Thursday, June 5, 2014

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

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

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!

Friday, February 14, 2014

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!