Hello Canadensis!
As I write this blog entry (probably my last of 2013), I get the impression that most of you are already enjoying your holiday break! We hope that the next few weeks brings everyone an opportunity to relax and be with family and friends. When I was a kid, I got so excited for this extended time off from school and would have sleepovers with friends, have movie marathons in my pajamas and hopefully go sledding if it snowed. Of course, it was also an opportunity to play with all of the new presents I got from the holidays, too. Whatever all of you end up doing over the holidays…enjoy! As always, if you are away on a destination, be sure to pack your Canadensis clothes and take a picture wearing them on your trip. Then, send them to us so we can post them on our blogs and Facebook pages. Here was a great picture we received very recently of campers that coincidentally met at the airport before leaving for their holiday break…
Upper Juniors Samara Green (left) and Alyssa Feig saw each other at the airport before heading off with their families on holiday break.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had some great opportunities to catch up with some of our amazing staff members from summers past. In some cases, I got to sit down and have dinner with them. In Lebanon, NJ, I got to see Jared “Groundhog” Katzman (former Director of Media) for our annual get-together the night before Thanksgiving. The next week, in New York City, me and Alex Feigin (former Counselor and Group Leader) got to hang out and talk camp. After that, I saw Jake Kohler (former Counselor and Group Leader) in Plymouth Meeting, PA for a great meal. Finally, in Newburgh, NY, I celebrated the birthday of Chandler Evans (Theater Technical Director in 2013), who was in town while on tour for his show “The Man of Lamancha.” Here are a few pics (my apologies to Jake and Chandler for not taking any photos while we were enjoying our time together)…
Me and Jared “Groundhog” Katzman while eating dinner at Kirsten’s Grill (our annual meeting spot in Lebanon, NJ).
Me with Alex Feigin in New York City outside of Georgio’s County Grill. By the way, actor Michael Emerson (Lost, Person of Interest) was eating at the table next to us.
The new year will bring an opportunity for me, Eric, Pam and Matt to meet more staff (returning and new) in the upcoming weeks as we hit the road on our annual staff hiring travels. As of now, here is where we are headed…
We have gotten some really great feedback from the Canadensis Cares Mystery Boxes since they were sent out at the end of November. We are so glad to hear that everyone liked them. Here were some great photos that were sent to us from the Finkelstein Family and campers Luke and Sammy enjoying their Canadensis surprise…
Upper Inter Luke Finkelstein chilling after receiving his Mystery Box.
Upper Inter Sammy Finkelstein shooting on his new Canadensis basketball hoop.
Here is a great home visit to report since my last blog! In Plainview, NY, I had an awesome time getting to know Marissa Halpern, who is in the 3rd grade and will be an Upper Junior in her first summer at Canadensis. Marissa likes to do a little bit of everything. She has been taking karate lessons for four years and is currently a blue belt. In January, she will be playing in a basketball league. She likes to go snow skiing and has even been to the challenging slopes of Vail, CO to ski. She has a lot of fun making jewelry on her Rainbow Loom. She enjoys spending time and playing with her dog Hyland. And, she can’t wait to go to Canadensis this summer. In fact, she told me that she wishes she could go to camp in January. Although she will have to wait a few more months until June 28, Marissa is looking forward to activities such as waterskiing, tie dying, the climbing wall, mountain biking and the Canadensis Today Show. She is also excited to make a whole bunch of new friends! Here is a picture…
Me with Upper Junior Girl Marissa Halpern (who was all dressed up in camp colors…gotta love it!)
The holiday season for me and Jaime has once again brought us the gift of music, one of our favorite things to do with our free time. A few weeks ago, we saw Steve Winwood and Rod Stewart at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. It was good show and proof that you can still rock-n-roll when you are in your late sixties (ha ha!). In fact, here is a video clip from the show of Rod kicking soccer balls into the crowd while singing his hit “Hot Legs”. Click here. This past weekend, Jaime and I saw a little known band that we absolutely love called God Street Wine, who were celebrating their 25th Anniversary of their very first show. Back in college, I saw God Street Wine play a number of times and I think they just amazing. If you are interested, you can see a clip from the show here. Finally, the final week of 2013 will find Jaime and I at Madison Square Garden to see one of our favorite bands, Phish and will be ringing in the new year just like we did last year. It looked like this.
So, what are your New Year’s resolutions for 2014? For me, I hope to spend more time with my family and friends. And certainly, to make Summer 2014 the best summer ever!
Well, that’s all the blogging for now. Looking forward to a great 2014! Have a great holiday break everyone! See you soon (only a month away until our camp reunion on January 26)!
Have a great day…Brian
