Roastin

 Recently I ticked off one more goal on my bucket list. I had a full fledged pig roast. Now I am by no means a cooking enthusiast and I also have no determination to be one. However, most everyone, at some time, wants to roast an entire pig. So I did just that. We ordered a 47 lb pig from the local farmers market, picked it up, let it soak in brine water, seasoned it, lashed it to a spit, sewed it up and threw it over a fire! Not a very complex process altogether, but than again it's not a very complex event. All together the cooking took 6 and a half hours of sitting near by and rotating the beast every 15 minutes. by the end it was one huge, crispy, delicious looking piece of pork. Next up, carving; the only tool fit for the job? a bone saw. and some very sharp knives. By the end we had three trays filled with meat and one with various piggy part. Although I will say it wasn't the most delicious animal I have ever tasted it is the experience that counts and it sure was fun.                                                                          

so we must start.

tenderize it!

sewing her up!

6 1/2 hours of that.

letting the juices redistribute.

bone saw! we had to start somehow.

never complete without dogs

that is a rib cage

NAHBS

         Well I might as well try and get this blog rolling. There is a lot of things I would like to back log, however I might as well start with the more recent events first. Just this past weekend (March 14th - 16th) I drove down to Charlotte North Carolina for the 2014 North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Especially so for people who are bicycle nerds like myself, this show is amazing. There are people attending not only from North America, but around the world. This year a group even made the trek from the Czech Republic. While quite a few people showed up from Japan. Not to mention others from Canada and all over the United States. Quality outshone all other things, every single bike there had been made by hand, with care and effort by individuals. As such some were simply functional, high quality bicycles. While others were mobile pieces of art.
Such as this hand painted bike from Feska Cycles.












Or this beauty by Yu Takei of Sunshine cycles. (photos courtesy of Chris King Precision Components)

These are only a tiny sample of what all was there. Even after spending three days in the conference hall I missed a great many bikes.
          However, I got to see many up close as I did much more than attend. I volunteered. It turned out to be the best possible way to see the show. Not only did I get to see the bikes up close but I got to handle many of them and met many builders in much more personal settings. Not only did I get to interact with the bikes, but the other volunteers I worked with ended up being one of the coolest groups of people I've met for a long time. (photos courtesy of Weldon Weaver Photography)

many of us along with the photographer I was assisting, Weldon Weaver (on the far right)

somehow we pulled that off, somehow.

fun times at the after party!

The entire show was an amazing time. Now I get to try and go again! Next year it is going to be just down the road in Louisville, Kentucky! I'm sure I'll see some of you there!

Oh, I also spent to whole time sleeping in my van and got to borrow a shower in a friends hotel room. It was actually really fun! it also saved me quite a bit of money in hotel costs and on parking!

-Dan McMahon.

One of the first things to know about me is that I am a bicycle nerd. I don't ride as much or as often as many cyclists. But I love bicycles and what they can do for people and their surroundings. As such I work as a bicycle mechanic in a local family owned shop. Jim (the owner) and Jim's bicycle shop have been around for nearly 40 years. Twice as long as I've been alive. Because of this our shop has gained a reputation among some as doing anything related to the road. From the top of the line, brand new carbon fiber road bikes, to the restoration of a Vietnam war era pedicab. It is a super fun place to be just because of the sheer volume and variety of things that come through. Soon I'll have photos of some of the things I just mentioned. But until then words will have to suffice!

Done with one adventure and on to more.

For those that have read this blog before, thanks for looking again. To those who haven't, Hello! My name is Dan McMahon. I had created this blog to document my sister and I's bicycle ride across the country. It was an amazing trip but alas it could only last so long. Since then I have traveled to other corners of the country in an effort to see what all is out there. Finally I have ended back at home where I'll stay, awaiting college in August. Until than it's whatever is interesting! I'll be posting stories of what I have done and what I will be doing! So if you think this is a cool enough adventure than tag along!

Final

           Hello one and all. First I would like to apologize deeply for the tardiness of this final post. It is in part because I have been busy, part because I have been slacking and in part because I have just been having trouble reflecting on all that has happened through out the trip. However I will now try to sum up some of the ideas and themes that have, at least in part, come to me since the end (or the beginning.)

           As I say to everybody our ride across the country was amazing. Every day was a new journey, always something or someone different. We moved at a slow pace and yet scenes could change in the blink of an eye. Oregon changes from moist heavy greens into the pines and plains of the lowland deserts. Virginia varies from mountains as far as the eye can see to suburbs and civilization stretching across the land.

We have certainly been in the gear known as gooooooooo for awhile now. But it has finally paid off, tomorrow will be the last day of our near three month journey. However I will lament about that later, for now I am only concerned with what we have done lately and what you have not seen. From our last update we have battled endless hills which have been anywhere from exactly what we have expected, hard. To something we did not expect, really really hard. The one that put us down the most was a two or three mile grade rising at a minimum of 10 percent. Many other hills were quite harrowing but overall we made it through the Appalachians without too many scratches. Along the way we met many more interesting and nice people, got to see some local music, cruised along the blue ridge parkway, slept in the house of the legendary Cookie Lady (June Curry) and now are back with our parents for the last two days of riding. We also separated from one friend who had to finish two days earlier and to do so put in four days ranging anywhere from 90 to 120 miles. 

memory tats! Mom almost fell for that one.

Ben loves his mom thaaaaat much

Dogs!

peach doughnuts! they tasted like... doughnuts

we debated on a moat as well but decided it would trap us in, not them out

swinging bridge, no more than three people, how about four and their loaded bicycles?

Mary and Frank were on their way back from DC

all of that is memorabilia from bicycle tourists, dating back to '76

it keeps going

Mountain, i say to you: I AM GODZILLA, YOU ARE TOKYO

Shenadoah valley from on high

and going

As weird as it may be the first words that crossed my mind as I saw our first hill this morning were as follows: Gooooooooooooood Moooooooooorning Aaaaaaaaaaaaappalachia! We aren't even close to the heart of the Appalachian mountain range yet the hills have started to grow faster than the Cudzu vines that have begun to surround us. All the same we are keeping up our average miles and our spirits. The last few days in particular have helped as we got to see some familiar faces. On Sunday our parents made the three hour trek down to meet us and than drive us to Mammoth caves. Once there we were met by our cousin Kate and went to explore the beautiful caverns! Along with our parents came the dogs and lots of food! We survived off the leftovers for the next day and a half. Two days later and at the end of a 90 mile barrage of rollers we were greeted by even more companions from home! Mary and Frank from next door came down and treated us to a wonderful dinner at the Boone Tavern in good 'ol Berea Kentucky. As we pedal on Maura has to stick close as she just lost her 3rd phone this trip. Just like Maura. Well we have many hills and even more miles to cover. We will see you all soon and are excited to be home!