30 Ties - Days 24-30, One Last Week of Ties in Whitethorn, CA

Well, it's surely been too long since I updated the blog. I left the blog on Day 23, a picture of me driving up to Humboldt County for New Year's in the Wilderness.

(Note: while writing this post I am listening to Lights Off by The Dears. To also listen to the song, click here (link will open up in a new window).

In this week-long, blow-out post, I finish my journey of wearing 30 ties for 30 days. I couldn't think of a better place to complete the journey, nor with better company. Humboldt County is among those places truly blessed by time. Aliyah and Chris are extraordinary people creating a remarkable life for themselves.

I hope these pictures highlight the transformation I have undergone from day 1 to day 30. After losing my job and feeling utterly lost, my job (and soul) searching has since given me a refreshed outlook. I've decided I'm not yet ready to give up the law, though I need more than a paper pushing, firm litigation position. In short, now that I've figured out how to take my ties out of the office, I must somehow figure out how to do the same with my legal career.

Day 24 - Hanging out in the cabin by the fire with Dexter the dog.

Day 25 - Looking for salmon along the Mattole River on a rainy day.

Day 26 - We must've found the right altitude, searching for the coveted Matsutake mushroom.

Day 27 - Taking a New Year's Eve dip in the freezing but unforgettable Mattole River.

Day 28 - Warming up by the iron stove in the Honey Hut with my sister, Aliyah. Let it be known that Aliyah can start a fire wicked easy.

Day 29 - Playing catch with Dexter.

Day 30 - Annual kayak down the Mattole River, wearing a wonderfully whimsical South Park tie on the last day of 30 Ties for 30 Years.

With love and appreciation, Ryan.

30 Ties - Day 23

Driving up to Humboldt for New Year's 2009! On Day 23, it was exciting to get out of dodge (i.e., Oakland) and drive up to Humboldt County. This would be my second annual new year's trip to visit Jim and Gail, extraordinary people living along the Mattole River near Whitethorn, CA.

I also really enjoyed the drive with my sister Aliyah, in her trooper-of-a-car appropriately named The Metro. Good times were had this evening along the windy, beautiful highway. The highlight of the trip, or at least the most memorable, was an abandoned toilet strewn in an open field just off the highway. The toilet was primed for a roadside pee-and-go... I'll leave it at that.

The picture for Day 22 shows Aliyah and me enjoying our drive to Humboldt to spend the week among the beautiful redwoods.

30 Ties - Day 22

Oh man, Dexter is a brilliant show. What a great ending to this season! Watching Dexter was made even better on Day 22, the day after Christmas, with good company, tea, chocolate, and a blue checkered tie from the Perry Ellis Portfolio Collection.

Thanks friends and family for the enjoyable Christmas festivities, Ryan.

30 Ties - Day 21

Good ol' Christmas Day. For the first time, our family was invited to a Christmas dinner with the Belli family (our soon-to-be in laws, a la Matt and Melissa's engagement!). Not only was the food great--having raviolis on Christmas Day was a tasty surprise--but the Belli family graciously survived the chaos that is the Cline/Walton/Yablonsky clan. Rumor has it they may have actually enjoyed themselves despite our unavoidable awkwardness. For instance, it was demanded more than once that John, Melissa's brother, relive his heroic war story during the middle of dinner (which he did, with much grace.)

But such are the holidays: fat and family. And such is life. Better to go with the flow than to embrace ideal yet impossible realities. It's more fun this way anyway. You never know what will happen next.

The picture for day 21, of 30 ties for 30 years, shows me with my brother Ian. Most awesomely Ian, repeating the trek he took for Thanksgiving, took a greyhound bus up for the festivities. Ian seamlessly smoothed the otherwise unconventional family meet and greet with his lovely personality and timely jokes (thanks Ian).

With love and respect, Ryan.

30 Ties - Day 20

I'm back from my week long hiatus in the beautiful King's Range, Humboldt County, California (tie pictures and posts for each day of the trip to come!)

But for Day 20, the highlight was Christmas Eve tennis with a tie. It was a beautiful day in the rwc (Redwood City). To burn a few calories before the eventual onslaught of deliciously prepared dishes-a caloric smorgasbord-Dylan, Rob, Aliyah, and I played some tennis. The game was not as intense as in the past, yet nevertheless great to get out there on such a nice day.

As you can see, the tie for Day 20 is a smart, shiny brown tie, great for those sunny days outside.

With thanks, Ryan.

P.s., over the next week or so, I'll still have limited internet access. I'll plan best I can to keep the posts coming.

30 Ties - Day 19

Christmas present shopping with the brother, wearing a green and black martini tie. On the eve of x-mas eve, Rob and I checked out Berkeley's Street Fair on Telegraph as well as Amoeba Records. I was looking for a $30 secret santa present but didn't find anything. The fair featured nothing too extraordinary, mostly crafts. Boring. But I enjoyed the walk outside with the brother; and with gaudy white sunglasses and a rad martini tie. Awesome.

Merry X-Mas & with Thanks, Ryan.

30 Ties - Day 18

Last day hangin' up in Placerville at The Cozmic Cafe. We did something entirely different today, we played Uno. We of course also played another game of Settler's of Catan, but this time actually at the cafe. To finish the trifecta of games, we cajoled our mom into playing a game of scrabble. Chris won, as he is accustomed to doing. That smart bastard.

It was a long journey back to the bay area. Chris, Aliyah, and I hit the road in her beat-up old Metro. We pulled out my laptop and watched a couple Discovery Channel episodes of I Shouldn't Be Alive. A nail biting show reliving the most amazing wilderness survival stories. The stories are most often set in the midst of the Alaskan Wilderness, understandably.

Thanks friends, Ryan.