twittering away on my applications and emails and random Phil Kesel sports news articles our car was being ticketed for being on the wrong side of the street. I forgot about it until I heard the street cleaner and by then it was too late: the second ticket in the span of a week. I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate getting these tickets it makes me so mad (mostly at myself of course) but what a stupid stupid stupid waste of money faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. I’m still mad. I must be a fucking idiot. 3 tickets this year and I was home for each one. We’re meeting Kim and crew today after school and daycare for playdate and to get our tax forms (we,re getting refunds again but I really need to spend the rest of my CC grant – about $16,000 – before December 31 or else I might be in tax trouble) so I prepared pork and veggie brochettes for the barbecue while listening to podcasts from Radiolab, the Moth and Radio Motherboard. Stories about serial killers, comedians in sailing bathtubs and guaranteed income, quite a mixed bag, and my emotions are a little out of wack. OK off to get the kids.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Wed, Jun 15, 2016 at 3:14 PM
subject Les jeunes ont été plus nombreux à se présenter aux urnes en 2015; A big bet, finally paying off: Why the discovery of a second gravitational wave is such a huge deal
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived a giant fly. I just swatted it out of mid-air, the first of the season. I’m working on applications. I overcame my procrastination and finished the application to Sagamie, now I’m working on one to the Grenfell in Cornerbrook on a suggestion from Mireille at the Rooms. Maybe I’ll get to the Rock someday! Kim and I discussed a bit the whole Next Chapter block of grants and the new funding model at CC, but it was a bit depressing. It seems the focus on big and shiny for the Next Chapter grants, and the connection to Canada 150, is going to privilege really bad projects. She has heard something even more disquieting, that the extra money your government promised to the CC is not exactly arms’ length, but has some strings attached. What could those possibly be? Liberal (with a capital L) friendly art projects? My thinking on touring the Dear PM project and developing the monograph started with exuberance. I thought finally this project would not only qualify but be well-positioned to get some major financing. Currently as I find that more and more organizations are planning to apply, as well as individual artists, I’m sensing that something I might consider big – a monograph, for example – might not really considered that big for Next Chapter. I flirted with the idea of making the monograph even bigger, brighter, include audio! Include video! Include VR! Record me reading all the letters! The letters are interactive – it could fulfill all these new digital strategies your government and the CC are talking about. But no. I need to stay modest with not only this project – keep it ephemeral, make less stuff – maybe go a step further and give away any exhibition slots I get to other artists that have a harder time getting their work seen. Make the Dear PM tour an exhibition in a nice book but sublimate it within other exhibitions, make it almost disappear. How does one pitch that idea? How would you do it?
On this day six years ago my Poppy died. I saw a man on the street last week who had similar eyes, and I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately. What if there exists some sort of afterlife that is just comprised of deja vus and intangible memories? Last night before falling asleep – which took awhile, my insomnia is back – I was thinking back to childhood memories (like when I would pretend to be running while lying in bed, for example) and realizing that I can’t recall that many. Do you have a strategy for recalling different memories from your childhood? I had zero interest in politics when I was young, I don’t even think I knew who your father was. The first PM I remember was Mulroney, I think. If I haven’t told you that before I must have told your predecessor, or his predecessor, or his. This letter is giving me some deja vu.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 11:10 PM
subject Les libéraux ont supprimé les résultats de recherche Google menant à Harper; Five ways the Liberals’ policy on genocidal ISIL is a bungled, confusing mess
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the extraction of tooth #37. The dentist Julia was very friendly and seemed quite impressed that I had offered to help an elderly patient leave her waiting room and down the stairs. He was 103 years old, but Julia said his daughter made the appointment and said he would have no problem with stairs. He made it down ok but it reminded me of the time I was maybe 10 or 11 and was helping my great- grandfather down some stairs with Poppy and I hadn’t realized just how heavy he was, and I let him fall. I think that was the only time Poppy was ever mad at me, but luckily Dutchie wasn’t hurt. He must have been in his late 80s at that point. Anyway, back to the extraction, after the freezing I was a bit sweaty and light- headed so they offered me some juice and put cold compresses on my forehead, wrists, neck and belly. Then after a little wait to ensure the freezing was deep and solid Julia worked the tooth and had popped it out in less than 5 minutes. and that was it. I cycled home (slowly) and spent the next few hours changing the gauze in my mouth every fifteen minutes, ate a banana and an avocado, cleaned the yard and the kitchen, took some Motrin (because we had no Advil nor Naproxen) and listened to podcasts and watched a pregnant standup comic on Netflix and then went to the market to get some groceries and came home, made a tofu marinade for the barbecue, and then picked up the kids. Rose and Sol were both quite intrigued to see the gaping hole in my mouth (Sol said “Oh. My. God.” – I don’t know where he gets this?) and also the size of the roots of the tooth. I’m glad I had Julia’s assistant clean off the abscess that came out with the tooth, that would have been too much I think. We ate outside, now that the weather is warm again the kids enjoy playing with the hose and their squirters or other outdoor toys, and it’s nice to eat in the yard. Gave the kids a bath and read stories and now in bed; Sol in bed with me, he followed me out at 9:30 even after listening the David Bowie-narrated Prokofiev’ Peter and the Wolf. I’m still reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to Rose but we average only 1-2 pages per night, either because she falls asleep right away of Sol throws a fit because he wants to hear a different story, even if he has just heard Clo reading him different stories, in a different room. They’re both so stubborn. Only 2.5 more days of maternelle for Rose!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jun 21, 2016 at 12:36 AM
subject Environnement: Ottawa revoit comment les projets sont évalués; Federal government, provinces agree to new deal on CPP reform
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived Father’s Day, a hot weekend, the pool and another Monday. Worked at Clark today starting the de-install of Mathieu’s show with Corine, and then tonight drove to St-Jean-sur-Richelieu with Richard our car-hunter and lo! and behold bought a car, a 2006 Subaru Outback for $6K. It is in impeccable shape. And just now I finished a long reply to Ingrid at MSVU who wrote me very astute comments to my proposal and wanted some clarification before possibly moving it further in their planning procedures. And now I’m stewing in sweat and need a shower before bed. I’ll fill you in more tomorrow, maybe, if we don’t go to the opening at the MAC or I’m not too worn out from Rose’s last day at school and afternoon picnic at Parc Jarry.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Thu, Jun 23, 2016 at 11:41 PM
subject Dépenses injustifiées: Mike Duffy sommé de rembourser 16 955$; Toronto police officer could face life in prison after man’s death following suicide attempt
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived two days with Rose and tonight, getting the used car which involved another slightly unexpected trip to St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. More on that later, I’m too tired to write, I think I can fall right asleep even though there is a street festival happening on Castelnau right now and a full band going all out on a stage in front of the church – might as well be in our living room. Bonne Fête Nationale!
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Mon, Jun 27, 2016 at 10:22 AM
subject Violence de genre: Ottawa entame des consultations; A referendum on electoral change in Canada? After the Brexit vote, fat chance
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived the long weekend and our brief little Selfie together. You’re quite slippery; I missed a first Selfie opp with you as you spun and danced away, but then you were still wandering around Café Larue a half hour later and Karim convinced me to try again and I got a nice shot that I turned to public on Facebook and it has now topped 200 Likes. I know that’s not much for your photos but it’s a lot for me.
So I was going to fill you in on all sorts of details from the past week, such as the weird panic attack I had just after buying the Subaru where I thought I was either going to be hustled out of the car or even worse, killed, but I’ve been called in to help at Clark and I need to pick Rose up from the Patro at 4 and it is already past 10 so I had better get cracking.
Oh, I received an invitation to a phone interview for that installation technician position at the NGC. That would be a sweet gig.
-chris
from chris lloyd
to pm@pm.gc.ca
date Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 9:55 PM
subject Les ressortissants mexicains n’ont plus besoin de visa; ‘There was nothing left of the house’: At least one dead and nine injured after explosion in Mississauga, Ont.
Dear Justin,
I am still alive. I survived another day at Clark packing up the last of Mathieu’s works and beginning demo of the walls. Picked Rose up from le Patro at 4, we took her new bike to du Moulin for a tuneup but they are 2 weeks away in bookings, so we may just try a drop-in Saturday morning. Or go somewhere else. The evening devolved into yelling and screaming matches, no-one was in a good mood, it rained and the kids enjoyed putting on their raingear and running up and down the sidewalk but supper and bedtime was a disaster. I’ve popped some melatonin in hopes of dropping off to sleep and Clo has taken off on her bike. It was a shitty night.
-chris
DEAR PM 