Hello Canadensis…

We had our New Camper Bowling Event this weekend on Sunday, April 18. It was an opportunity for our new campers (and some of our returning campers) in the Junior and Lower Inter Divisions to meet each other. Of course, our Canadensis Today Show was there to catch all of the action.

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Hello Canadensis…

Now, this what I’m talking about!  It’s 75-degrees outside and really starting to feel like summer.  Things here have been really busy as we are about 6 weeks from moving up to camp, ourselves.  Matt Unger actually moves up in just two weeks!  Wow!  As you may know, setting up camp is a tall order.  Our first pre-camp group arrives at the beginning of May.

Of course, the beginning of May will also mark our 4th Annual CIT Weekend at Camp!  For these past four years, we have always viewed this as the unofficial beginning to the summer.  Our CITs each and every year are truly the backbone to all of the amazing spirit that goes on at camp.  In fact, when I am in camper homes, many campers want to know who will be their CIT?!?!  How awesome is that!  For those new to Canadensis, the CITs are our oldest campers, those finishing 10th grade.  For several periods each day, a CIT is matched up with a bunk and be a leader for that cabin of boys or girls.  Other periods in the day, they are assigned to activity areas to help assist in.  And, of course, for Color War, our CITs are the team leaders.  We will have pictures for you from our CIT Weekend on May 1 and 2.

In just a few weeks, we will have our new camper bowling get-togethers at the Brunswick Zone in North Brunswick, NJ.  This event is for our new Junior and Lower Inter campers and those campers that were in Bunk 2 in Summer 2009.  This event has always been a wonderful opportunity for campers to meet other new campers and get the excitement for Summer 2010 underway!  This year, we are also happy to let you know that we will be flying in Head Counselors Robin Hasson and Will Armon for our campers and parents to meet.  If you haven’t RSVP’d for the event yet, please do so at info@canadensis.com.

Talking about meeting campers, I was on the road again to meet some more of our campers…new and returning.  First, I was in Woodbury, NY to see new camper and 5th grader Marissa Levine.  Marissa will be in Upper Inter in 2010 and has heard so many wonderful stories about Canadensis from her cousins Rachel and Matty Weiner.  In the fall, winter and spring, Marissa likes to a little bit of everything from tennis to dance to softball to basketball.  In a wonderful coincidence, Marissa is on softball and basketball teams with fellow Canadensis camper Ashley Shogan.  Marissa also plays the violin in the school orchestra and sings in the school chorus.  This summer, she can’t wait to try water skiing, tennis, softball, the water trampoline and all the activities in the Art Center. Here is a picture…

Me with Upper Inter Girl Marissa Levine.

In Blue Bell, PA, I got to hang out with Junior Girl Valerie Solomon.  Currently in the 3rd grade, Valerie is also a second generation Canadensis camper as her father Bob was a camper and staff member in the 70’s and 80’s.  Valerie is definitely a busy girl.  First, she performs in the Young Starrs Theater Company playing roles in shows such as “Miss Nelson is Missing” and “Rumpelstiltskin.”  She is also involved in soccer and softball teams, gymnastics, swimming and bike riding.  She loves having sleepovers with friends, too!  When I got to their house, the family had just returned from a ski trip in Colorado.  When summer comes, she can’t wait to try horseback riding, the climbing wall, ropes course and zipline, the water trampoline and waterskiing.  Here is a photo…

Me with Second Generation Canadensis Camper Valerie Solomon.

At the end of last week, I got to be part of a really special treat.  Turns out that Diana Altman was having a sleepover at her house in Livingston, NJ for the Girls of Bunk 8 from Summer 2009.  Although the entire bunk couldn’t make it, a majority of the bunk showed up for a weekend of art projects, dinner out on the town and rollerblading.  I was able to stop by for a few hours to be part of the fun.  The girls were excited to see me and while I was there, all we could talk about was our favorite thing…Canadensis!  Of course, within the first few minutes, I was attacked with the pony tail treatment.  Here is a pic…

Party at Diana Altman's House this past weekend. In attendance was Jessie Novey, Sydney Sable, Olivia Menkowitz, Lindsey Reiter, Alexa Binday, Dani Sussman, Lauren LaMagna and brother Jonathan Altman. I got the pony tail treatment very early in the day as you can see.

The next day, I got several calls from the girls in the bunk who let me know that they were on the radio giving a shout out to Camp Canadensis.  Click the following link to listen.

Click here to listen to Canadensis on the Radio.

Congratulations goes out to Greg Ricken, who was the victor of our First Annual Camp Canadensis Craziness College Basketball Selection Pool.  Greg apparently didn’t have Kansas, Kentucky or Syracuse winning the tournament and therefore won by process of default.  Ha Ha!  Only kidding, Greg.  Way to go!  Greg will win a very special prize as the winner, including a big hug from Jared “Groundhog” Katzman.  Now, that is special!  By the way, that final game last night with Duke just barely beating out Butler was one heckuva game!

I wanted to share with you a very cool new activity we will be doing at camp this summer that I think everyone is sure to enjoy!  A few weeks ago at the Tri-State Camp Conference, I had the opportunity of meeting Adam Issadore, who is a music teacher in Westchester County, NY.  Adam is also a very accomplished drummer.  When he was a child, he went to Camp Akiba and is very familiar with sleepaway camp.  This summer, he will be coming to Canadensis with his company Path To Rhythm.  For two days, campers and staff will be participating in drum circles.  For more information, please visit his website at www.pathtorhythm.com.  This is going to be an awesome activity!

More blogging coming soon.  Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

It’s March Madness!  Originally, this saying was created to refer to the NCAA College Basketball Tournament (which I will get to later), but when you are in the camping business, it also means that camp is coming soon!  And, this year at Canadensis, it also means that we have been so busy seeing all of you at a number of our spring events.

First, there was our second Canteen on the Fly on Sunday, March 7.  We hit Cherry Hill, NJ as well as Wynnewood and Newtown, PA.  We probably got to see around 60 people at each location.  We were so happy with the turnout of both Canteen on the Fly weekends, which we estimated over 350 campers, parents, staff and friends attended!  Obviously, this is now a new tradition for Camp Canadensis.  Here are some pics from the March 7 day…

Amanda Seligman and friend Lindsay show off the Canteen on the Fly shirts they won!

The Schreiber Girls pick a prize.

Counselor Pete Tarnoff with Joey and Austin.

Noah and Ben Rubin enjoy some ice cream.

CITs Ally Zeltt and Melissa Liebman can't wait for Summer 2010!

The following weekend on Sunday, March 14, Canadensis was so thrilled to help participate in the Jewish Relief Agency’s Passover Food Distribution Drive.  On a day filled with torrential downpours, we want to thank all of the families that came out to help this wonderful cause.  The JRA was an amazing experience as more than 700 people came to help box and deliver more than 2500 boxes of groceries to local low income Jewish families.  For more information on the JRA, please visit their website at www.jewishrelief.org.  Here are some pictures from this great event…

The Canadensis Team at JRA!

Junior Counselor Rory Mitchell and mom Jamie.

The Center Family.

Cole and Tori Leitman and Katie Podell.

Rachel Cebula and dad Mike.

Blake Rapoport and mom, Stacy.

Of course, part of the March Madness also entails seeing some of our camp families.  In Short Hills, NJ, I got a chance to see new camper Sam Hunn and his sister and future Canadensis camper, Lexi Hunn.  Sam, who is currently in the 4th grade, will be a Lower Inter this summer.  At home, he enjoys Biking, Baseball, playing his guitar, Legos and video games.  This summer at camp, he can’t wait to try the Hondas as well as go Mountain Biking.  He is also excited for Water Skiing and the Ropes Course and Zipline.  As for Lexi, she takes Art classes throughout the year and plays the piano.  Here is a picture…

Me with Sam and Lexi Hunn.

I also made it to Wilmington, DE to meet Alex Felzer.  Alex’s older brother Brian had been a camper at Canadensis for many summer, but now Alex is excited that it is now his turn.  Alex is in the 5th grade and will be an Upper Inter in 2010.  All year, Alex takes tennis lessons.  He just recently finished the season for his 5th grade basketball team.  In the upcoming weeks, he will be involved in the town baseball league.  This summer, Alex is really looking forward to Archery, Hondas and Mountain Biking.  Here is a pic…

Me with Alex Felzer.

Last week, part of the madness meant an annual ritual of professionals in the camping industry.  That is, our winter office headed down to Atlantic City for the Tri-State Camp Conference.

This conference is one of the many benefits we receive being an American Camp Association accredited camp.  Over the course of the three days we were there, we all attended a number of wonderful sessions that dealt with a wide range of camper, staff and parent topics.  All of us walked away with many new wonderful ideas on how to make the upcoming summer even better!  The conference is attended by over 3000 attendees which means we also get to talk with so many wonderful people at other camps.  At the same time, the conference has an amazing exhibit hall, which we walked through several times.  We got great new ideas for camp shirts, games we can play at camp and saw some items that might be fun for camp.  Here was one item, which looked like fun…

Me in a Bumperball.

And finally, back to the initial reason why the term March Madness was created…the college basketball tournament.  As a sports fan, I find this to be one of the most exciting times of the year because of the drama of this basketball tournament.  As our Program Director always says to me, sports is the original reality TV.  For college basketball, this always seems to be true.  In fact, how many games last weekend came down to the very last two minutes?!?!  So many upsets, too!  Who expected Cornell or Northern Iowa or St. Mary’s in the Sweet 16?!?!  And, how awesome was that game involving Northern Iowa and Kansas.  Amazing!  Our staff has been involved in a Facebook pick’em bracket, who is currently being led by Justin Bruno.  As for me, I think you all know who I am rooting for…SYRACUSE!  Right now, I think I am in 7th place.  We’ll let you know who won.

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

As I write this blog on Friday, I am really looking forward to our second Canteen on the Fly Weekend.  This time, we will be in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey.  Come see us and have some free ice cream!  We will also be raffling off LIMITED EDITION CANTEEN ON THE FLY T-SHIRTS.  Here are the times and locations…

TIMES and LOCATIONS

CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY from 12:00 – 1:00 pm
TCBY at 230 North Maple Avenue, Marlton, NJ
(in the Crispin Square Shopping Center)
Store Phone #: 856.983.8229

MAIN LINE, PENNSYLVANIA from 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Carvel Ice Cream at 339 E. Lancaster Ave, Wynnewood, PA
(in Whole Foods Parking Lot)
Store Phone #: 610.642.3665

BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA from 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Goodnoe Farm at 4 South Sycamore Street, Newtown, PA
(next to Lukoil Gas Station)
Store Phone #: 215.968.3544

CANTEEN ON THE FLY...This Sunday!

It was a great week once again as I got a chance to see more of our campers when I was in Cherry Hill, NJ.  First, I saw Justin and Lauren Liebman, both who are joining us for their first summer at Canadensis.  Lauren is in the 3rd grade and will be in the Junior Girls Division while older brother Justin is in the 4th Grade and will be a Lower Inter Boy.  When at home, Lauren really likes to Arts and Crafts and she also plays on a Soccer team.  This summer, she can’t wait for all of the activities in the Art Center, but is also looking forward to all of the lake activities as well as the Climbing Wall and Ropes Course, Tennis, Archery and Cooking.  In the fall, winter and spring, Justin is involved with Baseball and Tennis, but also mentions that his favorite game online is Toon Town and plays is frequently.  When he gets to camp, he can’t wait to make new friends and do activities like the Banana Boat and Tubing as well as Gaga, Golf, Fishing, Baseball and Basketball.  Here is a picture…

Me with Lauren and Justin Liebman. Thumbs up for a great summer!

Also in Cherry Hill were the Schreiber girls, Hannah and Daniella.  In the third grade, both will be in our Junior Girls Division.  Both girls are extremely busy with a number of different activities.  Daniella does Ballet and Jazz Dance, Basketball, and indoor and outdoor Soccer.  She plays goalie on her travel soccer team, the Terminators.  Hannah has started to take piano lessons and also has Hip Hop Dance classes.  She plays Basketball and Soccer as well.  This summer, the girls are looking forward to trying a whole bunch of activities.  Daniella mentioned that she is excited for Waterskiing, Sewing, Rock Climbing, Windsurfing, Banana Boating, Soccer, Canoeing, Gaga and Campouts.  Hannah is can’t wait for Windsurfing, Rock Climbing, Banana Boating, Cooking, Woodworking, Glass Fusion, Camping and Radio.  Here is a pic…

Me with Hannah and Daniella Schreiber (and their younger brother Zachary). Notice they are holding their Philadelphia Eagles blankets. I think they were trying to stick it to me! Ha Ha!

Finally, a completely random topic…is anyone else out there as crazed with You Tube as me?  Sometimes, I can go an hour without realizing how much time has passed watching the most ridiculous videos.  If anyone has something that is funny that I should check out, please e-mail me.

Hopefully, we’ll see a lot of our camp families this weekend!

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis!

I hope all you in the northeast have made your way out of the snow.  I don’t know about you, but I am fed up with all of the white stuff.  Last week, here in north New Jersey, we got another 20+ inches.  It is enough already!

For this blog, I wanted to share with you many of the pictures from our first ever Canteen on the Fly on Sunday, February 21.  The idea was for camp’s year round staff to hit some of our neighborhoods and see just how many Canadensis campers and families we could meet.  Our journey started at noon in Merrick, NY at TCBY.  At 1:30, we were at the Carvel in Jericho, NY.  Finally, at 4:00 pm, we made our way to Livingston, NJ and Colaco’s Creamery.

First off, we were blown away by the turnout!  With the three locations combined, I think we must have seen close to 200 campers and families.  It was absolutely terrific to see so many people.  Every child that showed up had a chance to win Canadensis items from pens to patches to T-shirts.  Of course, anyone that showed up got free ice cream!  Here are some great pictures from the day…

Campers Lindsay Reiter and Ali Beyda with younger sisters and future campers Carly and Caitlin.

Brian with 2010 Junior Counselors Meg Mucatel and Max Hecht.

Eric with Jake Abrams and younger sister Elana.

Pam with Alix Negrin.

Lauren and Isaac Grama.

2010 CITs Jake Yedid and Brittany Glassberg.

Cara was working the prize basket for all campers in attendance.

Matt with 2010 Counselor David Yedid.

Jacob and Ben Portnoy.

Lauren, Sydney, Erica, Dani and Alex enjoy their ice cream!

Julia, Madelyn, Ashley, Rachael and Zoe. The party got so big it spilled out into the parking lot!

Stella Scheier and Diana Altman.

The Minion Boys were in great spirits!

Pam and Rylie Frieder chillin' out.

Thank you for all those Canadensis campers, parents and staff that made the trip out to see us.  We had a great time!  We can’t wait to do it again this Sunday on March 7 when we hit Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Buck’s County and Main Line, Pennsylvania.

Of course, last week was another opportunity to get to see Canadensis campers in their homes.  In New City, NY, I saw Steven and Jason Haber.  Jason, also called Jay, is in the 3rd grade and will be in our Junior Division in 2010.  Jay plays on football, basketball and baseball teams in the fall, winter and spring.  He also enjoys participating in the town’s Mad Science program, which does cool experiments such as lighting balloons on fire and making slime.  This summer, which will be his first at Canadensis, he can’t wait to make new friends and Color War.  Big brother Steven, now in 7th grade, returns to camp for his third summer and will be in the Lower Senior division.  He also plays on football, basketball and baseball teams.  In 2010, he can’t wait to try to ride an 80 in Hondas and Color War.  Here is a pic…

Me with Steven and Jason Haber.

In Irvington, NY, I met Brianna Havraniak and sister Maddie.  Brianna will be coming to camp for her first summer in the Lower Inter Girls division as she is in the 4th grade.  When not at camp, Brianna is busy with a number of different activities.  She ice skates and snow skis.  She plays lacrosse, basketball and tennis.  She plays the violin and will also be performing in her school play “Romeo and Juliet.”  Sister Maddie, a future Canadensis camper, enjoys break dancing and playing electric guitar.  She is also involved with lacrosse, basketball, soccer and snowboarding.  Here is a photo…

Me with Brianna (right) and Maddie Havraniak and their dog Lottie.

In Ambler, PA, Pam and I went over to see the Greenes…Justin and Lauren.  Justin, who returns for his 3rd summer as Freshman Boy, is excited that his sister Lauren will be coming to camp for her first summer.  Lauren is in the 3rd grade and will be in the Junior Girls Division.  Lauren has been busy with her Lazers basketball team and gymnastics this year and soon she will be playing travel soccer.  She also loves playing with her dog, Mia.  This summer, she is looking forward to the Ropes Course and Zipline and all the activities at the lake.  Justin has been extremely busy with travel soccer.  His team, Montgomery United, placed third this past season in the top division.  Justin played midfield on the team.  He has also been playing a lot of tennis.  In 2010, he can’t wait to be on Freshman Hill, meet all the new staff at camp, do the Summit at the lake and winning Color War.  Here is a shot of the four of us…

Me and Pam with Justin and Lauren Greene.

As I sit here on March 1, I would be remiss by not mentioning the fact that my Syracuse Orange (my alma mater) is currently the #1 basketball team in the country!  After defeating Villanova on Saturday night in front of 34,616 fans (a new regular season record for a home game), the Orange jumped ahead of Kansas, Kentucky and Purdue to claim the nation’s top spot.  Hopefully, they can go far in the college basketball tournament in a few weeks.

Well, that’s all for now.  More blogging later.

Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

As I sit here on a Thursday afternoon, I am really looking forward to our first ever Canteen on the Fly, which will take place this weekend.  If you haven’t heard, we will be hitting the follow locations this Sunday, February 21!

Our First Ever Canteen on the Fly is this weekend on Sunday February 21! See below for locations and times.

TIMES and LOCATIONS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

SOUTH SHORE, LONG ISLAND from 12:00 – 1:00 pm
TCBY at 2203 Merrick Road, Merrick, NY
(next to La Piazza)
Store Phone #:  516.868-8471

NORTH SHORE, LONG ISLAND from 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Carvel Ice Cream at 403 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, NY
(next to Patsy’s Pizza)
Store Phone #: 516.921.9895

NORTHERN NEW JERSEY from 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Colaco’s Creamery at 273 S. Livingston Avenue, Livingston, NJ
(in King’s Shopping Center)
Store Phone #: 973.758.0152

The Canteen on the Fly is one of several new events that have taken place over the past year since we left camp in August.  As we like to say, Canadensis is a camp that exists all year round.  In fact, one other event we had such a good time at took place last week, when we had over 50 campers and their parents join us for the New York Knicks games vs. the Sacramento Kings.  As part of the festivities, early arriving campers got a chance to go on the court at Madison Square Garden and participate in the fan tunnel, which welcomes the players out of the locker room and onto the court.  This was an amazing opportunity for the kids.  Even though the Knicks ended up losing in overtime, we had a blast.  Here are some pictures from the event.

Brent, Zach, Oliver and Sam; Inside the hallowed halls of MSG, waiting to go on the court.

On the court at MSG in our Fan Tunnel!

Waiting for the players to come out of the locker room.

Jake and Max with the Knicks City Dancers.

The campers even got on TV!

Camp Alumni Brigitte Toledano and Adam Scharfberg joined the festivities, too!

A picture from our seats. The Knicks blew a 15-point fourth quarter lead and ending up losing in overtime.

Last week, it was also great to see some amazing camp spirit from some of our campers and staff as they built Canadensis snowmen during the snowstorm on Wednesday.  The pictures were posted on our twitter site at www.twitter.com/canadensis, but I figure I’d post them here as well.

2010 JC Greg Ricken and his Vegas Gold Snowman!

2010 CIT Morgan Hirschorn and her Canadensis Snowman!

As always, we continue to hit the road and visit our camp families whenever we can.  Last night, Eric and I got a chance to see the Podell Family and campers Brett and Katie in Newtown Square, PA.  Brett is returning to Canadensis for his second summer and will be an Upper Inter while sister Katie is joining us for her first summer and will be in the Junior Girls division.  Brett, now in 5th grade, is busy with basketball and his team will be going to the playoffs after his last regular season game this week.  He has also been active with baseball, skiing, soccer and lacrosse.  This summer, he can’t wait to get back on the lake and do the triple dare again.  Of course, he is excited for Color War, too.  Katie, in the 3rd grade, is having fun at gymnastics and basketball, as her team is also playoff bound.  She is also involved with her school’s Service Club, which performs community service in the local neighborhood.  Katie told us that she recently read to children at a day care center.  She is also busy with skiing, soccer and field hockey.  This summer, she can’t wait to meet new friends and anxiously awaits Color War, too.  Here is a picture…

Me and Eric with Katie and Brett Podell.

Finally, I forgot to mention this a few weeks ago, and I know it has been mentioned on the other blogs, but special thanks goes out the Rebecca “Becky J” Jacobson who created a page on Wikipedia for us a few weeks ago.  Please check it out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Canadensis.  Thanks, Becky J!  The page is awesome!

Camp Canadensis is now on Wikipedia!

Well, that’s all for now.  I hope we’ll see as many Canadensis families as possible on Sunday!

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis!

I don’t think I mentioned on my last blog, but last week was a travel week to Michigan and Ohio for the beginning of our Staff Recruitment tour to a number of college campuses around the United States.  Also, I’m sure all of you have followed Eric Forti on his travels in an attempt to find some great international staff as well.  The staffing process is always an interesting and fun one as we know that it will be our staff that is going to play a huge role in making the summer such a success.  Meeting all of the applicants in person sure does make the search process all that more effective!

I think this was my tenth or eleventh year doing this trip to the Midwest.  I know it doesn’t sound like Eric’s blog where he gets to go to places like Australia, but I have always enjoyed this annual voyage to Michigan and Ohio.  This year, I took along our Assistant Director Pam on the trip as well.  Pam has been instrumental in our staffing this year and it only made sense to have her accompany me and meet as many applicants as possible.  In our week, we met close to 60 applicants!  Of course, one of the highlights is also getting to see many of our current staff who are in the areas we visit.

At Western Michigan University, we saw Nora Tkac, who will be returning for her second summer and once again working in Ceramics.  Nora said her sophomore year at WMU is going well.  Things are busy with her, but she had time to pop in between our interviews to tell us that she has really been thinking about the upcoming summer and how she wants to continue to expand the Ceramics program.  She wants to see as many campers as possible work on the pottery wheels this summer.  I thought that was a terrific idea! Here is a pic of me and Nora…

Me with Counselor Nora Tkac at Western Michigan University. Nora will be back in 2010 for Summer #2! She will also be in Ceramics again.

At Central Michigan, we met up with a slew of counselors and even got a chance to have dinner at a place called “The Cabin,” which Pam and I thought was so appropriate for a camp dinner.  There, we saw Chris Poag, Tony Davis, Sarah Smalley, Andi Riemersma, Jacob Fedewa and Rachel Kauffman.  Throughout the dinner, so many wonderful camp stories came up and all were happy to report that things are good with them.  Most of this bunch is excited for their return to camp in 2010!  The Cabin, by the way, was a great choice as we had some delicious pizzas.  My particular favorite was the sausage and pepperoni, but the Hawaiian pizza was also surprisingly good.  Good suggestion, Andi.  Here is a pic…

Me and Pam with the Central Michigan University Gang! We had an awesome dinner at The Cabin in Mt. Pleasant, MI.

In East Lansing, MI, home of Michigan State University, we had dinner with Amanda Dixon, who will be back for her second summer and once again working in our Dance program.  Also with Amanda was her sister Amber Dixon, who will be joining our Canadensis staff in 2010 and working in our Soccer program.  Amber, who has her Bachelor’s degree in Education, mentioned to me that when she came at summer’s end to pick up her sister Amanda, who continually raved about the experience, she said to herself that she wanted to work at Canadensis the following summer.  She applied immediately for the position.  We are happy to have her on board.  Amanda can’t wait to get back to the 18325 as well and has some really good ideas in store for the dances this summer.  Amanda is really enjoying her second year at MSU as well and says hello to all of her girls from Summer 2009’s Bunk 8!  Here is a shot…

Me and Pam with Amanda and Amber Dixon at the Michigan State Hall of Fame Cafe.

At Bowling Green University, we saw Bridget Haley, returning for her third summer and will also be part of Swimming program in 2010.  Bridget, who loves talking about camp, was also instrumental in helping us out while we were on campus.  At this college visit, we also had a table in the Student Union to help promote positions at camp even better.  Bridget took out a large part of her day to help us out.  Since the end of camp, Bridget mentioned that she has remained in touch with many people from camp and can’t wait to be back in Canadensis, PA this summer.  On top of her education classes at BGSU which keeps her awful busy, Bridget also still works at a one of the coolest record / CD stores in the country called “Finders.”  A music person like myself could spend all day in there looking through all the CDs!  While on campus, we also met up with 2008 Staff member Shawn Bally, who says hello to everyone at camp.  Here is a picture of me with Bridget…

Me with Bridget Haley. Bridget returns for her 3rd summer at camp and will be part of our Swimming program!

At Ohio University in Athens, OH, we saw and had lunch with Martha Archer.  As always, Martha just wanted to know if it was June yet and if camp was ready to begin.  I think the counter on our home page, which tells you how many days until camp, was created for people like Martha as she always has camp on her mind.  In fact, she greeted us wearing her 2009 Big Apple Blue Color War T-Shirt!  So Martha, right?!?!  In addition to all of her classes (I think she has taken on a third major or something like that…ha ha!), Martha goes on many of the outdoor adventure trips that her school provides.  At the same time, she has been active in working for a charity that helps with poorly treated animals in the area of Athens.  This summer will be Martha’s third at Canadensis, where she will also be working in the Archery program.  Here is a photo…

Me and Pam with Martha Archer, coming back for her third summer at camp. Notice the Big Apple Blue T-Shirt!

Five schools in five days was a lot of fun!  Seeing the returning staff and meeting so many wonderful new people got things off to a terrific start to our adventures in staffing.  We are going to have a tough task on our hands in a few weeks when we review all of our applicants once again to make job offers to the people we thought will make amazing camp counselors.  This week, Pam and Cara will be in the Northeast part of the country, visiting campuses like University of Vermont and Lyndon College.

Both before I left on my travels and when I returned, I got to meet more of our camp families.  Before my trip, I was in Wayne, NJ to see two families.  First, it was off to see Josh Halpern, returning for his second summer at Canadensis where he will be an Upper Inter in 2010.  Since camp ended, he has been busy playing his saxophone in the school band and playing indoor soccer.  This summer, he is really looking forward to mountain biking and hondas, including the SSR.  He has also been introducing the game of zoogle to his home friends, which also allows him to practice his zoogling skills.  He told me to say, “Look out Will Armon this summer when it comes to zoogle!”  Here is a photo…

Me with Upper Inter Boy Josh Halpern, who had his zoogle in hand.

Also in Wayne were the Schwed brothers, Alex and Matthew.  Both will be back at Canadensis for their summers at Canadensis as Upper Inter Boys.  Matthew was ecstatic to tell me that he got one of the leads as the Sultan in the local Y’s production of “Aladdin,” which will be performed on March 13 and 14.  He is also testing for his high green belt in martial arts.  Brother Alex is also testing for his high green belt while also busy with basketball and indoor and outdoor soccer.  While there, I also got crushed in Madden 2010 by Matthew, although Alex helped me out by getting my team’s only score in the game.  Here is a picture…

Me with Alex and Matthew Schwed, who will be Upper Inters in 2010, and younger brother Ben, a future Canadensis camper.

Upon returning from my trip, I went up on Saturday to Redding, CT to meet with Alexis and Justin Schachter and welcome them to Canadensis!  Alexis and Justin are twins currently in the 6th grade and they will be in the Freshman division in 2010.  Both have been at sleep away camp before and both are excited to be at Canadensis for their first summer this year.  In the winter, Alexis is busy with jazz, tap and hip hop dance classes, practicing for her spring recital.  She also loves art and even showed me a Knock Hockey table she made custom for her dad.  Lastly, she loves skiing and cooking.  Justin was excited to tell me about his Siburtek Hockey Team in Ridgefield, CT where he plays defense.  He is also into mountain biking, baseball, roller blading, woodworking and skiing.  Here is a photo…

Me with first time campers Alexis and Justin Schachter, both who are in the 6th grade.

On Sunday, I was in Albertson, NY to visit with the Liebermans.  Older sister Carly, currently in 7th grade and back for her fourth summer at camp as a Lower Senior Girl, is happy to welcome her younger brother Eli Lieberman, who is in the third grade and will be a Junior in 2010.  Eli filled me in on the activity he does the most in the winter time and something he has started to become really good at…fencing!  Because I don’t know much about this unique sport, Eli filled me in on some of the techniques he’s learned as well as how his bouts get scored.  It was really interesting.  Eli has also been busy with skiing in the winter.  This summer, he can’t wait to try activities like woodworking, especially since he even does some of it at home with his dad.  Eli showed me a cool sword he made out of wood.  Eli will also continue with his little league baseball clinics in the spring.  As for Carly, she just had her Bat Mitzvah last weekend, in which her fellow bunkmates from Girls Bunk 11 in 2009 was in full attendance!  Mazel Tov!  She is also active with soccer, basketball and skiing.  Both Carly and Eli have birthdays in upcoming weeks!  Here is a pic…

Me with Carly and Eli Lieberman.

I can’t wait until tomorrow when I get to see more camp families, campers and even alumni when we have our second basketball game get-together at the Knicks game at 7:30 pm on Tuesday.  As we mentioned to those going, for those that can get there at 6:30 pm, meet us at the 8 Penn Plaza entrance to Madison Square Garden (33^rd Street & 8^th Avenue) so that your camper can participate in the Fan Tunnel for the team warm-ups.  How cool is that?!  Some of our campers will be on the court at MSG!

Over the past few weeks, I got some great e-mails from campers and staff that I wanted to share with you.  First off is Carly Fleischer.  Here is Carly’s e-mail to me…

Just wanted to say hi and thought I’d send you a couple pictures because last week at my school was spirit week.  One of the days was “Indian Day,” so I decided to go all out and dress in camp clothes (since it is, of course, my favorite kind of clothing). I have been really busy with school (I have an accelerated earth science midterm this week) ,soccer (we haven’t stopped since the end of the summer) and riding horses. In 2 weeks, for February break, my dad and I are going to surf camp in Costa Rica for 7 days. We will also be using ATVs, horseback riding on the beach, zip lining and scuba diving. Kinda reminds you of camp, huh? Well I’m really excited and feel free to use my pictures and/or this little update on me for your blog. I can’t wait for camp!!! 150 DAYS!!!

Here are the pics from Carly’s Spirit Day…

Carly in her Indian Get Up, using last Summer's Senior T-Shirt. Great stuff!

Peace!

Counselor Lauren “L-Mac” McGuire, who will be back at camp for her second summer and also shooting and editing our Video Yearbook again, e-mailed me a great photo from her weightlifting competition.  Here is the e-mail…

Lauren McGuire power lifts 310 lbs! She was modest about the record thing. That looks like a record to me! Way to go, L-Mac!

Chris Parno teaches Rak Dan Line Dancing to his fellow classmates at University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Hello Canadensis…

I hope this blog finds everyone in Canadensis Cyberspace doing well.  Once again, I have found myself neglecting my blogging responsibilities, but all I can say is that things have started to really pick up for Summer 2010.  As it stands, it is all camp all the time.  In fact, last night I had camp on my mind that I couldn’t fall asleep until 2:30 am!  Hey, I’m not complaining.  I have the best job in the world!  I get to think about camp 24/7.  And, I get to talk about it all the time, especially to all the campers I meet.  Here’s who I saw since my last blog…

Last week, I went to Livingston, NJ and met up with Stella Scheier, who is in the 2nd grade and will be in our Junior Division this summer.  Stella is actually a second generation Canadensis camper as mom, Mindy, is an alumni of camp.  Stella told me all about her travel soccer team, the Lady Leopards, and that she is also involved in gymnastics at the advanced beginner level.  She also told me that she is participating in the Locks for Love program and is growing her hair to eventually be cut and donated in June.  This summer, she can’t wait to be at camp with her cousins Elizabeth and Olivia Menkowitz as well as trying the climbing wall and zipline, gymnastics and, of course, Color War.  Here is a picture…

Me with Stella Scheier and younger brothers, and future Canadensis campers, Oliver and Beau.

The next day, Assistant Director Pam and I made our way to Bala Cynwyd, PA to visit 3rd grader and 2010 Junior Emma Velinsky.  Emma is busy with a wide variety of activities.  She is on a swim team in which her main events are the freestyle and backstroke races.  She is in the MLGBA basketball league.  The name of her team is the Flames.  Emma is also beginning to rehearse for her dance performance in May in which she does jazz and hip-hop dance.  On top of that, she also plays tennis and goes bike riding.  This summer, she is excited for all of the activities at the lake, including the Banana Boat.  Emma also mentioned that she is looking forward to the drive-in movies.  Here is a shot…

Me and Pam with Emma Velinsky.

At the beginning of this week, I was in Huntingdon Valley, PA to see 2010 Upper Inter Rachel Cebula and her younger brother and future Canadensis Camper Adam Cebula.  Rachel, now in 5th grade and returning for her second summer, let me know that she is playing in the Huntingdon Valley Athletic Association Basketball League as part of the Silver Stars team.  She is also going to gymnastics classes with fellow bunkmate Taylor Schwartz.  In the spring, she is looking forward to playing soccer.  Rachel also filled me in on the number of bunk get togethers she has had with the Girls of Bunk 5 since the summer ended.  She is already counting down the days until she can be back in the 18325 with all of her best friends.  As for brother Adam, he is also playing basketball in the HVAA on the Sixers.  In the fall, his team for soccer took first place, too!  Here is a photo…

Me with Rachel and Adam Cebula.

On Tuesday, Camp Mom Stephanie Vorcheimer and I went out to Long Island to visit a few of our camp families.  When I picked up Stephanie at her house, I saw 2010 Freshman Boy Max Vorcheimer and Lower Inter Girl Sami Vorcheimer.  Both are doing really well.  Max is busy playing basketball in the Wayne PAL League while Sami is taking dance classes.  Max wanted me to give him a shout on my blog.  So, here it is, Max…a shout out to you!

First, Stephanie and I hit Melville, NY to see 3rd grader and 2010 Junior Girl Marlee Krasin.  First off, Marlee loves art!  She is taking a painting class.  She showed us some of her work which completely blew us away!  It was so good!  See below for proof.  Marlee also takes hip hop, jazz and tap dance classes.  She also likes to play tennis and go swimming.  This summer, she is really looking forward to the all of the rooms in the Art Center, including Glass Fusion, the Art Shack and Ceramics.  Here is a pic…

Me and Steph with Marlee. The painting in the picture was done by Marlee. How awesome is that?!?!

Next, it was onto Syosset, NY to see Paige Kahn.  Paige, currently in third grade and going to be a Junior Girl this summer, has been waiting to go to Canadensis for quite some time as her older brother Max used to be a camper here.  Paige was recently case as Grace in the show “Annie,” which she will be performing in her neighborhood’s theater program.  The show will be in June.  On most weekends, she is off to the stables for horseback riding, in which she has already learned how to trot and canter through obstacle courses with her horse Spencer.  She also goes snow skiing a lot and is always playing with her dogs Bucky and Blazzy.  This summer, she can’t wait to do the climbing wall, ropes course and zipline, being in the camp show and waterskiing.  Here is a picture…

Me and Steph with Paige (and her dog Blazzy).

Last night, I was in Plymouth Meeting, PA to see 2010 Junior Boy and current third grader David Brucker.  As David told me about all the activities he is involved in, it was safe to say that he is a boy with a wide range of interests.  He plays the piano, likes to cook, do arts and crafts and build things.  At the same time, he plays tennis and is currently in a basketball league and his team, the Trailblazers, are undefeated.  This summer, he says he will be participating in the Rock Band program as well as doing a lot of the activities at the Art Center.  He also can’t wait to try waterskiing and the Summit.  Here is a photo…

Me with David Brucker and sister, and future Canadensis camper, Marissa Brucker.

Finally, I was in Lafayette Hill, PA and saw 2010 Upper Inter Boy Josh Brownstein.  Josh, who is back for his third summer at camp, has been incredibly busy playing basketball in two different leagues, one a travel team and the other a town rec league.  In fact, Josh says this is the year that he is finally going to take me down in a game of H.O.R.S.E.  To be quite honest, I think it is going to be his year, too.  In the spring, Josh will be playing two sports, participating in both baseball and lacrosse leagues.  Here is a photo…

Me with 2010 Upper Inter Josh Brownstein.

So, as you can see, things have been busy.  On top of all my visits, which as I always say, is the best part of my job in the fall, winter and spring, I have been able to talk with a number of camp counselors and staff over the past week.  I spoke with Mike Lindquist, Alyssa Thibodeau, Marshall Weinstein, Will Armon and Chris Parno.  Last week, Pete Tarnoff stopped by our winter office to say hello.  It has been great!  And, as you can see, it has been all camp, all the time!

Until my next blog, which I’m hoping will be tomorrow.  Have a great day.

-Brian

Hello Canadensis!

First off, let me say, “Shame on me!”  It’s been a few weeks since my last blog entry and I didn’t want another day to go by without catching up with online cyberspace camp community.  There are no excuses except for the fact that since our Reunion a few weeks ago, things have started to move quite rapidly in our plans for the upcoming summer.

But, first things first.  Since I haven’t had a chance to comment yet, myself, I wanted to say thank you to all those campers, parents and staff who made it to our Annual Reunion.  Once again, we are happy to announce that we had over 300 campers in attendance along with more than 50 staff members there as well.  What a turnout!  The two hours we had together seemed to go by in such a hurry but it was so great to see everyone.  If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to check out the reunion pictures as well as a Special Reunion Canadensis Today Show in the Media Room.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, we also use this weekend as an opportunity for our leadership staff to get together and discuss camp.  Our winter staff, head counselors and programming staff spent the entire Saturday coming up with new plans and ideas for the upcoming summer.  It was a great day as we discussed a full array of different topics from Special Days at Camp to Evening Activities to the menu to Color War.  In fact, the Color War names for Summer 2010 have been picked!  But, of course, that will remain a secret until Color War breaks on August (oh wait, that is a secret, too…Ha Ha!).

It was also great to see a number of camp families join us on Wednesday, January 13 for the Philadelphia 76ers game versus the New York Knicks.  Because it was part of the Jewish Heritage Night, all tickets were rewarded with a hebrew 76ers T-Shirt.  After the game, won by the Knicks by one point, Grammy Award winning artist Matisyahu performed for all fans that chose to stay.  Audio and Videos from that performance can be found here:  http://www.matisyahuworld.com/tourarchive#2010/01/13 .  On February 9, we will be doing the same event in New York City.  Hopefully, many camp families will be able to attend this as well.  We hope you can join us.

On February 9, Camp Canadensis will be at the New York Knicks game. To be part of the fun, e-mail Matt Unger at matt@canadensis.com.

In the past few weeks, I have continued to “hit the road” to see our camp families.  Here’s who I’ve seen…

I was in North Caldwell, NJ to see 2010 Lower Inter Boy Alex Frieder who will also be joined at camp this year by his younger sister Rylie Frieder.  Rylie, in the 3rd grade, will be in the Junior Girls division in 2010.  She is involved in a number of activities in the fall, winter and spring.  Her soccer team, where she played as a midfielder, finished in 1st place this past fall.  She is also involved in hip hop dance classes, a Brownies troop and an Indian Princesses group that just recently went rock climbing as well.  On top of that, she is a big New Jersey Devils fan and has been to several games this year.  This summer, she is excited for waterskiing and the opportunity to make new friends.  As for Alex, he was so thrilled to let me know that he just recently got the lead role of Mowgli in the JCC of West Orange production of “The Jungle Book.”  For those that would like to see Alex in this role, performances are scheduled for March 11, 13 and 14.  Back in the fall, Alex also took the stage for the same theater company in their production of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” where he was in the Candyland chorus.  Alex has also been busy snow skiing every Tuesday in Mountain Creek as well as playing tennis.  This summer, he can’t wait to get back to camp and hang out with all of the friends he made in 2009’s Boys Bunk 4.  He is also excited to be up in the Art Center, particularly in glass fusion.  Here is a picture…

Me with Alex and Rylie Frieder as well as their dog Baxter.

I got a chance to make my way to Scarsdale, NY to see 2010 Freshman Girl Alexa Binday who is coming to camp for her fourth summer with Lower Inter Girl and sister Carly Binday.  Both Alexa and Carly have been taking art classes and each showed me the pictures they had been working on.  Carly had some really great cartoons to show me while Alexa has been working with chalk pastels and creating a number of human figure and scenic drawings which were really amazing!  Both told me about their recent trip to the Sanibel Islands which they really seemed to enjoy.  While at home, Carly, who is currently in the fourth grade, also likes to play soccer, gymnastics, tennis and swimming as well as just hanging out with her friends.  Alexa, who had a great time at the reunion, was also happy to tell me that she also has one of her bunkmate’s birthday parties this weekend and will be seeing some other camp friends as well.  Here is a photo…

Me with Alexa (left) and Carly Binday.

In Armonk, NY, I saw the Kruman Family, where 2010 Freshman Girl Alyssa Kruman will be back at camp this year for her 4th summer and once again joined by brother and 2010 Junior Boy Max Kruman, back for his 2nd summer.  While having a pizza lunch, they filled me in about their recent and annual family trip to Aruba.  Max, currently in 3rd grade, told me that he was once again playing left wing and center on his ice hockey team.  The past few weekends, he has also been into watching the football playoffs on TV.  Recently, he had a get together with bunkmate Ethan Cohen.  This summer, he is really looking forward again to Mountain Biking, an activity he enjoyed last summer.  Big sister Alyssa, now in 6th grade and returning for her 4th summer, continually video chats with camp friends each and every day.  She recently had a great time at a fellow camper’s Bat Mitzvah that was heavily attended by Canadensis campers.  This summer, Alyssa is really looking forward to the Hershey Park trip.  Max and Alyssa let me know that they plan on guest blogging in the next few weeks.  Here is a picture from my visit…

Me with Alyssa and Max Kruman.

In Cross River, NY, I saw first time camper and 2010 Junior Girl Rebecca Seiler.  Rebecca, currently in 3rd grade, can’t wait for the summer to start and is excited for a number of different activities.  She is really looking forward to the zipline, climbing wall and water skiing.  In the fall, winter and spring, she is involved with activities such as basketball, soccer and tennis.  She also let me know that she will be playing the role of Kaa The Snake in her drama class’s upcoming production of “The Jungle Book.”  Performances are scheduled for January 22 and 23.  Rebecca will also be joined at camp this summer by her big sister Jessica Seiler, who will once again be returning to camp as part of our camp staff.  Last summer, Jessica was a counselor in our Junior Girls Division.  Here is a shot…

Me with Junior Girl Rebecca Seiler and her dog Beau.

In Tenafly, NJ, I got to see two more camp families.  First, I saw 2010 Lower Inter Girl Samantha Waldman, back for her third summer at camp and now joined by younger sister and 2010 Junior Girl Ally Waldman.  Ally is excited to finally get the chance to come to Canadensis after she has seen all the fun Samantha has been having the past two summers.  Ally, in the 3rd grade, is involved with soccer, gymnastics and fashion design.  She also told me that she is going to be in her school’s variety show performing a self-choreographed dance with one of her friends.  This summer, she can’t wait to do horseback riding, soccer and water skiing.  As for Samantha, in 4th grade, she is busy with tennis and basketball.  She was so thrilled to see her bunk mates at the reunion and is counting down the days to be with the girls from 2009’s Bunk 4.  Here is a picture…

Me with Ally (left) and Samantha Waldman.

Also in Tenafly, NJ, I got to meet first year camper and 2010 Lower Inter Girl Simone Steinberg.  Simone, currently in the 4th grade, is a third generation Canadensis camper as her father Adam and grandfather David were campers at Canadensis back in the day.  Simone, whose older sister Madeline and cousins Leslie, Phil and Mitch also attended Canadensis, has heard so many wonderful stories about camp that she can’t wait to go herself!  She is really looking forward to kayaking, lake boats, water skiing, ga ga, Color War and canteen (as she is a self-proclaimed chocoholic).  This year, she was also the goalie on her travel soccer team.  She was also excited to tell me about an upcoming school project she will be doing on Betsy Ross.  At home, she also loves hanging out with her good friends.  Here is a photo…

It's all about peace, love and Canadensis for me and Simone!

My trips on the road have been great.  Talking about camp with returning and new campers has just been absolutely wonderful!  Between now and the summer, I hope to see as many campers as possible.

I also wanted to let our new campers that are currently in grades 1 – 4 know that our new camper get-togethers will be held on April 18.  Times are still to be determined.  But, mark your calendars!

Our camp families should have also received our first mailing for Summer 2010 which included the new clothes catalog from our camp supplier The Camp Spot.  You can also view this information on our website under the “Camp Store” link in the “Canadensis Families” section.  Also in the mailing was our new “Priceless Referral Program.”  For any family that refers a new camper for 2010, we will award your child with a “priceless” prize of their choosing.  The list includes being interviewed on the Canadensis Today Show, making camp announcements for an entire day and even watching 4th of July Fireworks from the middle of Lake Lenape.

Finally, I wanted to congratulate all those New York Jets fans out there.  As much as I root against the Jets, I am happy for all those fans of Gang Green that will be watching their team play in the AFC Championship game this weekend.  But, I will write more about the football playoffs later in the week.

Until then, I leave you with a question I’ve pondered.  What do we call this upcoming decade?  Is it the 10’s?

Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

I hope all of our campers and camp families as well as our camp staff are having a wonderful holiday break.  It’s been a few days since my last blog and I, too, like to use this time of the year to recharge my batteries, see friends and family and get set for the new year and new decade that lies ahead.

Last night, my college buddy Jon and I went to the Rock (aka The Prudential Center) in Newark, NJ to see our Syracuse Orange take on the Seton Hall Pirates.  It was a really good game.  In fact, at one point, Syracuse, who is ranked #5 in the nation, was losing by 12 points.  At halftime, the game was tied at 43.  In the end, the Orange prevailed and won 80-73.  Jon and I both think that this team has some really good potential and might go far in the college basketball tournament in March.

Then again, my beloved New York Giants started the season 5-0 and have now been eliminated from the playoff race after last week’s abysmal performance, which was also the last game the Giants were to play at Giants Stadium.  I was definitely a bit depressed until the next day after that game.  We got crushed!  Anyway, I know I’m going to get a lot of well deserved trash talk this summer from all those Eagles fans.  All I have to say is…bring it on!  Ha Ha!

Of course, as always, our final tailgate at Giants Stadium was off the charts.  The menu kept us full into the next morning and included bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, french toast, hash browns, filet on garlic bread, swedish and asian meatballs, corned beef, steaks, burgers, hot dogs and grilled pineapple.  It was also great that 2010 Freshman Max Vorcheimer and his dad Stu came by to say hello.  Max and Stu actually had a great opportunity to go on the field at Giants Stadium one last time!  With the closing of the stadium, our tailgate crew took our season end group shot.  It is amazing how close we have gotten after doing this together for twelve years now.  Here is the photo…

Lot 5F Tailgate Crew Last Game of the Season Photo

Yesterday morning, I had the great opportunity of getting together with some of the boys from last summer’s Bunk 3.  I drove to Tenafly, NJ to meet up with Ben Borrok, Ben Rubin, Max Rapoport, Evan Wabnik and Joey Rush and met them at the Classic Diner for brunch.  It was also Joey’s Birthday!  After lunch, the boys went over to the Tenafly JCC for some additional activities.  Here are some pics…

Me with (from left to right) Ben Rubin, Max Rapoport, Joey Rush, Evan Wabnik and Ben Borrok. We met up at Tenafly's Classic Diner for brunch.

The boys at the Tenafly JCC.

Over the break, I also heard that 2010 CIT Girls Melissa Liebman, Amanda Mirsky and Melissa got together.  And that 2010 Lower Inter Girl Rachel Green had bunkmates Alexa Dersovitz and Allison Levitt sleep over.  I also know that 2010 Upper Inter Nicole Zibelman had a weekend visit with bunkmate Emily Kilman.  I am sure that there were more camp friends that got to see each other, too!  As always, if you have pictures of your reunions and get-togethers, e-mail them to me at brian@canadensis.com and I’ll put them on this blog!

On Monday, our new Assistant Director Pam and I drove to Bala Cynwyd, PA to meet with Canadensis Alumni Martin Goldman as he will be sending his two children, Evan and Tes, to camp this summer.  Evan, who is in the 6th grade, will be in the Freshman Boys division while sister Tes is in the 2nd grade and will be in Girls Bunk 2 this summer in our Junior division.  Evan plays soccer most of the year for the FC Delio Travel Soccer Club, which is one of the top club’s in the country.  He is just starting up basketball season in the next few weeks as well.  Evan is also in a rock band called JACE where he plays both guitar and bass guitar.  The band covers everything from The Who to the Beatles to Tom Petty.  Younger sister Tes just recently finished up her dance performance of “The Nutcracker.”  She just recently finished up her soccer season, in which she played goalie on her team, and is now beginning basketball season soon.  She has also been having some sleepovers with friends.  Martin is thrilled that his children will be going to camp where he once attended.  Martin reminisced about morning line-ups at camp as well as the skidoodle that used to be on the lake.  Here is a picture of us…

Me and Pam with Canadensis Alumni Martin Goldman and his children Evan and Tes, both who will be joining us in 2010.

So, as I write this, we are a little more than a day a way from ringing in 2010 and saying goodbye to 2009.  I love all the magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs and television shows that wrap up the past year, and in this year, wrap up the past decade from best movies of the year/decade to the best songs and tv shows to the best sports teams and on and on.  I love the conversations and debates that always seem to follow when I read and see all of it.

It is also a time for new year’s resolutions for those that do it.  Anyone have any good ones?  Please share.

So, with that, I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Until 2010…Have a great 2009…Brian