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

Hello Canadensis!

So, the clock on my computer reads 6:10 pm.  The last time I looked at my clock it was 12:15 pm.  Since then, I’ve been on the phone non-stop.  I think my eardrum is sweating!  Ha Ha!  I really didn’t even get a chance to eat lunch.  But, I wanted to make sure that I got to my blog before the day ended and wish everyone a great weekend!

On my end, I will be heading to Long Island to meet a family interested in coming to camp next summer.  After that, there is a rumor going around (actually I’ve confirmed it) that the 2010 CIT Girls will be getting together in Long Island.  So, I am going to stop by and say hello.  It will be nice to see everyone and talk about their upcoming CIT year, which is always a great summer at camp!

In the Krug Family, tomorrow is always a big, big day.  My father went to The Ohio State University and since I can remember the Ohio State-Michigan football rivalry was always a Saturday that could not be missed.  For those that don’t know, this is one of the biggest rivalries in college sports, if not the biggest.  It’s been going on for over 100 years, with the first meeting occuring in 1897.  Michigan leads the all time series, but Ohio State has won the past five years.  Because I’ll be on Long Island, I will be DVRing the game and watch it when I get home.  I can’t wait as I have never missed watching the game since I could remember.

Speaking of college sports, my very own Syracuse Orangemen (or the “Orange” as they are called these days) have a big match-up tonight in the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden versus North Carolina.  Syracuse beat California last night in a rout to advance to the finals of the tournament.  I am so happy that college basketball season is here!  In my opinion, it is one of the more exciting sports these days with so many games coming down to the final two minutes every night.  When I was growing up, I remember even sneakily staying up late to watch the late night games on ESPN.  Hopefully, the Orange can pull another upset again tonight.

Speaking of sports, the Giants are home again this weekend.  Once again, if you are going to be at the game, be sure to stop by our tailgate lot of 5F.  The tailgate this week will include Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwiches, hash browns, bagels, lox, cream cheese, burgers, dogs and much, much more!  Hopefully, the Giants can pull out a win!  We need to after four losses in a row.

In addition to the e-mail we sent out a few weeks ago, many of you should have received the 2009 Reunion postcard for our get-together on January 10 from 1-3 at the Brunswick Zone.  It’s going to be a great afternoon!  Today, we sent out another e-mail to our families on how to RSVP.  This year, in an effort to try to get as “green” as possible, many of our forms will be online.  They can be accessed through the “My Account” section of the website, located in the upper right hand corner.  After entering your login and password, you will see a “Forms and Documents” section.  RSVPing is quite easy from there.  We are happy that our system will now be able to take online forms, making life a bit easier for everyone.

Well, that’s all for me.  Time to close up shop for the weekend.  I’ll be back next week.

Until then…Have a great weekend…Brian

Hello Canadensis!

Yes.  Yes.  I know.  I have been neglecting my blogging duties.  That is why I am bringing you…SUPER BLOG THURSDAY!  I don’t know what that really means, but it  sounds good.  Right?

The week has flown by so quickly that there is so much to talk about!  First, I need to tell you about last Friday.  It was great!  I was “secretly” invited to 2010 Lower Inter Oliver Shaw’s Birthday Party Sleepover for his bunk.  I say “secretly” because only Oliver and his parents knew about it.  When I got there, the bunk was in the basement.  Oliver’s parents, Alexis and Jonathan, set it up that I would go downstairs to surprise the bunk with Oliver’s birthday cake.  When I made my way down the stairs, cake with lit candles in hand, I started to sing “Happy Birthday.”  Most of the boys looked for a second at who was singing.  When they saw it was me, they were shocked.  It was a great surprise!  At the party was Oliver Shaw, Oliver Harris, Adam Aronson, Jonathan Altman, Alex Frieder and Daniel Goldstein.  According to mom, the boys stayed up late to celebrate by watching movies as well as a sneak peak of the Video Yearbook (my birthday gift to Oliver and the boys).  Here is a picture…

Me at Oliver Shaw's Birthday Sleepover with several of the Boys from Bunk 4 of last summer. What is Oliver Harris doing with that doll?

On Saturday, it was more camp festivities as I made my way down to Pennsylvania to celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of 2010 Lower Senior Melanie Sukonik.  In the morning, Melanie did such an amazing job leading the service at temple and made parents Neil and Sue and sister CJ extremely proud.  In the evening, it was time to party and it was amazing to see how many Camp Canadensis campers were able to attend the service and affair.  Almost everyone from Mel’s entire bunk was there and a number of campers from other bunks, too.  Also in attendance were Aunt Terri, Uncle Don, Eric Forti, Robin Hasson and Yale Saltzman.  In fact, all of the Canadensis people were called up to light a candle on Mel’s cake.  What a surprise!  After that, we danced the night away!  Halfway through the night, Mel’s montage showed off a number of pictures from camp, all which got the biggest applause.  Even later, Mel’s camp friends made a great presentation to her.  It was certainly a night to remember!  Pictures of the event can be seen on Eric’s blog.

That night, I stayed in a hotel in the Penn Valley area.  On Sunday, I made my way down to one of my favorite areas of Philly…South Street.  It was such a nice day to do some window shopping.  Of course, I had to indulge in a Philly Cheesesteak wit (as they say in Philly) onions and whiz.  Delicious!  Some cool shops on South Street, including a great store called Beyond the Wall, which had some completely ridiculous books, posters and knick-knacks.

So many people have been in touch with us this week at work.  I feel like I have spoken to so many people, including Roy Faden, Will Armon, Brian Stern, the “one and only” Levi Smathers (I told him I would write his name that way) and Groundhog to name a few.  Everyone is doing really well and can’t wait for camp next summer.  In fact, Levi made a joke to me of how we all say that we live 10 months for the 2 that we have at camp.  Because Levi worked both pre and post camp last summer, he says that he lives 7 months for the 5 months he stays up at camp.  Don’t we all wish we could be at camp for 5 months!?!?

Last  night, I made my way down to Voorhees, NJ.  First, I stopped by the Batt Family.  Mom Jennifer is a Canadensis Alumni who is thinking about sending her son Jacob to camp.  I showed them a video of camp and talked all about what they could expect from the “Best Summer Ever!”  Jennifer remembers how beautiful camp was and how much she enjoyed her days as a camper.

A few minutes away, I made my way to the Bresaliers to see 2010 Upper Inter Rachel who will also be joined next summer at camp by her sister Jenna, who will be in the Junior Girls Division.  Rachel told me that she has been keeping in touch with all of her camp friends and has even had several get-togethers and sleepovers.  Rachel has been busy with her dance classes (jazz and ballet) and is set to start basketball season in a few weeks.  Sister Jenna is also involved with jazz and ballet dance while also playing travel soccer.  Jenna told me that she watched all of the Canadensis Today shows last summer while at home and is now excited that she is going to be part of all the fun!  Here is a pic…

Me with Jenna (left) and Rachel Bresalier.

I’m hoping to see more and more campers as we get into the winter months.  I hope to be able to meet all of our new campers by March.  At the same time, we have gotten several questions about when our new camper get-togethers are going to be.  We will announce those dates soon, but more than likely, they will be either the weekend of April 10-11 or  17-18, so you can pencil in those dates.  We will have a better idea by next week.

I promise I will be back tomorrow for a Super Friday Blog!

Until then…Have a Great Day…Brian

Hello Canadensis! 

I hope all is well on this Fall Friday.  Definitely starting to get a bit nippy out there (as my 9th Grade Algebra Teacher Mr. Tell used to say).  As the weather starts to get colder, it’s a good thing that I’ve been able to get out and see some of our new Canadensis campers over the past few days as well as talk a lot of camp with fellow directors in the camp industry. 

On Wednesday, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, Eric and I met up in New York City to attend the Morry Stein Management Conference, an American Camping Association event, which was held at B.B. King’s of all places.  Normally, B.B. King’s is a concert venue that hosts a lot of jazz and blues acts, but on this day, it was for talking camp.  There were three speakers, two of which were really good.  The final speaker talked about digital and social media and the use of sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.  I thought it was extremely interesting.  In between speakers and during lunch, Eric and I got to talk with other camp people.  I always find it great to hear how other programs operate. 

After the conference, I made my way uptown in New York City to visit new camper Andy Grossman who will be in the Lower Inters in Summer 2010.  Andy, who is currently in 4th Grade, is just finishing up his Soccer season but will soon move into Basketball season in the winter.  In the spring, Andy plays a lot of baseball and is a huge fan of the sport.  In the summer, he is excited that he will be playing in the CBL (Canadensis Baseball League).  In addition to all of the sports he likes, he is also really looking forward to Glass Fusion, the activities down at the lake and said he might even participate in one of camp’s theater productions.  While at Andy’s home, I also got a chance to meet his younger brother Jonah.  Here is a picture of the three of us…

Me with Andy and Jonah.

On Thursday night, it was off to Tenafly, NJ to meet new Junior Boy Dylan Carruba.  Currently in 3rd Grade, Dylan is weeks away from starting both his Wrestling and Basketball seasons, two activities he is excited for at camp as well.  While at his house, Dylan showed me his basketball cards collection, which totaled more than 3000 cards!  I had a lot of fun looking through the cards of the New Jersey Nets, my favorite NBA team.  Dylan is a big fan of the Lakers!  This summer, he is also looking forward to Basetball, Arts & Crafts, the Climbing Wall and Hondas!  Here is a shot of me and Dylan… 

Me and Dylan.

I got a great e-mail from Parent Debbie Weltmann earlier this week, letting me know that her daugther and 2010 Upper Senior Rachel had her Bat Mitzvah last weekend and there were many Canadensis campers in attendance.  In fact, there was an entire table of Canadensis!  In this picture, you can see the centerpiece, which was a big Canadensis bunk, tennis racquets, camp fire and real letters Rachel had sent this summer to her parents.  Awesome! 

Bat Mitzvah Girl Rachel and Hannah at the celebration last weekend! Notice the camp centerpiece!

I am really looking forward to this weekend as I will get the chance to see a number of Canadensis campers at two different events!  However, I am not going to reveal either event until next week because one is actually a real surprise that is going to take place tonight.  I will give full descriptions on Monday!  But, it’s going to be a lot of fun!   

Hello Canadensis! 

AHHHH!  Apparently, I have a computer virus!  It really stinks.  So, my regular computer is down for the time being, but that won’t stop me from blogging to Canadensis Cyberspace!  I am using my handy dandy trusty laptop for this blog.  First, what is it about the world that we have people who enjoy creating these computer viruses.  I mean, do they have anything better to do?!?!  Maybe I can get Groundhog to get them back.  Only kidding!  It is frustrating, though.

Speaking of Groundhog, I spoke to him last night and you will all be happy to hear that he is putting the final touches on this year’s Video Yearbook.  The DVD will feature the Video Yearbook and Slideshow as always along with some extra very special features such as the entire Color War sing, two CIT Videos, a Canadensis Today Show Look Back at Summer ’09 and Picture Day.  The DVD, when put into your computer, will also reveal a 100-page Yearbook.  Pretty cool stuff! 

Speaking of CITs, I got greeted at my seats at Sunday’s Giants games by two of them from Summer ’09.  Amidst all of the action, I hear two people scream, “Krug!”  I turn around and see Josh Schultz and Ethan Wolfe.  During a stoppage in the game, we talked for a few minutes.  When the game came back on, we were met with a bunch of “sit down” cheers from the fans, so our gathering was broken up a little too quickly.  Anyway, it was great to see both of them and they are doing really well.  Thanks Josh and Ethan for stopping by!  As for the game, itself, not good once again for my Giants, losing in the game’s final seconds 21-20.  That is four losses in a row.  Not good. 

As for more CIT stuff, 2010 CIT Morgan Hirschorn e-mailed me some great pictures from Sydney Gocials Sweet 16 in which many of next summer’s CITs were in attendance.  Morgan said it was a great time seeing everyone and catching up on everything since the summer ended.  Here are the pics…

2010 CITS at Sydney's Sweet 16!

Jamie, Ally, Birthday Girl Sydney, Emma and Morgan.

Tomorrow, Eric and I will be venturing into New York City for an EPIC Conference.  EPIC stands for Emerging Professionals in Camping.  These events are always good to meet other camps and hear how other camps are doing certain things.  At tomorrow’s conference, there are also a few good guest speakers, including the CEO of Six Flags.  It should be interesting. 

Now, onto some more of my favorite pics from last summer…

Girls Bunk 20 in 2009 Sweatshirts!

E-Beth Caught in the Ladder!

Ashley's Got a Blue Tongue!

Counselor Pete with Brett, Jake and Mosk.

I see Mike. And why so serious Tyler?

Well, that is all for today.  No blog tomorrow as I will be out of the office all day, but I will be back on Thursday.  Hopefully, I will have my computer back to me, too. 

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

A busy day on the road yesterday kept me away from the computer, so I figured I jump on a Saturday for some weekend words.

First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS to ERIC and ROBIN on their ENGAGEMENT!  How exciting!  Maybe the wedding should be an Evening Activity at camp this summer?  How ’bout it, Forti and Robin?  Ha Ha!  Only joking of course, even though I’m sure the CIT girls would have a blast decorating!  Seriously though, all the best to Eric and Robin and a life together filled with love and laughter.  Go to Eric’s blog for pictures!

In other camp news, as I mentioned, yesterday had me visiting several Canadensis families.  In the morning, I visited Canadensis Alumni Jonathan Kleinstein, who is considering sending his two daughters, Molly and Ella, to camp next summer.  Jonathan, who couldn’t stop beaming about his summers at camp, was excited to hear about our Alumni Reunion on June 19, 2010.  As a camper, Jonathan remembers playing a lot of hockey in the Spectrum, the skidoodle on the lake and turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes as his favorite meal.

In the afternoon, I drove into New York City to meet with some of our new campers for next summer and future summers!  First, I stopped by to meet Jones Pearlman, who will be in the Junior Boys division in Summer 2010 and his brother Ozzie, who will be a camper in 2011.  Jones, who is in 3rd Grade, likes to play GaGa, Basketball, Baseball and Soccer.  He is looking forward to trying the Ropes Course when at camp.  At home, he is also an avid skateboarder.  Ozzie, currently in 1st Grade, likes many of the same activities as Jones such as Basketball, Baseball and Gaga.  While visiting, Jones and I worked on building a website he is putting together.  It was a lot of fun!

Me with Jones (right) and Ozzie (left).

After that, I walked a few blocks to see Gaby Hirsch, who will be coming to Canadensis for her first summer in 2010 as part of our Junior Girl Division.  In the 3rd Grade this year, Gaby is really looking forward to the Horseback Riding program at camp.  Since she is currently rehearsing her role as Molly for the show “Annie,” a production that will be put on in the spring as part of an after school theater company, there is a good chance we will also see Gaby on the Canadensis stage in 2010 as well.  At home in the winter, she also plays piano and loves playing with her dog Dexter.

Hanging out with Gaby.

After a day like this, it is definitely safe to say that I have one of the best jobs on the planet!  Talking camp all day with alumni, future campers and their parents is just the best!  As is the case each off season, I hope to see as many Canadensis people as possible!

Since it’s been a few days since my last post, I will say CONGRATULATIONS to all those Yankees fans out there for their win in the World Series over the Phillies.  27 Championships!  Wow!  More than any other franchise in any professional sport.  Wow, again!  Did any of you skip school or work to attend the parade?  If so, I hope you had a great day, seeing the spectacle of a ticker tape parade.  And if any of you did go, send me a picture and I’ll post it here on the blog.

Hopefully, the good vibes from the Yankees victory will rub off on the Giants this weekend as we have suffered three losses in a row!  Not good.  This weekend is a must win!  Once again, we will be in the parking lot because it is a home game.  Our arrival time will be at 11 am.  If you are planning to be at the game, stop on by and say hello.  We are in Lot 5F and will be cooking those famous steak tips that Greg Ricken and the rest of the 2009 CIT Boys love so much!  Of course, there will also be our traditional grilled pineapple, too.  Always plenty of food for everyone.

Finally, in response to my last post which made a reference to my curiosity in the term “fancy” ketchup, Jason “J-Cal” Calabretta, who as we all know hates (and is actually somewhat fearful of) ketchup, had a comment.  His direct quote is:    “Saw the little ketchup thing and I wanted to speak up for those of us that don’t like ketchup. There are lots of us out there …nothing makes ketchup fancy! It’s disgusting :).”  Thanks, J-Cal.  Also, thanks to Counselor Shawn Bolton for actually providing us with an actual answer in that it is simply a marketing ploy by the Heinz Company.

More blogging next week.

Until then…Have a Great Weekend…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

So, today was one of those days that you just don’t know where it went.  I’m calling today a Weird Wednesday.  First off, I was supposed to go to camp today.  Unfortunately, those plans got canceled.  A shame because I really wanted to see all of the work that has been going on up at camp.  More of camps roads on girls side and senior boys side have been recently paved, so I wanted to see that.  Plus, any day you can be up at camp is a great day!  Right?  So, I sat down at my desk today with a few things that needed to get done.  Before I could even open the documents on my computer, the phone just kept ringing all day.  As soon as I finished one call, another call came in.  It was crazy!  When I looked at the clock, it was already 4 pm and the document that I opened at 9 am was still only halfway completed.  Oh well.  I’d prefer talking to our camp families and all the other companies we do business with instead.  But, it was just so strange for a day when I wasn’t even supposed to be in my office to begin with!

I got some more Halloween pictures sent to me.  Some more awesome costumers!  Here they are:

Ben, Matthew and Jacob went to Philly and participated in the Race For Hope.

Megan as a Bag of Jelly Beans. She won best costume at her school. Congrats, Megan!

David as Harry Potter. Do you know any spells to double your amount of candy?

So, big game tonight in the World Series.  If the Phillies win, it’s on to an exciting Game 7 tomorrow night.  If the Yankees win, this thing is over and New York will win their 27th World Series Championship.  To that I say three words…Let’s Go Phils!  Should be a good game.  Anyone going?  If so, take a picture and I’ll post it here.

As for pictures, here are some of my favorite from the past summer…

Mikayla and Maddie at the Lake

Here's Looking At You, Ethan and Jake!

Carly and Rachel.

Alex Flexes His Guns!

Finally, in something that is totally unrelated, I have an off the cuff question for all of you.  So, I am sitting and having my lunch today (cheese steak with onions) and in the bag are ketchup packets.  On them, they read “Fancy Ketchup.”  So, I ask.  What makes this ketchup fancy?  Hmmmm….

Well, that’s all for today. Keep reading.

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

Didn’t get a chance to blog yesterday due to the fact that I went down to the office in Plymouth Meeting.  On those days, I am in the car for at least 3 hours, which leaves very little time to get other things accomplished.  Yesterday was the first day for our new Assistant Director Pam Levi.  For those that didn’t read the last newsletter (which is still available to read on the website), Pam is joining our year round team after working in the camping industry for a number of years.  She is going to be an amazing addition as she brings in a ton of experience, creativity, organization and camp spirit!  Welcome, Pam!

We actually even sat down for a number of hours yesterday to begin really putting together the summer calendar.  As Eric mentioned in the November 1 Canadensis Today Show (available in the Media Room), we have used the information that we received on your surveys to help with our planning.  Thanks to everyone that filled it out.  Your suggestions have really been helpful, although I’m sorry to disappoint those that were hoping for Miley Cyrus to come to camp next year.  Oh yeah, one more thing, sushi is a bit too difficult to serve for 600+ people so don’t expect that to be on the menu next year.  The meeting, which went for 2.5 hours, really got me excited for the summer.  We even spoke of a possible scenario for Color War break!  Of course, there is no chance of me ever revealing that one.

Later on, Eric and I had dinner with Programming Director Roy Faden.  First off, it was Roy’s 50th Birthday on Friday.  Happy Birthday Roy!  During dinner, Roy also provided great insight for ways of making Summer 2010 even better than last summer.  We are so grateful for having Roy as part of our team.  Producing schedules for all of our campers and staff is one daunting task.  Roy, along with Programming Coordinators Brian Stern and Will Armon, made it possible for the summer to run so smoothly.  The dinner with Roy made the summer feel not so far away either.  In fact, my ride home to New Jersey felt a lot quicker with such a good talk about camp!

Programming Director Roy Faden and his new friend!

I got two great e-mails today that I wanted to share with everyone.  The first was from Jared “Groundhog” Katzman, who let me know that the Video Yearbook is almost ready for duplication.  He is almost ready to submit it to us so we can get it copied for everyone.  It should arrive in the first few weeks of December so be on the lookout!  I thought the DVD, produced by Lauren “L-Mac” McGuire, was so amazing!  The idea of having the campers as reporters was great.  I can’t wait to watch it again.  The other e-mail was from 2010 CIT Samantha Goldberg.  Every once in a while, I will get an e-mail from her that simply screams with her excitement for camp.  This e-mail was no different as Samantha reminded me that we only have 235 days until camp.  She also mentioned how excited she was for the Reunion in January as well as the CIT Weekend in the spring. Apparently, some of the CITs for Summer 2010 will be getting together in an upcoming weekend, too.  At the end of today, I also got a chance to talk with Counselor Martha Archer.  Martha is back at Ohio University in her Junior year.  She said that everything is going well and was so thrilled to receive several invites to campers bar and bat mitzvahs!

So, I have started to receive a number of your Halloween pictures.  Thanks for sharing to everyone who sent one in.  If you haven’t sent one in and would still like to, I will continue to post them.  First off, I hope everyone had a good time trick-or-treating or going to Halloween parties.  The concert I went to was a lot of fun.  And, a lot of good costumes, too.  The best was a group costume of people that went as all the Kellogg’s characters (Cap’n Crunch, Toucan Sam, Snap, Crackle and Pop, Dig’Em, Lucky the Leprechaun).  So now, without further ado, here are your costumes…

Andrew as a Vampire!

Allison (left) as a Cat. Meow!

Alexa (right) and Carly (left) All Punked Out!

Andy as a Monster. According to his dad, Andy apparently scared off a number of the neighborhood kids. Ha Ha!

Dylan as a Lego.

Scott as Hannah Montana. So, I stand corrected; Miley Cyrus can be at camp next summer.

Good stuff everyone!  Again, thanks for sharing.  I think Halloween at camp is going to a blast!

Finally, congratulations to Paula and Josh Halpern for guessing the answer to the last trivia question.  The Monster Mash went to #1 on the Billboard Charts in 1962.  Your Color War bands are on their way!  On one last Halloween and Monster Mash note, if you haven’t seen the Jib Jab video on Eric’s blog, go there now.  It is hysterical!

More blogging tomorrow!

Until then…Have a great day…Brian