Falafel Friday!

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.

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.

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…

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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