Hello Canadensis…

Technically, the Camp Canadensis Winter Office is closed for the Holiday Season. However, since I predominantly work out of my home office in New Jersey, it is “technically” hard to actually close your office. So, I guess you could call today a day when I just did an office pop in. There were a few calls I needed to make and e-mails I had to return as well as some items I just wanted to take care of before the break. Plus, I wanted to say hello to all of you in Canadensis Cyberspace!

I am sitting here in my office with our Camp Dog, Millie. For those that don’t know, Millie is the dog of our new Senior Boys Head Counselor Brian Stern. Brian is away on a trip to the Galapagos with Webmaster Jared “Groundhog” Katzman. Brian asked if I could watch Millie for a bit and I, of course, couldn’t refuse being with Millie. In fact, we just got back from a walk, which I think tuckered her out. She is now sleeping on my floor. Here is a pic…

I am taking care of Millie while Brian Stern is away on vacation. Here is Millie taking a nap on my floor as I type this.

By the way, I can’t stop talking about the movie Avatar, which I saw last night.  I loved it!  First, you have to see it in the Digital 3-D format because that was definitely half of what made it so amazing!  The new 3-D technology that was developed for this film is awesome!  There are definitely times when you truly feel like you are in the movie!  The story is a real good one, too.  When I left the theater, I was already thinking about when I might be able to see it again.  If you haven’t seen it yet, try to get to a theater over the holiday break as you will not be disappointed.

For all those that celebrate Christmas, I want to wish you and your families a wonderful holidays.  I also hope that Santa delivers all you had hoped for this year!  As for me, Christmas Day has always meant the same thing each year.  On this day, my friends and I see three movies and eat Chinese Food and Diner food.  That’s right, three movies!  On our movie agenda so far is The Blind Side and Up In The Air.  From what I have heard and read about so far, both movies should be really good.

What was good was getting to see more of our camp families this week.  On Tuesday, I got to meet new camper and 2010 Junior Girl Amanda Burger at their home in Fanwood, NJ.  Amanda is really excited for her upcoming summer at Canadensis and making a whole bunch of new friends and also can’t wait for all the activities in our Art Center like Glass Fusion, Ceramics and Art Shack.  She is also pumped for Gymnastics.  When at home, Amanda is involved in Musical Theater classes and she really likes to sing.  In fact, she even recently performed a song from Hairspray at the resort she was staying at while on a recent vacation.  She is also involved with ballet classes, piano lessons and soccer.  Here is a picture…

Me and 2010 Junior Girl Amanda Burger.

On Wednesday, I drove to Westchester County, NY to see some more campers.  First, I went to Scarsdale to see new camper and 2010 Lower Inter Girl Jordana Kaller.  These days, Jordana is busy with a number of different activities.  First, she is a flyer on her town’s cheerleading team which competes in several competitions each year.  In the next few weeks, she will begin rehearsals for her school play, The Sound of Music.  On top of that, her basketball season just recently got underway.  She also takes tennis lessons and goes ice skating.  In the spring, she will be playing baseball.  This summer, she can’t wait for all the stuff there is to do on Lake Lenape like the Banana Boat, Triple Dare and the Summit as well as activities such as Color War and Carnival Day!

While hanging out at Jordana’s house, we got a visit from 2010 Lower Inter Girl Sydney Goldman, who will be returning to camp for her second summer.  Sydney and Jordana live near each other and are even in the same class at school together.  Sydney told me all the stuff that she has been up to as well.  She is also a flyer on the cheerleading team and she, too, will be in the school production of The Sound of Music.  Sydney devotes a lot of her time to singing, acting and dancing as well as basketball and ice skating.  She recently got together with some of her bunkmates over the Thanksgiving break.  Me, Jordana and Sydney spent a lot of time talking about camp and even watched the 2009 Video Yearbook together.  Here is a shot of the three of us…

Me with 2010 Lower Inter Girls Jordana Kaller (left) and Sydney Goldman. We had a great day talking about camp, eating lunch and wathing camp videos.

After that, I made my way to Briarcliff Manor to see 2010 Upper Inter Girl Emily Kilman and her sister Samantha.  Emily, who will be joining us at camp for her second year, had a lot of great things to report in my visit.  In November, she starred as Willy Wonka in the local theater’s production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  In fact, Emily showed me a clip of the performance and I must say how impressed I was at how good she was up there on stage!  Way to go, Emily!  Currently, she is playing basketball and her team is off to a 4-0 start.  She was also really excited to tell me that her bunkmate Nicole Zibelman will be coming up this weekend to visit.  At the same time, she was excited that in a few weeks, she will see all her bunkmates at the upcoming reunion.  In the spring, Emily will be busy with Softball and Lacrosse.  In 2010, she was also thrilled to tell me that she will be seeing the show Wicked on Broadway twice!  This summer, she really can’t wait for the trip to Dorney Park and riding the Thunder Hawk rollercoaster as well as reuniting with the girls from 2009’s Bunk 5.  As for sister Samantha, who will be a future Canadensis camper in 2011, she has been busy, too.  She was also in Willy Wonka as a Sophie, a squirrel and an Oompa Loompa.  Samantha is also involved in a number of sports including soccer, lacrosse, basketball and baseball.  Here is a picture…

Me with 2010 Upper Inter Girl Emily Kilman (left) and future Canadensis camper Samantha Kilman.

Well, that’s all for now.  I hope everyone will have at least a few days off to enjoy time with family and friends.  As for me, I am really looking forward to Sunday and the final Giants game being played at Giants Stadium.  Having had season tickets for the past 12 years and even going to many games before that, I have had a lot of memorable afternoon and evenings in that stadium and a lot of great times with friends at our amazing tailgate.  As always, if you are at the game on Sunday, be sure to stop by Lot 5F for some good food and saying farewell to what my friends and I have appropriately called “The Mecca.”  Hopefully, the G-Men can also pull out a victory in their last game at the stadium, too, and keep their season alive.

The last Giants game at Giants Stadium will be played this Sunday.

Have a great remainder to your holiday weekend everyone!  Oh, Millie just woke up!  Say hello, Millie…

Millie wakes up from her nap.

Until next blog…Happy Holidays…Brian

Hello Canadensis!

So, I’m down here at the Plymouth Meeting office today, looking out my window and I see a whole lotta snow! What a weekend it was with a blanket of the white stuff pouring down on many of us!

For me, I got a chance to beat the storm, drive up north to Cheshire, CT and visit my camp friend Rick. Rick and I met at camp in 1983 and have been close friends ever since! Because we live so far away from each other, it is always great to see each other and reminisce about the many wonderful summers we spent together. That’s the wonderful thing about camp and your camp friends! It doesn’t matter how much time passes, it’s like you have never left those summer memories with them.

Speaking of summer memories, I got a chance to visit more of our camp families last week on Thursday and Friday in Long Island, New York. First, I got to see 2010 Freshman Dani Sussman and her brother Scott Sussman, who will be in the Junior Division next summer. Scott is in the third grade. Recently, he is playing a lot of Roller Hockey on a local team and plays travel Soccer. He is also on a Basketball team with fellow Canadensis camper Ben Borrok. This summer, he is looking forward to the CHL (Canadensis Hockey League), making new friends and Color War! Sister Dani, who is returning for her third summer in 2010, is in the 6th grade now. Currently, she is involved with Hip Hop Dance with fellow Canadensis camper Alex Leib, travel Soccer and video chatting with camp friends online. In 2010, she can’t wait for her Hershey Park trip, water skiing and seeing all of her camp friends. Here is a picture…

Me with Dani and Scott Sussman.

Next, I got a chance to see 2010 Freshman Ross Talarico and 2010 Lower Inter Paige Talarico.  Paige, who is in the 4th grade, has been heavily involved with her Dance classes these days which includes Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Ballet and Lyrical.  Her dance competitions begin on March 1st and she has been practicing a lot.  Her dance school, the Dorothy School of Dance, is known for graduate Trent Kowalik, who is playing Billy Eliot on Broadway.  She recently just got together with camp friends, too.  Brother Ross Talarico, now in the 6th grade, i s busy with basketball and a lot of homework at school.  He is soon going skiing at Jiminy Peak.  He, too, recently had a get-together with camp friends.  Here is a shot of us…

Me with Ross and Paige Talarico with younger brother Drew, a future Canadensis Camper.

A few blocks away, I got together with 2010 Junior Boy Isaac Grama, who is coming to camp for his first summer.  Isaac has been hearing for years how great camp is from older sister Lauren, who will be a Lower Senior in 2010.  Unfortunately, Lauren wasn’t home when I came over.  But, I got a chance to get to know Isaac, who is busy with a number of different activities.  His baseball team just won the Fall Ball World Series.  On top of that, he is involved with Soccer, Flag Football, Kickball, Ice Skating and Bike Riding.  He is also a big fan of the WWE and Legos.  In fact, I was amazed by a few of the lego models that Isaac put together.  This summer, he is excited to try the ropes course and climbing wall and all the rooms at the Art Center.  Here is a shot of me and Isaac…

Me with 2010 Junior Boy Isaac Grama.

Finally, it was great to see the Negrins on my visits.  When I got there, 2010 Upper Inter Girl Alix Negrin was even video chatting with bunkmate Sophy Feldman online.  This summer, Alix is thrilled that she will be joined at camp by younger brother and 2010 Junior Boy Ben Negrin.  Ben, who is in the 2nd grade, is busy with baseball,  basketball, football and go-karts.  He is also a very skilled rock-n-roll drummer.  This summer, he can’t wait for Rock Band, the activities at the Lake, Glass Fusion, Swimming, Woodworking, Color War and Dorney Park.  Sister Alix, who is now in 5th grade and returning for her 3rd summer at camp, has been active with Softball, Volleyball and Basketball.  She recently had a get-together with camp friends Ali Goldstein, Sage Linsky, Sophy Feldman and Ali Beyda.  This summer, she is excited for Gymnastics, Basketball, Color War and seeing all her bunkmates from 2009’s Bunk 7!  Here is a picture…

Me with Alix and Ben Negrin!

As you can see, I love getting to see as many camp families as possible.  I know that the upcoming weeks and months will bring more and more visits which I am really looking forward to!  This really helps my winter go by even faster.

What also helps my winter go by faster is visiting the Canadensis web site and Media Room.  If you haven’t seen it yet, we just recently put up new videos, including a very special Holiday Season’s Greetings from camp.  Also posted is a new Canadensis Today Show, which features an interview with new Assistant Director Pam Levi as well as a tour of the new winter office.  Check it out!

Also, camp families should have received an e-mail about the 76ers game on Wednesday, July 13.  We hope many families can attend.  For our families in Northern New Jersey, Westchester County and Long Island, we will be announcing a similiar event in New York City and a New York Knicks game.  These will be other great opportunities to see our camp families!

Well, that’s all for today.  More blogging later this week.

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

Last week, we made the announcement that our new Boys Head Counselors for Summer 2010 will Brian Stern for Senior Boys and Will Armon for Lower Boys.  And whereas we are excited for Brian and Will in these new roles and welcome them, it also means that some staff will not be back for Summer 2010.  After eight summers at camp, Ken Ricken will not be returning to camp.  Ken e-mailed me a few weeks ago and asked if he could guest blog so that he could say goodbye to everyone.  I thought this was a terrific idea.  So, here is Ken:

Ken with Audrey, Dan and Greg. All four received their 8-year jackets in Summer '09. Thanks for everything Ken!

Hello Canadensis…

What’s the best part of winter?  Well, it means we are halfway closer to next summer!  Ha Ha!  Yes, my friends, that time is upon us.  If you have seen the upcoming weather forecasts for the next week, you will see that winter is indeed here.  Need some warm thoughts?  Well, here are a few:  (1) The Camp Reunion on Sunday, January 10 is soon here!  (2) The 2009 Camp Video Yearbook has arrived so that can keep you entertained for at least the next few months!  (3) Your best friends from camp are only a phone call, e-mail, text message, IM away!

I didn’t get a chance to blog yesterday as I was in the Plymouth Meeting office with Terri, Eric, Pam and Cara.  Matt was up at camp.  But, then again, if you are a follower of Camp Canadensis on Twitter, then you already knew that.  For those that would like to catch up with us on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/canadensis .

Find Canadensis on Twitter at www.twitter.com/canadensis

While in PA, Eric and I got to discuss our upcoming Leadership Meeting which has always been held the day before our Reunion.  The meeting is a great opportunity for our head staff to discuss the upcoming summer, covering a wide range of topics, big and small and including, of course, such things as Color War.  Please keep in mind that the room we meet in is Top Secret and heavily guarded by top security and surveillance as well as some very nasty guard dogs.  Ha Ha!

Also, our Assistant Director Pam also sat down with Cara and me to show us a new system to create graphic-enhanced e-mails.  It’s really cool.  From this point on, many of our e-mails to campers, parents and staff will be in this format.  Please let us know how you like it.

I left the office around 3:30 pm to make my way to Holland, PA to meet some more of our camp families.

First, I got a chance to see 2010 Lower Senior Austin Pollack, who will be joined this year at camp by brother Jonathan Pollack.  Jonathan is currently in the 4th grade and will be a Lower Inter this year.  Jonathan is into a little of everything these days.  In a few weeks, he will start double tip / freestyle skiing, which for those that don’t know are all the tricks skiers do.  He is also an avid BMX biker.  In the spring, Jonathan is busy with baseball season.  Recently, he just got into the 39 Clues books, which I had never even heard of.  It’s a great series of books that also has it’s readers interacting online.  For more, go to www.the39clues.com .  Jonathan is really looking forward to a number of different activities this summer from Waterskiing to Hondas to Soccer to Photography.  Big brother Austin, who is returning for his 4th summer at camp, is ready for the upcoming competitive ski season.  In fact, he just got back on Monday from a ski trip to Alta, UT.  In October, Austin celebrated his Bar Mitzvah.  He was happy to let me know that so many of camp friends were there to party on down with him on his big day.  Austin and Jonathan also introduced me to their new dog Mogul.  Here is a pic…

Me with the Pollack Boys!

Then, I made my way a few minutes away to the Schultz Family where I got to see Josh, Heather and Melissa.  First off, Heather once again let me know that she reads our blogs all the time which I thought was so awesome!  Heather will be back at camp for her 4th summer in 2010 when she will be in the Freshman Girls division.  These days, she is very busy with Hip Hop and Jazz Dance Classes and Basketball games and practices.  She also just recently saw all of her camp friends a few weeks ago where they had a big sleepover.  This summer, she can’t wait to try Hondas and is really excited about her trip to Hershey Park.  Heather is excited that her sister Melissa will be coming to camp for her first summer.  Melissa is in the 2nd grade and will be in the Junior Division next summer in Girls Bunk 2.  In the winter, she is involved with Hip Hop Dance, Basketball, Kickboxing and watching shows on the Food Network (I can’t blame you, Melissa.  Those shows are awesome).  This summer, Melissa is excited to do all the activities on the lake, cooking, swimming, GaGa and making new friends.  Finally, oldest brother Josh and I were excited to talk about him being a Junior Counselor in Summer 2010.  He told me how much he enjoyed being a CIT for the boys of Bunk 2 last summer and now wants to return to camp as part of our staff.  He also wanted me to give a shout out to the Boys of Bunk 2!  These days, Josh is busy with school but plans on hanging out with his camp friends in the next few weeks.  Here is me with Josh, Heather and Melissa…

Hanging with Heather, Melissa and Josh Schultz.

Finally, I made it over to the Daniel house to see another threesome that will all be at camp in 2010.  That’s right!  2010 Lower Senior Shayna and Freshman Carly Daniel will now be joined by younger brother and Junior Boy Ben Daniel.  Currently in the 3rd grade, Ben just got finished with his first season playing tackle football where he played middle linebacker for his Indians team.  Now, he is involved with Wrestling, Tennis, riding his Honda and his bike and Skateboarding.  In the spring, he will be busy with Baseball.  This summer, Ben can’t wait to be on Lake Lenape, trying all of the different water sport activities like Water Skiing.  Older sisters Shayna, who is in 7th grade, has been busy seeing camp friends, who she met up with a week ago at a Bat Mitzvah.  She has also been playing tennis and studying hard.  I was so proud to hear that she made the honor roll last semester.  Way to go, Shayna!  Finally, Carly, who is in 6th grade, told me about the Acro classes that have been keeping her busy these days.  A lesson to me, Acro are the classes that involve tumbling and flipping and movements such as cartwheels and walkovers.  She is working towards a recital which will be in May.  It was so great to see what all the Daniel kids were doing these days.  Here is a shot of us…

Me with Ben, Carly and Shayna Daniel.

Finally, I wanted to give a shout out to 2010 CIT  Ethan Dayno, who apparently was a bit taken aback that I didn’t mention him on the big announcement video with Brian Stern.  Ethan thought it was because he was an Eagles fan, to which I replied was the correct reason.  Ha Ha!  So, here is a shout out to Ethan Dayno!  And, for that matter, in the spirit of remaining fair, here is a shout out to all of our 2010 CIT Boys!  Matt Feigin!  Bryan Pantofel!  Jake Bernstein!  Jake Cohan!  Jesse Kohler!  Adam Rosenthal!  Harrison Shapiro!  Jeremy Tarica!  Michael Levien!  Jake Yedid!  Andrew Kramer!

Finally, I cannot fail to mention as I will own up to all of those Eagles fans out there that my Giants failed to win our second match-up of the season, giving you Philly Cheese Steak Heads the right to brag about sweeping the season series.  A much more competitive and high scoring game this time, but as much as I hate to say it, you guys were the better team on Sunday night.  Maybe we’ll still see you in the playoffs?  What do they say?  The third time is the charm?

Well, that’s all for today.  More blogging later in the week.

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

First off, a very Happy Hannukah to all that celebrate the Festival of Lights! I hope the holidays are filled with fun and family. By the way, how many ways are there to spell Hannukah? As you can see, I choose the “H” to begin, not the “Ch” and use one “N” in the middle. I also put an “H” at the end. However, it seems like there are so many different versions of the spelling. I have seen everything from Chanukah to Hanuka to Channukah. Is there one proper way to spell it? Whatever it is, I hope you are all having fun celebrating and getting some good gifts!

I hope all of you checked out our big announcement the other day. We are so happy that Will Armon and Brian Stern will be our Head Counselors for Summer 2010. Both bring so much experience in these roles and we know that each will bring a lot of spirit, dedication, creativity and fun to camp this year. I know for a fact that both of them have been looking forward to one day attaining theses top positions at camp and we are confident that they will deliver time and time again to the campers, parents and staff.

On Friday morning, I hit the road early because I had scheduled a day to visit some of our campers in Maryland. It’s a little bit of a ways away, but I had a number of calls to make on the way down which passed the time. First, I stopped to see new campers Haley and Marshall Greenspan, who live in North Bethesda, MD. We actually first met at a great pizza place called Mamma Lucia’s for some pizza. After a few slices, we went back to their home to talk a bit more about camp. Haley is in 2nd grade and will be in Girls Bunk 2 in Summer 2010. At home, she is busy with Horseback Riding lessons, an Art Program she is involved with on Saturday mornings and Swimming classes. This summer, she can’t wait to try out all of the different rooms at the Art Center, including Ceramics, Glass Fusion, Woodworking and the Art Shack. She is also looking forward to Cooking, GaGa, Swimming and Gymnastics. Brother Marshall, who is in 1st grade, will be in Boys Bunk 2 next year. He also takes Horseback Riding and Swimming lessons, but is soon to start up with an Ice Hockey program in the upcoming weeks. At camp, Marshall is eager to try Waterskiing, the Foam Pit, GaGa and Hockey. Here is a picture of us…

Me with Haley and Marshall Greenspan. Both will be Juniors in Summer 2010.

Next, I made my way over to see Jackie Vinokur, another second grader, who will be in Girls Bunk 2 next summer.  Jackie is very busy with a number of different activities in the winter from Art and Chess classes to Tennis lessons to playing the Piano.  She is looking forward to a lot of the activities that Canadensis has in store and is ready to meet a whole bunch of new friends at camp!

Finally, I made my way over to see 2010 Upper Senior Danielle Schapiro, who will be returning to camp for her seventh summer!  Dani is currently in the 8th grade and is very involved with Hip Hop, Jazz and Ballet classes.  A lot of her practicing is for the spring, in which she will be trying out for prominent class called Poms.  Over Thanksgiving, Dani and her family went to colonial Williamsburg / Jamestown in Virginia for a very traditional way to celebrate the holiday.  For the new year, the family is planning a trip to Cancun.  Dani is continually keeping in touch with camp friends and will soon be visiting with bunk mate Rikki Pilavin in a few weeks.  Exciting!  Here is a pic of me and Dani…

Me and 2010 Upper Senior Girl Dani Schapiro.

I was supposed to hit Reistertown, MD for my final stop but the traffic outside of Baltimore was absolutely killer!  I was going to see Cameron and Kelsie Ahern, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.  I’m sorry guys, but I will hopefully see you at the reunion.  We need someone to invent a flying car to eliminate any traffic!

Today was filled with a lot of holiday shopping.  I hit Toys R Us, which is always fun!  Every time I go there, I think how much cooler toys are today then when I was a kid!  Then, it was off to the grocery store to stock up on tomorrow’s tailgate.  Big game vs. these Philadelphia Eagles!  Tomorrow on the menu is roasted corn chowder, chili, pigs in a blanket, pulled pork and of course, Philly Cheese Steaks in our Eat’em and Beat’em style!  It is supposed to be super cold out tomorrow with a chance of rain or snow.  Fun!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

After all the clues and teasers, here is the big announcement with a very special Canadensis Today show. Enjoy!

Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

Didn’t get a chance to hit the blog yesterday, but I couldn’t go another day without connecting to everyone in the world wide web of Camp Canadensis!

Did everyone enjoy the snow on Saturday?  I guess that is the first sign the winter is upon us.  I actually gave myself a self-proclaimed snow day in the afternoon, meaning I didn’t do anything except for light a fire, get into some comfy clothes and watch TV all day, flipping between movies like Reality Bites, Liar Liar and Legally Blonde and all of the college football games.  Did anyone see the end to that Cincinnati-Pittsburgh game?  Wow!  The final score was 45-44.

Of course, I also watched the 2009 Canadensis Video Yearbook.  I hope it has made its way to everyone by now and that you have begun to enjoy reliving all of the wonderful memories we shared together last year.  For all new Canadensis campers, the video will give you a good idea of all the fun you can expect next summer!

I got to meet some new Canadensis campers from the Cherry Hill, NJ area last night.  First, I went to see Amanda Seligman, who is in the fourth grade and will be a Lower Inter Girl next summer.  Amanda is currently very involved with Dance (Jazz and Ballet), Soccer and Basketball.  She is really looking forward to getting her new dog Chloe in a few days, too.  This summer, she can’t wait to try Waterskiing and the Ropes Course / Climbing Wall as well as making a whole bunch of new friends!  She is so excited for camp!  In fact, she told me that she checks the Canadensis website almost everyday and reads our blogs all of the time!  Here is a a picture of me and Amanda…

Me and 2010 Lower Inter Girl Amanda Seligman.

Right around the corner, I then went to see Maddie Phillips, who will be an Upper Inter Girl next summer.  Currently in the fifth grade, Maddie is involved with a number of activities, including Jazz dance and Swim team (her events are the backstroke and freestyle).  She is also a member of her school’s Student Council and they just recently completed their Red Ribbon Week, which makes students aware of making positive choices.  She also just got a new puppy Chase.  This summer, she can’t wait to get involved in the activities at the Art Center as well as making new friends.  Here is a photo of me, Maddie and her sister and future Canadensis camper Molly, who is in the 2nd grade and enjoys dance, swimming, soccer and basketball.

Me with Maddie Phillips (left) and sister Molly. Maddie will be an Upper Inter next summer.

Finally, I cruised a few blocks over to the Herskowitz Family.  For starters, father Jeff is a second generation alumni of Camp Canadensis.  Everytime I see him, he always recollects his wonderful memories of camp.  He hopes to make our 70th Anniversary Alumni Reunion on June 19 and says that he has been able to keep in touch with so many camp friends through Facebook.  His daughter Alexa, who will be returning to camp for her fourth summer as a Freshman Girl, is so happy that her brother Jake will be at camp this summer.  Jake, who is in the 2nd grade and will be a Junior Boy in 2010 is very active, playing football, soccer, basketball and hockey.  He is really looking forward to playing all of those sports at camp and says he will be playing in the CHL.  He is also excited to try the Climbing Wall and Zipline.

Alexa, who always has camp on her mind, has been keeping in touch with all of her camp friends online and sees other Cherry Hill Canadensis campers all of the time.  She has been involved with soccer, field hockey and tennis as well.  As a Freshman next summer, she is so psyched for her trip to Hershey Park, partly because many of her friends call her Hershy!  Ha Ha!  Alexa also has the honor of being my second guest blogger.  Blog away, Alexa!

Things are boring at home….. school, school, and more school. Thankfully I have seen a few camp friends, which is always good! We are all so excited for this summer! We can’t wait to be back at home!  Jake (my brother) is going to be in Bunk 2 which is really exciting! At home, things are going well.  I go to school with Amanda Soll and Danielle Rosenthal.  Scott Brown goes to the other school in my town so we see each other a lot! Camp seems so far away but I am sure time will go by quick.  Cant wait till sumer 2010!  -Alexa Herskowitz

Here is a picture with me, Alexa, Jake and younger brother Justin.

Me with Jake (second from left), Alexa and Justin. Jake will be in Boys Bunk 2 in 2010 while Alexa is back for a fourth summer as a Freshman Girl. Both are third generation Canadensis campers!

So, you can see it was a busy Monday for me.  It was also a very happy Monday, considering my Giants beat those hated Cowboys (at least one thing Giants and Eagles fans can both agree on).  Next week, it will be those Eagles who I can’t stand either.  I have already begun to receive those e-mails from all you Eagles fans out there so keep’em coming.  However, I am not going to talk any trash this time after last year’s Comcast incident.  Ha Ha!  A very funny story for those that remember.

More blogging in the next few days.  I am off to meet with a Canadensis Staff member to tape a very special Canadensis Today Show segment.  Has anyone figured out yet what the special announcment is?  I thought my last clue was pretty good.

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis!

You know, sometimes in life it is all about the little things that make us happy.  As a self-proclaimed foodie (a term that has become popular over the past few years), today was one of those days when it was the little thing that made me happy when I had a delicious falafel for lunch.  For those that don’t know what a falafel is, it’s a fried ball or patty made from chick peas.  You eat it in a pita with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and tahini dressing.  About a mile from me in Montclair, NJ is the Falafel Hut, which makes the best falafels!  If you haven’t tried one before, definitely do so.  You might be pleasantly surprised how good they are.  Here is a picture of what a falafel looks like…

My falafel lunch today hit the spot! Although, mine looked a lot better than this one.

So, has anyone seen the teaser Canadensis Today trailer?  Does anyone know what the announcement is about?  Any guesses?  If you are still in the dark, but here is a sentence that might help you figure it all out:  “I don’t mean to sound so stern, but this will be great.”

What a great week it was in the camp office.  Earlier in the week, I got a chance to catch up with Group Leader Marshall Weinstein, who is all set to return to camp in Summer 2010 for his 5-Year jacket!  Marshall is just finishing up his student teaching in Washington near where he attends college in Bellingham at Western Washington University.  Marshall said his student teaching experience was a most amazing opportunity and he can’t wait to attain a full time teaching gig once he gets his degree in less than a week!  Marshall is looking to work in the elementary school system, so if anyone knows of  any leads, let him know.  His schedule has been quite busy, but that doesn’t keep Marshall from keeping in touch with so many campers and staff throughout the year.  Marshall wanted to give a big shout out to everyone that reads the blogs.

On Tuesday, I got the chance to meet up with some of our campers in the Bala Cynwyd, PA area.  First, I stopped by to see Noah and Ben Rubin.  Noah will be a Freshman in 2010 while Ben is a Lower Inter.  Both are back at camp next summer for their 3rd year.  The family had just returned from their annual Thanksgiving trip to Scottsdale, AZ as they have family out that way.  Both Noah and Ben said the trip was awesome.  It was great catching up with the boys, who have been keeping in touch with their bunk mates.  Turns out that Noah Zaslow paid a visit to Noah Rubin a few weeks ago and Ben will be getting together with Max Rapoport very soon.  Great stuff!  Both are enjoying the school semester so far, but can’t wait to get back to camp in June.  Of course, they plan on attending the reunion in a few weeks.  Here is a pic from my visit…

Me with Ben (left) and Noah Rubin and their dog, Daisy.

After that, I made my way over to see Julia Rosenau and her sister Emma, who will be at camp for the first time in Summer ’10.  Emma is in the 3rd Grade and will be in the Junior Girls division next summer.  She enjoys playing soccer, softball, basketball and gymnastics.  She also plays the piano.  This summer, she is looking forward to activities like waterskiing, the art center and gymnastics.  As for big sister Julia, who will be back for her 4th summer at camp, she has been busy with gymnastics and soccer as well and will be playing basketball and softball in the upcoming seasons.  She has been in touch with so many camp friends and is really looking forward to the Hershey Park trip that the Freshman Girls go on.  Here is a picture…

Me with Emma (left) and Julia. When she got home, Julia tie-dyed her last day of camp T-shirt blue and gold. Nice job, Julia!

The visits were great.  In the next few weeks, I have a lot of visits scheduled with camp families.  It is going to be a really exciting month of December.  Even in the cold winter, thoughts of summer keep me warm!

On Thursday, Eric and Pam came up to New Jersey as we had a meeting with the company that does all the camper prescriptions.  It was the first time that anyone from camp had seen the New Jersey Satellite Office (aka my house).  Ha Ha!  The three of us also had time to sit down and talk about staffing items.  The three of us are so excited that we have so many returning staff so far, but we have already begun hiring some new talented and amazing staff!  Eric and Pam then went on to see some of our campers in Port Washington, NY.

This week, I also got to see one of my favorite bands Phish play at Madison Square Garden.  Actually, I got to see them play a few times (three to be specific).  The third show is tonight.  I know what you are saying.  Three times?  Well, the nice thing about Phish is they never repeat a set list…ever!  In fact, for all three shows, not a single song will be repeated.  Pretty cool stuff.  Anyway, I will be in really good shape from dancing all three nights.  Last night, I even broke out a few of the Rak Dan moves we learned this summer.  Ha Ha!  I also ran into Adam “Baby Shark” Scharfberg before the show, who ended up being in the front row!  Good to see you, Adam.  I also attended the show with some of my camp friends that I grew up with which was just awesome.  See, your camp friends are truly your best friends forever!

So, anyone have any good weekend plans?  I will be taking it easy tomorrow and catching up on some house cleaning.  Really exciting, right?  On Sunday, we will once again be at Giants Stadium as the Giants face their divisional rivals the Cowboys!  As the open invitation always stands, if you are there, be sure to stop by our tailgate in Lot 5F.  On the menu this week is steak tips, chicken, corn chowder, grilled pineapple, hot apple cider and much, much more!

That’s all for now.  Again, if you would like to Guest Blog, let me know.  Everyone have a great weekend!

Until then…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

I hope everyone had a super Thanksgiving holiday last week.  Is anyone sick of turkey leftovers just yet?  For me, Thanksgiving is by far the best of all the holidays!  What is better than stuffing your face all day and watching football?!  Actually, after eating so much food all afternoon, it was difficult to watch the Giants game at night, considering they played so poorly, that my stomach was churning!  Ha Ha!

Actually, Thanksgiving is the one holiday that my mother makes for our family.  I look forward to this meal every year.  From appetizers to dessert, everything is homemade and absolutely delicious.  I have made the bold statement before that I would put my mother’s Thanksgiving meal up against anyone else’s in the state of New Jersey and I think my mother’s dinner would win.  Very bold, I know.  But, I have to give my mom the kudos for the amazing cook she is.  In fact, every year after the appetizers, the consensus is the same from everyone.  We all say, “Do we still have an entire dinner to eat?”  Ha Ha!  It’s a great tradition at the Krug household.

Speaking of great traditions, a few nights before, I had dinner with Jared “Groundhog” Katzman at a restaurant callled Kirsten’s in Lebanon, NJ.  This is the third year in a row that Groundhog and I have met at this place that we discovered a few years ago.  Basically, it is halfway between where I live and where Groundhog’s parents live in Allentown, PA.  In addition to great food, G-Hog and I talked about camp for several hours.  Of course, he is slated to return for his 21st summer at Canadensis and is excited to be at the reunion in a few weeks.  He has also put together the ’09 Photo poster that we will be the give-away at the reunion.  Let me tell you…it came out great and looks even better than the last two year’s posters.   Here is a picture of me and Groundhog at Kirsten’s…

Me and Groundhog after a meal at Kirsten's in Lebanon, NJ. If you are ever there, the calamari is great!

Apparently, the Thanksgiving break is a great time for camp friends to see one another and have some sleep overs.  I got some great pictures sent to me this weekend.  Some of the girls from last summer’s Bunk 4 got together in Long Island.  Here are some pictures…

Some of the Girls from Last Summer's Bunk 4...Danielle, Julia, Paige, Sydney and Sami.

The same girls, but in 3-D!

Also, some of the guys in last summer’s Boys Bunk 11 got together in Wayne, NJ over the Thanksgiving break.  Here’s a shot of them…

Some of the guys from last summer's Boys Bunk 11: Marshall, Ross, Will, Max, Sam, Jared, Zach and Garrett.

Last night, I got out to Livingston, NJ to meet some of our new campers.  In this case, three campers in one household!  We are so happy to welcome the Minion Family and boys Zach, Dan and Josh to the Canadensis Family.  Zach is in the fourth grade and will be a Lower Inter in Summer 2010.  In the winter, he plays football, basketball and baseball and also enjoys biking, running and reading.  This summer, he is looking forward to Archery, Hondas, Sailing and Glass Fusion.  Dan is in the second grade, making him a Junior for 2010, and plays soccer and basketball.  He also enjoys reading, sledding when the snow falls and cartoons.  He is excited for a number of different activities this summer including tennis, fishing, radio and ceramics.  His twin brother Josh plays soccer, goes running and really enjoys Lego building.  This summer, he can’t wait for glass fusion, woodworking and photography.  Here is a picture from my visit…

Me with the Minion brothers (from left to right): Josh, Dan and Zach. Since the boys were wearing their "Kids Run on Canadensis" T-Shirts, we thought we'd pose accordingly.

I got a lot of responses from the question I posed in my last blog about when a camper can officially consider themselves in the next division.  Some campers believe you are in the next division as soon as the buses leave the summer or the very next day.  Other campers think you can consider yourself in the next division on January 1.  Finally, there are campers who think you are in the next division when the next summer begins.  So, I don’t think there really is a correct answer.

Finally, please make sure you make your way over to Eric’s blog for a special teaser of a very special Canadensis Today show which will be airing in the next week or so.  We have some very big news to announce.  From the trailer, can you guess what it is? If not, you will find out soon enough!

By the way, I am so blown away by how many of you read this blog.  It is great to hear from so many of you through e-mails and comments.  Keep staying in touch!  Of course, if you would like to guest blog, shoot me an e-mail at brian@canadensis.com .  Hope to hear from you!

Until then…Have a Great Day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

It’s Tuesday afternoon and I needed to stop my work day because if I don’t, then I won’t find the time to blog to everyone out there in Canadensis Cyberspace.  This blog is becoming one of my favorite parts of  the week.  I am so happy to hear that so many of you out there read this.  It makes me feel good to know how important it is for our campers,  parents and staff to stay connected through these winter months.

Well, I must first say that I had an incredible weekend.  If you read my last blog, it was a big sports weekend for the fanatic in me.  First, my Syracuse Orange upet the #4 team in the country in North Carolina.  It was a really big win and one that had me and my roommate from college talking all weekend.  Next, there was the Ohio State-Michigan football game (as  I mentioned a big tradition in my family) and Ohio State won that game, too.  Finally, on Sunday, my New York Giants got off of their losing ways to win their first game in 42 days.  Of course, it took them overtime to do it.  More on that game later in the blog.

On Saturday morning, I went to Brittany Glassberg’s house.  Oh, I don’t need to tell you, here is Brittany, herself (my first guest blogger):

Me with most of the 2010 CIT Girls. I had a great time hanging out with them!

And Jeremy Flies By!

Don't worry, Paige! Alyssa has got you.

CITs stop for a group shot. Love the outfits, CIT Girls!

On a final note, I pose a question.  I have actually asked this question to several campers over the past few weeks.  Of course, all had different answers.  The question is…Does a camper automatically get promoted to the next age group when the summer is over?  In other words, if you were an Upper Inter in Summer ’09, are you a Freshman as soon as you leave camp at summer’s end?  Or, do you have to wait until the next summer begins?  Or, is it on January 1st when you are officially put into the next age group?  Any comments on this topic are appreciated.

And, now that I have officially had my first guest blogger, I want to invite anyone else who would like to contribute to e-mail me at brian@canadensis.com .  That’s all for now.

Until the next time (probably not until Thursday)…Have a great day…Brian