Are you ready for a "Super" weekend?

It’s Super Bowl weekend, and you know what that means? Party at the Duffy house!

Okay, not so much a party, but a small gathering, for sure. Every year, my parents invite a few friends over to watch the big game. My teams don’t make the finals often (and I'm more of a Canadian Football League fan anyway), but last year, we cheered for the Patriots (and they won) and this year, I'm "betting my chores" on the 49ers.

What do I mean by "betting my chores?" Well, Dad and I have a friendly bet going on—he's a Chiefs fan, or at least he is this weekend. If the Chiefs win, I have to do my chores AND his (like shovelling the walk if it snows, or cleaning up the garage) for a week. If San Francisco wins, Dad will do MY chores for a week. I'm already planning what to do with my free time.

My parents have invited the usual suspects to the party—it's tradition!—and like always, there will be a lot of food. But considering Grandpa’s diabetes, my training, and mom’s (annual) New Year’s Resolution for a healthy 2020, those Super Bowl snacks are probably going to be fairly healthy.

Mom’s put me in charge of popcorn again—probably because I did such a great job last year when I stumbled across this website. Chocolate popcorn? BBQ popcorn? A healthy homemade kettle corn recipe? I made two kinds last year!

This year I'm excited to try something new. I'll probably make a little mess too—just in case Dad ends of doing my chores this week. Go 49ers!

Gotta jet! Have a super weekend.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Riddle Me This

January 29 is National Puzzle Day and okay, so a riddle is probably not what comes to mind when you think about puzzles...but I love that line from Batman. And if you think about it, a riddle is a puzzle for the brain.

I've always loved brainteasers. Sometimes I help my dad with the Sunday crossword (well, help may be exaggerating a little—though I'm getting better!) And I know I don't excel at math, but I have figured out how to do Sudoku.

Did you know that puzzles and brainteasers can enhance your memory and improve concentration? Those are just a couple of the benefits—but that's enough for me to step up my puzzle game.

Of course, you can search different brainteasers and puzzlers on the internet, but because National Puzzle Day is next week, I thought I’d start you going with three that I enjoy. Can you solve them?

Which letter comes next?
A, C, F, J, O, _____

Read the following description and try to figure out what food is described.
Throw out my outer.
Keep my inner.
Eat my outer.
Throw out my inner.

This one’s a tough one!
What 7-letter, 1-syllable, past-tense verb becomes a 7-letter, 3-syllable, past-tense verb if you change it’s 5th letter from an H to a T?

Do you have any favourite brainteasers? Share them in the comments. Bet you can’t stump me!

Gotta jet! I'm going to spend some time this weekend trying to figure out the ultimate puzzle—the Rubric's Cube! See you next week.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

What is Blue Monday?

Good question! Apparently, it's the saddest day of the year—and it's coming up this Monday.

I guess when the typical "winter blues" (and that's even more so this week with our ridiculously freezing temperatures) combines with people—mostly adults—thinking about how much they spent at Christmas, it can cause a little bit of depression.

Sure, I’m not the most patient kid—I can hardly wait to get back to running outside. Spring is my favourite season. But I’m not going to let Monday get me down. No way! (Especially since this cold snap is supposed to...well, snap!)

And anyway, I've got way too much to be happy about.

Like trying out my new snowshoes. Outdoor activity is something that makes me happy—and even better I can literally do it in my own back yard. Well, my grandparents’ back yard. If Monday is as warm as they say it will be, that's exactly what I plan to do.

And there’s another thing that makes me happy. My family. So many of my friends don’t have their grandparents anymore. Not only do I have both sets, I have great relationships with them, especially Grandpa Duffy. My Mom and Dad are pretty awesome, too. And sure, I guess my sister’s okay.

I love reading and writing. Playing video games with my friends. Watching movies with Dad. I even like school, especially Language Arts. Mrs. Kratky is always complimenting me on my writing.

When it comes down to it, I’ve really got nothing to be sad about. Not today—and not Monday, either. So next week, I’m going to turn my frown upside down. What about you? What will you be HAPPY about on Monday?

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend and a VERY happy Monday.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Confront the Cold with Comfort Food

Compared to last month, Alberta has really been in a "deep freeze"—which means I'm not outside as much as I would like. Anything below 25 degrees Celsius is too cold for snowshoeing, running, and ice fishing—even if you have a heater and I tent.

Yep, it's cold.

And this is the perfect time to start thinking about (if you haven't already) some of those heartier meals that do more than fill your belly and provide comfort—they can can you warm. To keep my energy levels up when I’m running (or just playing outside), Grandma says it’s important to eat nutrient-dense, balanced meals of proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Like when I stay at Grandma’s this weekend, I know for breakfast she’ll make me a ham, spinach and a lower-fat cheese omelette, or delicious oatmeal sprinkled with raisins, pumpkin seeds, vanilla yogurt, and a little brown sugar. (My mouth is watering even as I type!)

I asked Grandma to teach me how to make some of my favourites this weekend—like stew, and potato soup, and her famous chicken pot pie. She has some great recipes, but if you're looking for some to try out yourself (or convince your family to make with you), check out the Superman Duffy graphic novel TASTING MY STORY (it's free on the Alberta Canola Producers Commission website) or go here for recipes created by Dr. Chris Mohr. Grandma says she has the site bookmarked.

Gotta jet! Stay warm this weekend—it's going to be chilly!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Still Chasing My Dreams - You Can Too!

If you’ve read any of the Superman Duffy graphic novels—and if you haven't, they're FREE from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission—you know that many of the stories focus on real people who have, and continue to “chase their dreams.”

In Fields of Home, for example, Polish farmer Mr. Slovonuk has chosen "a better life" in Canada and helps write our country's history by being the first farmer to grow rapeseed (now canola) on his small Saskatchewan farm.

Kevin Therres dreamt of building the world’s first Jet Engine Funny Car which runs on 100 percent canola biodiesel—and you can read about how he does it (for real) in Gotta Jet! 

Robert Thirsk always dreamed of going to space—now he’s one of the most famous astronauts in the world. And in It’s a Blast!, Robert helps Chase (aka: me) send canola seeds in a rocket ship, just like he did for real many years ago.

Inspiring, right?

January 13 is Make Your Dreams Come True Day, which got me really thinking about my dreams. If you follow my blog, you know I have a LOT of them.

My top two are:

• Become an Olympic track athlete
• Write a story that is good enough to be published

I know I’m just a kid, but one thing I’ve learned from inspiring people like Kevin Therres and Robert Thirsk is that it’s never too early to start chasing your dreams. How? Good question!

Here are three tips Mr. Therres shared with me many years ago:

• Give yourself permission to dream—if you can dream it, you can do it! (Yes, even your biggest dreams!)

• Visualize yourself accomplishing your dreams—this can spark your creativity and make you more motivated. (Sometimes, I picture myself winning a writing award or the gold medal. How cool would that be?!)

• Practice patience! Dreams don’t come true overnight while you’re sleeping. Reaching your goals takes time, effort, and patience—dream, practice, and repeat.

What are your dreams? This year, what steps will you take this year to achieve them?

Gotta jet!

— Chase Superman Duffy