Snow? Pretty, But Not Necessarily A Good Thing

I don't know where you are in the province, but when I looked out my window this morning, I blinked twice—and it was still there: snow. And not just a "skiff" of it either. A semi-thick blanket covering my yard, my mom's car, and the leaves I was supposed to rake this weekend. (Looks like I'll be shovelling instead!)

Even having lived in Alberta my entire life—where the weather can change two or three times in a day!—the sight was a bit shocking.

So much snow this early in the year means that I'll be taking my running program INSIDE. The roads, for driving, are going to be messy. And...

This weather is not good for farmers.

Grandpa says early snowfall can squash crops that grow upright, like wheat and canola, making them harder to harvest, not to mention diminishing their quality. The snow pushes the crops down and freezes the plants that aren't even finished growing. Sure it looks pretty, but it's definitely not ideal for our province's producers.

It seems like only yesterday the province was a patchwork quilt of yellow canola fields—today, we're under a blanket of snow. And while it isn't the first time this fall that we've seen it, this stuff looks like it's here to stay.

Here's hoping I'm wrong.

Gotta jet! Be safe out there—Mom says people forget how to drive at the first sign of winter...

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Speaking of driving, if you're in the Lethbridge area, be sure to check out the Word On The Street event — the author of the Superman Duffy educational graphic novels will be there (along with other great authors, artists, and performers) signing her young adult books Lizzie, Overdrive, and Anne & Henry! 

Aye, Talk Like A Pirate Day Is Upon Us, Lads And Lassies

Ahoy! I love pirates.

They're the swashbuckling villains and heroes of so many great stories—like Wesley in The Princess Bride and the famous female pirate Anne Bonny who we JUST learned about in school. There's Blackbeard—he's scary!—and of course, there's me. Well, "comic me."

The Superman Duffy educational graphic novel SHIVER ME TIMBERS is ALL about pirates—and in the story, I am protecting my gold  (canola gold, of course) from one BAD pirate as I deliver it to foreign markets. It's an adventure story PERFECT for Talk Like A Pirate Day—which is September 19! If you don't have a copy of SHIVER ME TIMBERS, be sure to order your copy from the Alberta Canola Producers' Commission today!

And in honour of Talk Like a Pirate Day, I thought I'd share some common pirate phrases, just in case you want to join in on the fun. Here are my top 15 pirate sayings:

Ahoy: Hello!
Aye: Yes, yes! As in, "Aye, aye, Captain!"
Booty: A pirate's prize of any kind.Cap'n: Captain.
Doubloon: A gold coin, originally of Spanish origin but used as a general term for gold coins.
Fer: For. As in, "Superman Duffy, fer the win!"
Hearties: Friends. As in, "Ahoy me hearties!"
Jolly Rager: The infamous skull and crossbones flag, which was flown to warn "here there be pirates."
Kraken: A legendary sea monster.
Land lubber: A person who does not have much experience at seas or who cannot sail.
Lass or lassie: A child.
Mutiny: To revolt.
Sea Dog: A pirate, especially an experienced older one.
Skull and Crossbones: A human skull above two crossed bones, used on pirate flags and bottles of poison.
Swashbuckler: A daredevil.
Walk the plank: Walking the ship's plank until you plunged into the sea.

Did I miss some of your favourites? Share yours in the comments—before Sept 19!—and join me in "talking like a pirate."

PLUS, we may select one lucky commenter for a chance to WIN a Superman Duffy booty — all 16 of the books in the series! Now THAT is a great prize pack, lads and lassies.

Gotta jet, me hearties. Have a great weekend!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Let's CUT! To The Chase...

Someone famous once said, "there are no original stories." Every tale is just a version of one of a handful that has been told time and time again.

That sounds deep, I know, but in school this week, we've been talking about re-tellings, fables, and specifically, Aesop's Fables, and it got me thinking about the Superman Duffy graphic novel, CUT! TO THE CHASE...

The book is a modern version of the famous Aesop story, The Tortoise and the Hare. Even if you're not learning about it in school, you probably know the story—a slow turtle, a fast rabbit, and a race that ends with an unexpected lesson.

The lesson in the Superman Duffy book is centred on nutrition, but of course there's a great story around it—in which "comic me" gets to flex his school theatre muscles. If you've read the book, you know who ends up being the tortoise (hint: it's either me or my nemesis Gordon Lightning Smith). And if you haven't read it, you can order CUT! TO THE CHASE... (and the entire set of Superman Duffy educational graphic novels) from the Alberta Canola Producers' Commission.

By the way, did you know that quite a few of the expressions we use everyday are inspired by Aesop's fables? “Slow and steady wins the race” is obviously from The Tortoise and the Hare. But, did you know that “Honesty is the best policy” is from Aesop’s tale Mercury and the Woodsman or that “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill” is from the story, The Mountain in Labor?

My mom always tells me not to “count my chickens before they hatch” — she probably doesn’t even realize that expression comes from Aesop’s fable, The Milkmaid and her Pail. And sometimes, I forget to “look before you leap” which is, you guessed it, another expression from an Aesop story, The Fox and the Goat.

“Birds of a feather flock together” comes from the Farmer and the Stork and to have “sour grapes” was first used in Aesop’s tale, The Fox and the Grapes. Who knew?

Wow. Aesop really did write a lot about animals! I guess it comes down to “quality, not quantity” — <grin> see what I did there? That saying is from Aesop’s tale, The Lioness and the Vixen.

Gotta jet! Hope your first week at school was fantastic!

— Chase Superman Duffy

Back To School? I'm Ready! (Almost)

Summer is over.

Not technically, I know, but you can feel the shift in the air, right? The cooler temperatures, the slow change of colour. I actually raked leaves yesterday!

The truth is, fall is my favourite season—Halloween!—but the end of summer means that school is right around the corner, and even though I’m always excited about getting back to class (and setting my yearly goals), that first day can sometimes be a bit challenging.

I’m not used to waking up at 7 a.m. Or getting out of my PJs before noon. Or making my own lunch. I can’t even think about what I’m supposed to take on my first day. (Except the new pens my mom bought me when we went supply shopping this week!)

I don’t want to forget anything on Tuesday though, so I’m preparing this weekend. Here are some ways I am going to get ready for class:

1.    Organize my supplies — put paper in my binder, sharpen pencils, double check that pens are working, etc.
2.    Pre-pack a lunch. This year I am focussing on nutrition, and all the things that will help me be a better, stronger, and faster athlete.
3.    Get a good night’s sleep the night before. That’s a tricky one because I’m always so excited that I CAN’T sleep. But maybe if I spend the whole day before reading… <grin>
4.    Make sure my bike is ready to go. I plan on taking advantage of the warm-ish weather while we still have it. There’s nothing worse than a flat tire on your first day, though.

OK, I think that’s it! Can you think of anything I’ve missed?

Gotta jet! If you’re going back to school on Tuesday, good luck! I hope you have a great long weekend—the last one of the summer!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Setting SMART goals for the school year

If you’ve read my blog long enough — * waves to long time readers * — then you know I like to set school goals every year. I don’t always hit the mark (I’m really terrible at Math!), but I think making goals keeps me a little bit more focused.

That said, I had a GIANT Summer To-Do and I didn’t quite finish everything on it. (Maybe it's because I wasn’t making SMART goals.)

Not SMART in the “intelligence” way. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym for goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. Get it? SMART. I know it sounds complex, but let’s take a look at my summer list. Sure I had some specific goals, and most of them were relevant (it was about having fun, right?) but I fell apart at time-based. There’s NO WAY I could have crammed everything I wanted to do into two months.

Just like, getting 100% in Math is NOT achievable for me.

That doesn’t mean I’ve failed though. It just means I have to think…SMARTer.

Keeping that in mind, here are my S.M.A.R.T. goals for school this year:

1. I will increase my Math mark by 10%. (Specific, right? Also…measurable!)
2. I will read 8 books by the end of the school year.
3. I will go for an afternoon run five days a week, no matter how busy I am.
4. I will volunteer for one school committee. I have NO idea which one yet, but it will be something meaningful. (This is obviously measurable — and achievable!)
5. I will use my ENTIRE notebook before starting a new one. Okay, this sounds easy, but I LOVE starting a new notebook. There’s something exciting about the first page. I can do this — I just might need to write MORE to fill up the pages. Which, ironically, is another of my school goals this year.

These are my Top 5. What are some of your school goals this year? Are you being SMART?

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Do You Know What My Favourite August Holiday Is?

It's no secret that I love comics—especially SUPERMAN (who was created by a Canadian, in case you didn't already know)—but I have another favourite that you probably know about if you've followed my blog for a while—FRANKENSTEIN. 

I love all things Frankenstein—the books, the movies, the costumes... The picture on this blog is me dressed up as Frankenstein's monster (obviously) a couple of Halloweens ago. 

Aside from Halloween, there are actually TWO days specifically devoted to celebrating Frankenstein, and one of them is less than two weeks away! 

August 30 is International Frankenstein Day, a celebration of Mary Shelley's birthday. In case you don't know, Shelley is the author of the original Frankenstein book—the story that started it all. And believe me, there have been many re-tellings. I even wrote a Frankenstein story for Language Arts class last year. 

In honour of International Frankenstein Day this year, I'm digging up that story and giving it a fresh polish—I might even re-write the end, which is a good way to get back into the habit of writing, since school starts soon. My Language Arts teacher—Mrs. Kratky—always asks what I wrote over the summer break. She won't be surprised it's a monster story (I love monsters) but I hope she remembers my last Frankenstein tale, and thinks this one is even better. 

Gotta jet—it's time to start writing! 

Hey, do you celebrate Frankenstein Day? If so, let me know—I would love to talk about the movies and books you've enjoyed featuring that loveable creature. <heh> 

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Read All Day — For Your Health

It's true—according to research, reading is a more effective stress reliever than listening to music, going for a walk, or even spending time in the outdoors.

Not that I'm stressed (not even about it almost being Back To School time) but August 9 is National Book Lover's Day and August 10 is International Lazy Day—so I'm combining them for a double day of reading. All. Day. Long.

The timing couldn't be better. I admit I'm a little behind on my reading goals this summer. Maybe it's the heat distracting me. Or the fact that my sister and I have been spending more time at my grandparents's canola farm—me running, her baking with Grandma, and then both of us eating that baking.

Do you have the Superman Duffy graphic novel Tasting My Story? If you do, check out the recipe for MONSTER COOKIES. They're my favourite—and Grandma makes them every summer. And spring. And...come to think of it...every season. <heh>

Bet I could convince Grandma to make me a batch for my two days of reading! Gotta jet—calling her right now!

~ Chase "Superman" Duffy

P.S. How are YOU spending National Book Lover's Day?