Well, I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving break!

My week went by so quickly and so much has happened since my last post. Our Concert Choir Party went so well and it was great to see some of my close friends from High School. We took so many pictures, and videotaped the choir sing-along, so once I’ve gotten all the photos off all our cameras, I’ll put together a little blog montage.

The holiday weekend wouldn’t have been complete without a family dinner with the Waxman-Corradetti-Cook clan. It was so exciting to have Rachel Waxman and Danielle Cook home from college and joining us for a King of Prussia evening. The funniest part of the evening was definitely when we decided to play FAST COOKIE during dinner. Who knows what’ll happen when we’re together.

As promised, here’s a video montage of our trip to NYC:

*Edit: There was a sound problem, but I fixed it!

Once again, a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families. I had such a busy weekend, with no time to update the blog, but I hope to make up for it with today’s post!

Robin, the girls Head Counselor or my fiancee (whichever you prefer), flew in Thursday morning to spend some time with my family for the holiday. We went to my cousins house in NJ for the day and had a blast! My cousin is a pilot for Jet Blue, so I love talking about airplanes with him, while his wife did an amazing job cooking and preparing a feast for 25. For a change this year, the meal started out with lasagna, and it was the best I have ever tasted- good job Kelly! Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner followed with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc. but the best part was the dessert (DUH!). My cousins and my mom both had cakes that said Congratulations to me and Robin, which was really nice. But the highlight were the CRUMBS cupcakes that my cousin Lindsay brought in from Hoboken! The favorites were the Dutch Apple Pie, Reese’s, Red Velvet, and Carrot Cake. We cut them all into quarters and I must have had 8 quarters (so that means 2 huge cupcakes- AAHHH!). The whole family had an awesome time and there were some little kids around which kept us all occupied and playing games- invisible ink, my little pony, spongebob stuff, etc.

Friday morning was “Meet the Parents” Forti style at the Forti household! My mom invited Robin’s immediate and extended family over to meet my family. Our parents had already met at camp (many of you will recall that), but now the extended family’s had the opportunity to meet. My mom cooked tons of things- my favorite spinach quiche, french toast, blintze souffle, etc. It was all delicious and yes again there was dessert with yummy things. The highlight today was “David’s Cookies”. If you recall, these are the cookies we have at camp sometimes (Chocolate Chunk) when the baker is on a day off (Open House comes to mind). Anyway, it was all delicious.

Friday afternoon/evening was devoted to SHOPPING with the moms. Robin, myself, and the moms spent over 4 hours at Bed, Bath, and Beyond scanning things, deleting things, adding them back on to the registry, etc. All I can say is GRRRR. Shopping with ladies is hard enough, but on Black Friday…not an easy task. In the end, I was told that I am a good fiance and did a good job keeping cool (for the most part) and allowing Robin to choose what she wanted. Yes, there were a few items I put my foot down on (like the 48 everyday drinking glasses she wanted to order), but in the end we agreed on everything!

Our new flatware- exciting isn't it? HAHA

Saturday morning was spent at temple in honor of Lauren Gadol’s Bat Mitzvah. Mazel Tov Lauren! You did a wonderful job reading from the Torah and your always present huge smile was great up on the Bimah! The luncheon Kiddush following the services was wonderful (and yes there were desserts there too- see the theme of the weekend?)

Saturday afternoon Robin and I went to Macy’s to continue on our Registry Shopping saga. We picked out a few “must-haves” including a waffle maker, George Foreman Grill, and “pretty” (or not so pretty to a guy) vases.

Saturday night was our second Bat Mitzvah of the weekend- Alix Steerman. Alix looked so beautiful and we had such a fun time. The food was amazing (the Kung Pao chicken bites during the cocktail hour, Pad Thai, etc.) and the band was so lively and entertaining. It was so awesome to see so many of the girls and a few boys from camp. Everyone looked like they were having a blast and I even used the excuse of “checking on the campers” to eat some of the food from the kids station! Here are a few pics from the Bat Mitzvah.

The boys and Alix Steerman at her Bat Mitzvah!

The girls at the Bat Mitzvah!

Robin and I with Allie Ernst

My favorite picture of the night...Neil Sukonik and me!

Sunday was a final registry stop at Crate & Barrel and then a quick drive to Atlantic City Airport to drop Robin off for her flight home to Ft. Lauderdale.

Sunday night, I spoke to Alex Dean on skype. The good news- Alex will be returning for his 3rd summer working in our Hondas department! He is up in Canada working on landscaping and he decided that how could he miss camp this summer (especially compared to landscaping!). Alex, we are really excited that you will be back.

Alex Dean on Skype from Canada!

As you can see, a very busy weekend for us but it was a blast and thanks again to all of the Canadensis campers we saw at the Bat Mitzvahs- we had such a fun time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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

Here’s a little Thanksgiving fun featuring myself, Brian, Aunt Terri and Pam! Enjoy!!

I have a feeling you’re all full of excitement for this week of holiday fun… nothing could be better than a few days off of school!

Rebecca Waxman and I were already getting the holiday butterflies on Friday afternoon, as we spent some time on AIM chatting about how badly we wanted to make a trip up to NYC. We’re always trying to find some time to go on weekend adventures, and I’m sure everyone can relate to how difficult it can be to coordinate so many people’s schedules. So when Rebecca and I realized that we both had a clear schedule this weekend, and checked with Dani Corradetti and Jess Cook to make sure they were available, we knew the time was right for an impromptu trip to the city!

After a Saturday Sleepover, we woke up early Sunday morning and hopped a train to the city.  We spent most of the morning downtown in the West Village at the World’s largest FREE PEOPLE store, a favorite among the four of us. We met up with CIT 2008 Dave Yedid, and hopped the subway back to midtown. We had some trouble deciding where to eat lunch, and finally agreed on the tried and true Stardust Diner, home of the singing waitstaff. Although the food is nothing special, it’s the constant opportunity to sing along that keeps us coming back, and we are consistently the most enthusiastic table in the restaurant!

After lunch we did some more browsing, made a stop at Crumbs Bakery for some famous cupcakes, and enjoyed the holiday shops at Bryant Park. While we were walking we passed by actor Chris Noth, and it was so neat to see him in person! At the end of the day we hopped a train home and enjoyed our cupcakes while planning our next big adventure.

I’ll post a video of our musical lunch later this week, but for now here are a few photos from our weekend excursion:

Shopping in the West Village

Dave Yedid makes a guest appearance!

You meet some crazy people in the city!

A Journey for Delicious Cupcakes!

Our Holiday Card!

A cupcake for the train ride home...

Jess and Bec love that cupcake!

We’ll be planning our next Manhattan weekend in the spring (once the cold weather passes) and plan to expand our activities to include the art museums anda Broadway show… or two.  Last time we saw a show together we ended up backstage, so who knows what our next great adventure holds! Maybe next time we’ll find even more camp friends to join us!

I hope everyone enjoys this holiday week! We’re in the final stages of getting ready for our big Wednesday night Concert Choir party, and I will definitely post pictures and video over the weekend. Until then, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Have you seen the new Camp Canadensis Twitter!

Follow us @ www.twitter.com/Canadensis

It’s Noah and Ben Rubin.  Thanks for asking us to guest blog!

We have been busy since school started. We both play on a football teams, and Ben also plays basketball. Between homework, Hebrew School, and sports, we are always on the go!

Over Columbus Day weekend, Noah Zaslow came over and spent the night. We had so much fun….we went to the movies, went out for dinner and hung out and talked. It was so great seeing him.

Ben’s birthday was September 22nd and he had a gym party. A ton of friends came, some special ones too……Max Rapoport, Joey Rush and Ian Gocial were there!

Noah had an awesome surprise in school last Friday, Freshman Counselor, Pete Tarnoff came to visit!!!! His mom works at my school and she arranged for Pete to come in to see me. I was so surprised to see him! I got to spend my first two periods with him, missing reading and math, which was cool!

We are really looking forward to the reunion in January. We can’t wait to see everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving (we are going to see our family in sunny Arizona!) and Happy Holidays to everyone.

Thanks again for letting us guest blog!

See you soon, Noah

Peace out, Ben

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