Pulling the Plug

pastel (44" x 78 ½")
May/June 2009

thanks to natalie charbonneau & Crash
for helping out with the modeling.
and Salvador Dali for helping simplify the background.
and natalie again for saying to me a few months ago:
"...one of my ambitions is
to drain a lake to see what's on the bottom."

Home Page / E-mail

next page

30th (Thursday)
Told Myle about seeing Minori on the weekend. My
Shaughnessy walk this afternoon in lovely warm
sunshine. Reading 'Pink Floyd' on the terrace at
Mcd's. Some nice drama from downtown, Canucks/B'Hawks

May
1st (Friday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Trying to encourage Myle starting yet another
program. She suggested we could have lunch together
next week, when she's on jury duty. Girl at
Market Place, with green earrings, is from Bordeaux,
France. Another warm day

2nd (Saturday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Myle complaining that the orange I bought her was
sour. Giving me instructions about how to choose
the perfect orange. A heavy downpour of rain, late
this evening while I was down the rabbit hole
What does it mean, happening when it did?

3rd (Sunday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Cool, spring afternoon in Abbotsford

4th (Monday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Nice little chat with the film student, in the
lobby. Working on a 1 minute animation, she told
me. Gave her my website address (no card on me)
& that I wanted to see her work sometime

5th (Tuesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Myle called at noon, telling me she nearly fell
asleep during the trial, & that 'everyone talked
so slow'. Talked to Pui Li for the first time in
3 weeks. Has a fat new English teacher she
doesn't like at all

6th (Wednesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Talking to Myle on the phone, who's fallen asleep
twice at the trial

7th (Thursday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Described the outline of the drawing to Natalie,
who seems to be intrigued by the idea. Promised
to photograph Crash & to email them to me tonight
Vicki & Maggie bewildered by the ram's head photo
Maggie saying, 'What is it? What is it?' Vicki wants
to see the drawing when it's finished

8th (Friday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Natalie telling me her floor manager is rather
aggresive. 'Probably to compensate for a small
penis,' she said. Discussion about what sort of
expression her dog should have in the drawing

9th (Saturday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Saw Minori this morning sitting at the bus stop
across the street. Her hair was longer than I've
ever seen it, & she looked very beautiful. My
lovely Muse. - Thankfully, Myle was in, & she
tried her best to be sympathetic. - Showed a few
pictures to the young student at Canada Place, who
seemed most impressed with 'Meltdown'. Wonderful
little talk with Natalie, who had a good
suggestion for the drawing

10th (Sunday)
Mothers Day in Abbotsford


11th (Monday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Myle brought me some packages of noodles. Bought
her a Japadog for the first time since last
summer. 'What about the program?' I asked her
Talking to Agnes, who seems interested in the
drawing. 'Do you want to see a photo of the
outline?' I asked her. 'Yes, I want to see
everything,' she replied. Sunlight shining through
water dripping off the bright green leaves of the
trees arching over Bidwell. Some nice drama from
Chicago: Blackhawks7/Canucks 5

12th (Tuesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
This morning received the news about Aunt Annie

13th (Wednesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Dark, steady rain this evening. Long talk on
the phone with Vesna

14th (Thursday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Myle asking me, 'Who did you get your drawing
talent from, your Mom or your Dad?' Told her my
Mom, but I inherited certain qualities from the
other side of the family that have a powerful
influence on the art

15th (Friday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Telling Maggie about seeing Minori last Saturday
She shook her head. 'When you smoke. You know,
when you smoke, you always see her face on the
television... not good, not good.' Natalie
happy with the outline I emailed to her. 'It
looks like me.' Told me she checked out the
whole website, mentioning 'Meltdown', 'Factory
Girl', & the '...one with the fire'. Wants me
to do a portrait of her. Told her yes, that
would be great. 'I want to do one that shows the
colour of your eyes.'

16th (Saturday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Young student telling me she checked out the
whole website, including the math section,
'Emotions' & the Marlboro pastel stood out
for her

17th (Sunday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Sunny, warm, with a cool breeze in the shade
Vesna called, coming over Tuesday instead of
tonight

18th (Victoria Day)   [Pulling the Plug]
Myle asked Agnes about Minori. 'Is she seeing
anyone?' 'I don't know, why? asked Agnes
'Just wondering,' said Myle, though I wonder
if she suspected Myle was asking for me
Showed her (Myle) the photo of the Temple, &
talked about the circumstances behind the
photo, the symbolism in it, & whether it was
coincidence, fate, or destiny? Overcast, cool,
light rain this afternoon & evening. Season
finale of 'Survivor'

Myle proudly telling me how she played tennis
yesterday. 'Tennis, wow!' I replied. 'Great way
to lose weight.' 'Not that,' she giggled
'Nintendo Tennis'. Dropped in on Tangy at UBC
The campus was lovely. Two charming girls, one
at RBC this morning, who had studied in Sydney,
Australia for a couple of years, & a girl from
Nagoya selling Japadogs on Georgia. Vesna came
over to watch 'Cassandra's Dream' this evening
At one point she asked, something like, 'Would
you kill someone for the Japanese girl?'...

20th (Wednesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Showed Maggie photo of the Temple. She admired
the sky, & looked quite good in blue jeans
Talking with Baeta, who had just finished her
shift. Introduced me to her friend from Pusan,
who calls herself 'Hunny'. Her Korean name is
Hyun 'something'. Was surprised I could
pronounce it. Is here on a year long 'working
vacation'. Sunny, warm, cool breeze in the
shadows


21st (Thursday)   [Pulling the Plug]
A little tension coming through Natalies
cheeful demeanour. Nervous about some event
Anna Sui is having the next few days

22nd (Friday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Helping Nicky pull out a book that had been
squeezed into her mailbox. 'Thank you!' she
called from the elevator, as I walked down
the hallway. She's heading off to Hawaii this
evening

23rd (Saturday)   [Pulling the Plug]
...rum & coke, & later, dinner at Keg's,
White Rock. Long bus ride, 1:30 am down
Kingsway, thinking of Myle, Minori, & Natalie
Charming little chat with the high school girl
this morning

24th (Sunday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Watching the Che Gueverra documentary with
Vesna this evening. Very good conversation
we had, later

25th (Monday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Natalie very charming in a small black hat. Had
a LONG conversation


26th (Tuesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Told Myle that Natalie was planning to have a
large family. 'Whatever,' she replied. 'Did
you show her the W sign?' Apparently she's
changed her mind on this a number of times
Telling me she was VERY tired, she was getting
migraines, losing a lot of hair, & had gone for
a blood test. 'Oh, Richard,' she said. Got her
some hot water, & sat down with Maggie for
awhile at Starbucks. Picked up a marriage
certificate for her, but she'd gone home by the
time I got back...

27th (Wednesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Talking with the girl from Bordeaux, describing
the drawing, & telling her about the view from
Mt Gardiner. Sunny, nice & cool in the shade

28th (Thursday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Myle telling me she had to squeeze into one of
her wedding dresses, that she could barely do
up the zipper. Wants to give me some sticky
rice, wrapped in banana leaves, that Cindy had
made for her. 'To many carbs!' she told me
Sunny, with a lovely cool breeze

29th (Friday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Natalie describing various medieval tortures
she'd seen on tv the night before. We're making
fun of Noah's Ark, & wondering about the truth
behind the story of Jesus. Myle looking nice in
turqouise & white, & Maggie in a sparkling
blouse with the face of a tiger on the front
Helping Yajing with her English quiz at the
Market this afternoon. Walking along Burrard
with Mary from 9th, discussing my ivy & her
tomato plants

30th (Saturday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Discussing with Myle our programes for the next
month. Watched 'The Life of Brian' for the
first time in 30 years

31st (Sunday)
Acres of buttercups in the Fraser Valley fields,
the glaciers of Baker shimmering on the horizon

June
1st (Monday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Sultry day to begin summer, complaining to
Cindy about the hot weather, who found it a
little amusing, her round little eyes sparkling
with amusement

2nd (Tuesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Myle showing me her new 'program book' all
highlighted in greens & orange. Telling Baeta
that I'd show her a photo of the drawing next
week. 'Show HER too,' she replied, indicating
Hunny, who was working beside her. 'Girl from
the Kingdom of the Morning Sun' is a
possibility, again. Hot, humid, record
temperature

3rd (Wednesday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Showing Natalie the detail of the drawing with
Crash's face. Suggested her & Myle should
come over to see the drawing after it's
finished, & then talked to Myle & suggested
the same. M wearing open-toed shoes. First
time in 8 1/2 years I've seen her feet
Memorable talk on the phone with Vesna tonight
The 'seasons' debate we always have, she's
still 'so mad' about what I said a year ago;
and, she said,'I was on your website & I read
what you wrote about that girl.' 'You mean
Minori?' 'Yes, you know who I mean.' She's
leaving for Serbia on the 6th

4th (Thursday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Natalie & Myle possibly coming next Thursday
Natalie telling Myle that she would want to
buy the drawing if she likes it. Apparently
loved the detail of the dog. M wants me to
draw her wedding portrait. Told me when she
was young she used to torture spiders. 'Don't
tell me! Don't tell me!' Talked about when I
should approach Minori again

5th (Friday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Met Heather, on Howe near Smithe. Sitting on
the bench at Infinity Park, talking about things
from 'Survivor' to Barack Obama. Planning to
meet on Tuesday to see Rembrandt/Vermeer
Surprisingly (not) met (Aussie) Natalie at
Tinseltown who was working on some school
project. Was quite interested in the website,
the math section included

6th (Saturday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Myle quite charming this morning. Said to me,
'I'm so glad to see you.' Told me about her
bad day yesterday, that included breaking her
tooth, leaving her groceries in the parkade, &
finding out her wedding gown was 3" short in
the chest. Met Vesna, downtown, who gave me
her mail key

7th (Sunday)   [Pulling the Plug]
Lovely warm sun on the platform at Lougheed
Station

8th (Monday)
Chatting with Natalie this morning, who
described all the problems she has house-
training her dog. Afternoon sun veiled with a
thin haze that colored it gold, touching the
ground, & the walls, with a warm strangely-
tinted light. Lovely cool air today

9th (Tuesday)
Talking with Heather at the Gallery Cafe,
drinking 7-up out of a wine glass, comfortable
sun, live Spanish music, & a sparrow hopping
around between the dishes. Both of us impressed
with the Dutch art exhibition. First look at
Vermeer. Long talk at Cathedral Park, as
daylight darkened into twilight & church bells
ringing

15th (Monday)
Myle texted Natalie saying she had a migraine
'Exhibit' postponed until Thursday. N looked
good in blue & black, telling me she was
fascinated by grasshoppers as a kid

18th (Thursday)
Website work. Natalie & Myle over this
afternoon to see the drawing

20th (Saturday)
Light rain this morning, which freshened the
air beautifully. Myle a little quiet this
morning, bad news from the doctor, she wouldn't
say what. Long talk with Natalie, who loved the
drawing & said she wished she could carry it
home on her back