Contact with Chaos

I picked up Contact with Chaos; the title seems to go well with my plumbing project.When I saw this in the shop, I thought "I'm not sure I'm going to like this"--as far as First Contact novels go, it'd be hard to top A Mote in God's Eye--"but you know, Mike Williamson deserves the support, so I'm going to buy it anyway."

The book is set some years after the Freehold/UN war described in Freehold and The Weapon, and tells the story of what happens when a Freehold ship discovers a planet inhabited by non-humans--apparently with a lower tech level, but I suspect some surprises are in store. I'm about two chapters in, and enjoying it.

Plumbing

As part of the Great "Getting Ready For Gwen" Cleaning And Remodeling Campaign, I foolishly agreed to change out the fixtures on the downstairs bathroom sink. In fact, I was going to do two bathrooms, but the shop only had one set of the fixtures in stock, and when I realized what I'd gotten myself into, I quickly advised them that they really didn't need to order another set on my behalf.
With trusty wrench in hand, I set off into the depths of the cabinet under the sink...no, this tale is just too epic to tell. Hacking through a stuck pipe (I used a hacksaw, so obviously I was hacking). Screwing part A into place as the manual instructed; realizing the manual really meant "put A into B, and then screw B into place" even though it never mentioned B; taking the whole thing apart. Realizing I'd get better results by looking at stuff and figuring it out on my own, rather than refer to the incompetently written installation guide. Laying on my back with a basin wrench and WD40 can. Solvent welding PVC pipe. Ah, good times. It did get done, though, functional, and no leaks at all.

Zombie Squad

If you're going to prepare for hurricanes, tidal waves, currency collapse, electromagnetic storms and epidemics, you might as well go ahead and prepare for zombies. And that means Zombie Squad : 

"Nobody knows the walking dead like Zombie Squad. With one of the toughest training programs in the business, our Zombie Extermination Specialists make up the world's premier non-stationary cadaver suppression task force."

On a more serious note, Zombie Squad's mission is "to educate the public about the importance of personal preparedness and self reliance, to increase its readiness to respond to a number of disasters such as Earthquakes, Floods or Zombie Outbreaks."

How to improve bacon

Maple-Roasted Bacon

Ingredients:
6-12 ounces sliced bacon
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bacon slices in one layer directly on a large baking sheet.

2. Cook for 10-20 minutes, until beginning to brown. 

3. Remove from oven, brush each slice with maple syrup, and return to oven, cooking for another 4-5 minutes; repeat until bacon is done to taste. 

4. Remove bacon to a rack set over another baking sheet to drain.

Books

Picked up Directive 51 by John Barnes, and The Vorkosigan Companion. I'm halfway through the Barnes one, and I have a feeling he's got a major plot twist lurking. The Vorkosigan one is because there are a couple of articles on writing in it, and since Lois Bujold is one of the very few authors on my "Buy It As Soon As The Hardback Comes Out", it might be worthwhile to see how she thinks about writing.

Spring flowers

The temperature finally crept up to reasonable bounds this weekend, and I need to get back into shape for walking, so I did three miles today. These were all flowers I saw along the roadside, no off-road detours required. Click on the pics for the larger versions.

Prickly Pear

We had a prickly pear fruit today, just as something new to try. By the time you're done peeling, there's not much inside. I'm inclined to say it tastes pink...light and sweet, something like watermelon, something like pink bubblegum, but not as strongly flavored as either of those.