My Cat Andre

Andre has been keeping a secret from me. I want to to tell the world, because I feel that he has not told me the truth all along, and now that he has- well, who better to share it with?

I always wondered why Andre was so smart, and charming, and well-bred. Sometimes he gets into trouble, and well, let's face it, Andre can be really sweet, but he seems to pick fights with his sister Leu a lot. Where does this aggression come from? I found out at the vet.

It seems that in order to take a kitty's temerature, the vet has to insert the thermometer into the unmentionable area. And when Andre had his temperature taken, well folks - I know this will be hard to believe - Andre started purring. It turns out that Andre is... gay.

So that's it. Andre has unchecked aggression due to the fact that he's been trying to keep this secret for so long, and perhaps Leu had found out about it before he was ready to tell. I'll never know.

Now we can all sleep better at night knowing that Andre is out of the closet.

Ski Trip!

And now for the WAY overdue post! Dale and Cris came to ski and visit with me a few weekends ago, and we had a blast! We stayed and skiied at Breckenridge, which got the most snow of any resort the weekend they were up. In fact, Breckenridge got a total of 10" of snow while we were there.

So the skiing was great, but the company was even better. We told lots of family stories, and of course made fun of each other. If you see Cris, ask him how is the Colorado vodka, anyway? They got to see where I work, where I live, the kids (Dre and Leu - no oher kids as of now...) and met some of my friends. The best part, I must say, was skiing with Dale on Monday. We went to Peak 7 at Breckenridge - hard to get to, but absolutely worth it!

In fact, there may be a plan in the works in regards to getting the whole Larocque family to go on a ski trip next year.... Perhaps Mom will be out here by then, so there'll be two Colorado locals to visit!

Work has been insanely busy, as per normal, but I don't really have any excuses as to my poor communication. I heard from Eva the other day, and Jackson Lee McLean is a full 20 pounds now! Who knew he could be so big, so fast. He turns one in May!

I have decided I want to be either a professional skiier or mountain bike racer - we'll see how this season pans out. This way I can get *free* gear and mucho time to pursue outdoor activities. No pressure; I just have to be the best.

I'll be in NC soon - for Jeff and Kelly's wedding! They're tying the knot in Waynesvegas and we'll be doing tons of celebrating. Not to mention celebrating Jackson's first birthday as well, and Memorial Day - it's going to be a full week.

Hope to see you all then, but before I do I'll give more updates as they arrive. Oh, by the way, I have decided that boys are not good for me at all right now. So don't expect me to be coming home to NC with a boyfriend or anything; I like being single right now :)

Random Notes from CO

So - my family is wonderful. Really, they are. Two brothers and one sis have decided to post blogs! Here they are:

Jesse is at www.jessedog.blogspot.com
Del (Darrell) is at www.monsieurl.blogspot.com
Lesli is at http://leslilarocque.blogspot.com

Check them out; they are really cool. I, however, have not figured out the best way to post pictures yet, as you can see. But the day will come soon, I promise.

Work is going exceedingly well. I have no complaints. I went to downtown Denver Saturday and had too much fun. The architecture is amazingly different from anything I have ever seen. Of course, living on the east coast my whole life did not prepare me for seeing a town full of buldings built after 1900. We get so used to certain types of buildings back east that new architecture seems surreal.

One local news item I've been meaning to write about is a professor in the Ethnic Studies department who has come under fire for several weeks now over a sentence he wrote. Ward Churchill currently teaches at CU Boulder, (the University of Colorado at Boulder for those not in with the Boulder slang,) and was the head of the Ethnic Studies Department at CU until recently. He holds lectures around the US often, as his primary focus is Native American Studies, and was commissioned to speak at a college in New Hampshire several weeks ago. Before he was scheuled to appear, however, a professor (or was it the dean?) at the school read an essay of Churchill's published in 2001 after September 11. He cancelled Churchill's lecture on the grounds of one line in a very long essay that compared (as this NH prof/dean put it) 9/11 victims to "little Eichmanns" who deserved to die.

As you can see, this caused quite a stir. How can an Ethnic Studies professor, a man who has championed the rights of Native Americans year after year say something so terrible? Some of the community and some students went crazy. One reporter from the Denver Post glommed on to the story and never let up. In fact, here's a quote from the Denver Post that sums up their position, dated Feb. 26, 2005:

"Since it was first reported that Churchill, a CU ethnic studies professor, had demonized some of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the university has faced relentless scrutiny of its hiring practices and faculty qualifications. Churchill has undergone an extensive media review of his scholarship, artwork and genealogy, while everyone from radio talk-show hosts to syndicated newspaper columnists have questioned his integrity, his ancestry and his military career."

Wow. Political backlash at its best. What concerns me about this whole thing is the actual whiplash from one essay WRITTEN OVER THREE YEARS AGO. Three actions of the backlash: 1) Ward Churchill resigned as Head of the Ethnic Studies Department. 2) The insane reporters from the Denver Post have questioned Ward Churchill's Native American Heritage, saying he is not Cherokee. 3) The reporters have questioned his military background. See how #'s 1 thru 3 have nothing to do with that darn essay he wrote three years ago? In fact, I guess I haven't mentioned it yet, but Ward Churchill's "Eichmann" sentence has been taken out of context. For the real, actual essay - if you're interested - please see: http://www.kersplebedeb.com/mystuff/s11/churchill.html

For a summary of the essay and the "demonizing" sentence: Churchill was saying that the powers of the US, or the "Christian West," have constantly been attacking the Middle East, or the "Islamic East," for years, through several presidents, and the terrorists saw the buildings of the Pentagon and the Twin Towers as military targets-- not all who were inside were innocent civilians in the terrorists' eyes.

I find it fascinating that the First Ammendment has been ignored. I find it fascinating that a Native American Studies professor has had his Native blood challenged over a single sentence in an essay that had nothing to do with Native Americans. My favorite comment from Ward Churchill's mouth after this entire wreck of a situation: "Native Americans are the only race who have to prove their blood like dogs." How apropos.

This is my diatribe for now. I suggest you read some other Ward Churchill essays, especially an essay about cultural anthropologist Robert Thomas on the CU website: http://www.colorado.edu/EthnicStudies/faculty/w_churchill.html

My opinion, (as we know everyone has one) is that Ward Churchill has gotten a very raw deal.

Beginnings

Since I am horrible about ongoing communication, I have decided to set up this mighty effort to restructure my multiple scant communications to the few in a mass device for all. In other words, I'm lazy. Not just in communication, but slackness in general. However, after meeting a marvelously connected and intelligent friend named Jacob at Sundance this year, I now know all that setting up a blog spot is e-a-s-y. Thanks Jacob!

As most of you know, I live in Boulder, Colorado now - home of the Republic of Boulder. It is here where an overwhelmingly white majority try to focus on the voices of the minorities everywhere. Sound odd? It is.

But more to the point, I have updates. I work for an awesome advertising firm in downtown Boulder, Greenhouse Partners. Colorado is home to many outdoor sports and I am trying them all. Acting in the big CO has eluded me thus far, but be prepared for updates on gigs I may get soon... I miss acting very much and I can't believe it has been almost a year since my last play, Cyrano, in Charlotte. I am no longer with Jeff, but things are looking up. I'm at work right now, typing this, and loving that it is 60 degrees outside and a walk to the local hot dog stand is timed for 1:00 pm GMT. Ya gotta love Colorado blue skies and sunshine. We get 300 days of sunshine a year. Jealous?

One person who is not jealous is my Mommy. Why not? Because she is moving out here. Yes folks, another Larocque will be joining the Colorado faction, but it's up to me to try to steer here out here sooner rather than later - right Mom? Added bonus: two fantastic Larocque siblings will be out here shortly to visit at the same time! Dale Larocque will be travelling from heat-ridden Florida, and Cris Larocque is coming from North Cakalacky where both willl enjoy two fantastic days of skiing. I AM SO EXCITED! (Plus it's another chance to work on talking more family into moving out here.... beware!) T-minus 8 days and counting!

Jesse Larocque will be finally be living in the same country as his fiance Ivy (hopefully!) very soon now. Suzanne Larocque-Tetrault is in the huge metropolis that is Marshville, NC with little Claire and husband Joe -all doing quite well in their new digs, I hear. Darrell is in the Navy, on loan to the Air Force, and in Turkey. Confused? Yeah, we are too.

So we're all well. I hope that this may eventualy be a group forum for the Larocque Clan to post our journals of woe and wonder, but for now I am the lone pioneer. I hope you all can join me soon; feel free to post comments, questions, and whatever crazy sentences you've always wished to write.

I hope all who read this are well, happy, and healthy.