Link to an alternate choice of deities:
The Gods of Your Choice
4th (Monday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Sitting with Shari on a terrace at Belkin House. Told me
Nostradamus was in her apt, read me quotations from the Bible
& sang parts of gospel songs. But she did look charming all
the same, in a long-sleeved shirt, worn above another shirt
that was the purest white. Cold, grey, raining, she stood
looking out on Homer & said it seemed to her like the Garden
of Eden. Her mother called later this evening
5th (Tuesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Cool, rainy. Emotionally drained from yesterday
6th (Wednesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Myle called, asking if I could return her memory card &
things. Told me she'd been having a lot of headaches lately,
& wasn't too impressed with Niagara Falls. Stanley Cup won
this evening in Anahiem. Susan left a message to tape a
Chinese dance show
7th (Thursday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Myle quite charming this morning, telling me about the new
book she'd started, & she'd lend me one of hers (a
different title by the same author) if I wanted
8th (Friday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
...'Borat' tonight. One of the funniest, best shows I've
seen
9th (Saturday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Cold, dark, rainy. Nice chat with Taeko. Talking with
Ady on the phone this afternoon, who was still lying in
bed, about to go back to sleep
10th (Sunday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Another lovely little chat with Taeko, who described
to me Japanese lunch boxes called ekiben
11th (Monday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Talked to Reena on the balcony at Sinclair. Described
to her the outline of 'Goddess', and the new ideas for
'Politics of the Mind'. Complimented her on her
earrings, told her she had style. She did look beautiful
Thinking about her, I went to the library, checked out
a few books, & put an Indian Goddess into the drawing
12th (Tuesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Myle telling me her favourite place in Manhatten is a discount
shoe store. Asked if I could bring her hot water, with 'five
seconds' of honey. Met Lani on Burnaby. Described the idea for
'Politics of the Mind'. Asked questions about the position of
the pieces on the chessboard. We had a lovely chat, as the sun
came in & out behind the clouds. Girl at the dollar store,
blonde hair, great voice, ends of her long fingernails painted
gold. Buying a deck of cards. Asked her if she played poker
'I get drunk with my girlfriend sometimes, & we play games.'
'Sounds like fun,' (I replied) Girl at Safeway named Deepa,
with an intriguing accent. From Mauritius. Asking me about my
name. Was I French?
13th (Wednesday)
Shari waiting at Sinclair. 'I got your message & came,' she
said. Told me she was thrown out of Belkin House because
she was loudlypraying for snow, outside on the terrace. Found
out that 'Nostradamus' was some old bag person. Said to me,
'I do love you Richard, but we're NOT having children.'
Cheeseburgers & beer this afternoon at the Princeton Pub, with
Heather. Weather one moment, chilly the next, which continued
all day
14th (Thursday)
Talking with Heather, on the phone
15th (Friday)
Creating a surreal sort of masterpiece, images within the
mind. Minori the inspiration...
16th (Saturday)
'Pirates of the Caribbean' in the balcony of the Dunbar
Theatre, this afternoon with Heather. Cool & rainy all
day
17th (Sunday)
Some nice drama at the U.S. Open, won by Cabrera. A
pleasant, but short talk with Taeko about how Robson
looked 50 years ago, her weekday job on Pender, &
how my time is being wasted with Strata issues
Watched 'Onedine Line' tonight, for the first time in
many years
18th (Monday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Cool weather continues
19th (Tuesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Sunny, warm. Dropped in at the sushi place on Pender
to say 'Hi' to Taeko. She looked good in a red apron
& white shirt
20th (Wednesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Talking to Ady & Shari
21st (Thursday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
In the hot sun at Cambie & Broadway, an Oriental
girl with a lovely face, & hands which were worthy of
a portrait. At the sushi place, Taeko washing dishes
behind a curtain
22nd (Friday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Talking with Heather on the phone, whose review of
'Borat' was lukewarm
23rd (Saturday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Briefly met eyes with Minori. On Cordova an odd sort
of 3 Musketeers character, with a peculiar stride
accosting an older guy, who shot back, 'Fuck off!';
and when the guy was walking away: 'Go back to
France!' Taeko telling me she was surprised when I
showed up at Zero One. Her favourite flavor of ice
cream is vanilla. Told her about the cat I bought
for Amber at the Japanese Festival, that I named
Tojo. 'Tojo?' she said, confused. 'Yeah, Tojo'
24th (Sunday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Flea market at Croation Cultural Centre, with
Heather. Annie was there, gave Heather a small
perfume bottle. Sharing a ham sandwich in a little
kitchen between auditoriums. Chilly, with showers
of rain off and on. Smelling roses, all wet with
rain, near Commercial & Hastings. Cheeseburgers at
DQ & then a store in Gastown with an unusual screen
made from old glass panels (walking man) from
pedestrian crossings. Dark clouds & a heavy shower
of rain, & shopping at Army & Navy. At Drake &
Burrard, saw Minori standing across the street. A
cool light rain was falling, illuminated with
sunshine... The first 2 episodes of the Onedine
Line tonight
25th (Monday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Cool, a little rain, a little sun
26th (Tuesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Downstairs, in a dark, comfortably warm corner of
the Food Fair on Thurlow... Talking with Taeko a
few minutes before I had to hurry away
27th (Wednesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Down the Rabbit Hole this evening. Images were surreal,
as they usually are...
28th (Thursday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Wonderful, heavy summer shower this afternoon
Raining again this evening, a downpour around
midnight
29th (Friday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Thunder, heavy showers this afternoon. Along Robson
the sun shining through a heavy downpour of rain
Image of a courier riding down an alley, the wet
pavement shimmering with light
30th (Saturday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Surprised to see Myle this morning. Told me she
couldn't get any more extra time off this year.
Wanted me to bring her some sort of fruit candy from
London Drugs. Talked her out of that, but brought
her some honey water from Starbucks. She was
charming, but told me a couple of things which
finally sunk home... Walking along Howe St &
suddenly Minori is right in front of me, talking on
her cellphone. Touched her arm as she walked past
She looked up - a big wave & a wonderful smile
Has me wondering again about Destiny...
July
2nd (Monday)
Nice visit to Abbotsford. Late this evening
stopped by Subway to say hi to Ady. Thought I
should try to re-establish my friendship with
Minori, slowly & patiently
3rd (Tuesday)
With Heather, checked out the photo exhibition on
the street photographer Foncie, on Powell St. Tea
outside La Luna on Water St. Girl who worked there
with a dredlock Medusa hairstyle. Trying to find
shoes for the next still life, at Army & Navy
Picked up sushi on Pender, saying 'hi' to Taeko;
& then a long talk at Sinclair, from Bob's problems
to the death of Marisa Berenson, in the shadows
upstairs. Sunny, fairly hot
4th (Wednesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Finally took the last portrait down to the cafe to
show Michelle, who was VERY excited with how it
turned out. Showed it to a girl who works with her,
who was very complimentary. Her name is Melanie
She's an artist, a sculptor she told me, who
admires Brancusi. She has lovely, cool grey eyes
First day of pure summer, beneath the weeping
willow by Lost Lagoon, the sunlight filtering
down through the shimmering
5th (Thursday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Warm, sunny. Along Burnaby St, a girls walks
past smelling nicely of perfume & cookies
6th (Friday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Dropped off a couple of portrait photos for
Michelle. Said hi to Melanie, who remembered my
name. Afternoon & evening... in White Rock, & a
lovely cool breeze at Crescent, two kites hovering
above the beach sand, grasses, and a distant view
of the San Juan & Gulf Islands. The long way home,
stopped to talk with Ady at 1:30am
7th (Saturday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
High, light overcast, making it muggy &
uncomfortable
8th (Sunday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Wimbledon tennis early this morning. Talking to
Melinda, who has just returned from Portugal, where
she complained the water was awful & caused a lot
of her hair to fall out. Taeko was charming,
telling me how much she like P.E.I. & Anne of Green
Gables. Under the big trees on Bidwell, lovely
sunshine, shade & a cool breeze
9th (Monday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Intense heat, strong winds
10th (Tuesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
A blast furnace, with strong winds, this afternoon
Walking up to the entrance on Robson, met eyes with
Minori through the door. It went almost perfectly
after that...
11th (Wednesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Phoned Ady late this evening. Thought I should think
in terms of friendship with Minori, & let things
happen from there, (for better or worse). Her husband
checked out the website in Africa. Was impressed with
Ady's portrait, & commented on all the women, no men
12th (Thursday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
D.Q. on Hastings, this afternoon with Heather. Had a
few laughs at Value Village checking out the shirts
Rosemary spending most of the day trying to stay
cool under the bed, she tells me. Some dismal grey
sky this afternoon, which made it oppresive. The air-
conditioning at Starbucks sublime. Both Ady & Minori
looking tired from the weather & the mood of the day
Minori unimpressed with the Amex pastel
13th (Friday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
...This morning talking to Michelle & Melanie, about
Mexican artists, & movies done about artists, which I
said never fail to upset me
14th (Saturday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Taeko was charming this afternoon. 'You look different,'
she said to me. It was the 'cheerful' summer shirt
Explained to her what 'pet peeves' meant, and we talked
about daylight savings & keeping a clean apartment,
something we both have in common
15th (Sunday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Another nice chat with Taeko, who taught me a
little Japanese, which she wrote down, explaining
what each part of the phrase translated into
'Ogenki Desuka'
16th (Monday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Myle was quite charming this morning. 'I got shoes,'
she said to me, remembering that I'd asked her for
shoes to do still lifes. We both laughed when two
loonies she was pulling from her purse flipped off
into the waste basket. Brought her a cranberry/
raspberry drink from Seven Eleven. Saisai back from
Hong Kong. Told me her ailing grandfather is
feeling better
17th (Tuesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Gave Minori four photos of the 'Far Away Oceans'
portrait. She thought the color was too dark
'You're such a perfectionist,' I said to her. 'Of
course I am!' she laughed. 'You know that.' Asked
why don't I start 'Meltdown' right away, asked about
what she should wear, & thought the sky should be
red...
18th (Wednesday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Minori phoned after one, & dropped off the portrait,
which I'm framing for her. She looked lovely with
her umbrella, in the rain. Saw 'Crimes &
Misdemeanors' at Cinematheque, with Heather. First
time I've seen it since all those years ago in 901
with G. Good discussion about what it all meant, as
we walked through the wet streets...
19th (Thursday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Overcast, with a sprinkle of rain now & then
20th (Friday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Overcast, with heavy rains. Latae this evening
framed the portrait of Minori. Very happy with how
it turned out
21st (Saturday) [The Goddess of Your Choice]
Minori not working this morning. Finished the drawing
just before three. Talking with Janis, in front of
the elevator talking about the power of the mind, NOT
to deny yourself, to BELIEVE. 'Fake it till you make
it,' she said to me. Kept thinking how this would
apply to my feelings for Minori. Another lovely
conversation with Taeko, who showed me how to say,
'I love autumn.' in Japanese
22nd (Sunday)
Asked Taeko about a Japanese song which was
popular here in the early sixties. She started
humming a tune. 'Yes! That's it!'
23rd (Monday)
Warm, wet weather continues. Talking to Lani, &
then Ady a little later. Surreal image of Japan, in a
very purple haze
24th (Tuesday)
Minori with the bedbug blues. Myle : 'You can do
something for me.' Wanted me to bring her the
cranberry drink again, adding : 'Can I have smarties?'
Off I went to Seven Eleven, in the summer sunshine
