Brian and His Yale Sweater

Behind Brian Kupke's preppy and seemingly conservative appearance lies one of the most dynamic and interesting people I have ever met. A close friend first introduced me to Brian in the fall of my freshmen year as the boyfriend of her older sister, Austin Philips, a tenacious, All-American Rower two years his senior. Brian's origins in Leesburg Florida, and rumors of an NRA card in his wallet, a rarity at Colby, only added to his mystique. Over the last three years Brian and I have grown close and I thought it would only be fitting to write about this interesting character before he graduates next month.

Although not visible through his vintage Yale sweater and the case of 12 gauge rounds, both of Brian's nipples are scarred from two years of housing stainless steal studs and a brass chain.

Upon arriving at Colby in the Fall of 2005, Brian switched from playing Defensive End to rowing four seat on Colby's Varsity Crew Team. However, Brian's extensive resume of athletic feats fails to translate into mano y mano ability, and yours truly trouncedhim in a spandex wrestling match last week despite his thirty pound weight advantage, 2-0.

Some of you may know Brian as Kuppykakes, a level 80 fury warrior on the Alexstrasza Server. Brian sacrificed many a cold Maine Night to achieve this prowess, and has recently retired from his account, ending a two year love affair with the World of Warcraft. Over winter break, Austin's next door neighbor, a Yale Alum, gave Brian this Whalerknits Yale Sweater from the mid 80's. Made in the USA, damn right!

I love the details of this sweater, like the length of the cuff.

Brian being Brian.

After Graduating in May, Brian wants to apply his quirky creativeness to a career in interior design. I am sure Brian and his Yale Sweater will have an interesting and fruitful journey. I look forward to hearing about his exploits and am ready for a wrestling rematch whenever.

Here are some more links, Brian Kupke and His Yale Sweater (Picasa), Brian Kupke Shooting From the Hip (Vimeo),

Barns From Maine

I love Maine barns. Here is a collection of some of my favorite from the last three weeks. All are available in 21-megapixel downloads on my Picasa page. Have a nice weekend and try to find a barn.

Here are some more links,
More from Route 137 (Picasa),
Houses Down East (Picasa),
New England Barns (ART),
Red, White and Blue (Picasa).

Red, White and Blue

Melting snow in central Maine exposes a new set of colors. No longer do whites and grays dominate the landscape. Red, white and blue are back.

I spotted this barn on the side of Route 137, and was captivated the by the contrasts between the tan of the recently exposed grass, the rich red of the barn and seemingly endless blues and whites of the sky.

Central Maine farmland.

The full spectrum of colors; tan grass, red barn, silver roof and blue sky.

Here are some more links,
Red, White, and Blue (Picasa).

Skipping Stones

Skipping stones is an inherently frivolous and boyish pastime. As a child, I remember the frustration of learning how to skip stones and the eventual excitement when I got a stone to skip three times. Regardless of where I go, skipping stones brings me to a familiar place. The challenge of finding the perfect rock and perfect stretch of beach and throwing the perfect toss consumes my attention and I forget where I am. I focus on how many skips I can get.

On Friday, my dad and I found the perfect stretch of beach on the Maine coast and skipped stones for an hour.

Good stones are an obvious necessity. This beach was littered with palm sized pieces of slate.

The weather was perfect; minimal wind interference and warm enough that you felt the rush of being outside without gloves for the first time this year.

The perfect toss.

After skipping stones for an hour, my dad grabbed a piece of grass and started chewing on it like Huck Finn. I guess being a boy has more to do with a state of mind or attitude than your age.

Here are some more links,
Skipping Stones with My Dad (Picasa),
Skipping Stones with my Dad (Vimeo),
Watching a Rock Skip (Vimeo).