Flu and What to Do, Election

I have just heard some interesting information on preventing flu. Dr. Tim Johnson who is Medical Editor on Good Morning America was talking about the things you can do to prevent flu. First, if you can, get a flu shot. We have been having them for a few years now. I personally am not convinced of their benefit as they are made from previous flu strains and who knows what strain will mutate and produce a new one each winter. He also mentioned washing hands which is a major way of preventing the spread of flu germs. When asked how long you should wash your hands he said sing Happy Birthday - twice! Another thing is to stay at least 3 ft. away from anyone who appears to be coughing and sneezing and to have flu and his final comment was not to cough and sneeze into your hands but into your sleeve!!!! I would never have thought of that and I must admit it sounds rather disgusting to me, but I can understand the logic of it. Better to be sure you carry some Kleenex tissues with you at all times. He also stated flu shots are available in the States right now, not sure if they are in Canada yet. In a couple of weeks, Matt and I are going to do something we have never done before, we are going to work at a polling booth as Information Officers. We have to go to different booths unfortunately, but it should be fun. I didn't realise if you take on such a job, its an all day affair. You have to take lunch and supper with you and anything you want to drink. If you are lucky there may be a kitchen and you can microwave something, but that isn't guaranteed of course. We have to go for training next week. This was suggested to us by a friend on the night of my birthday party, funnily enough, so we decided to look into it. I gather they only take seniors for the jobs as you have to prove you are in receipt of Canada Pension. If they take one look at us there won't be much doubt. Our election is actually on October 14th, much quicker than our friends down south. Now I have to figure out what I am going to take in the way of food and drink as well as "in what", I have bags big enough for one meal, but two? We could have taken another job at the poll booth, but a) it involved writing and in my case, my writing is appalling these days and b) it means staying to count the votes which could last well into the night if something went wrong. I think after working 9:30 to 9:30 we won't want to stay longer. Yes, we do get paid for this. We collected Matt's pictures of Manitoulin yesterday, he has some good ones. Another one of me on the slide at the beach. I notice no-one commented on those pictures!! He has a couple of nice shots of Gore Bay and some good ones of the Bridal Veil Falls, I will have to scan them later and share them with you tomorrow. Meanwhile here is another recipe from the LCBO's Food and Drink. Asian Barbecued Pork with Sweet Tart Sauce This spicy, hone sweet and citrus tart pork roast is best served with rice. It can be served either warm or cold. The meat is so tender that you can make superb pulled pork sandwiches by pulling it apart with a fork. Servings 6 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. rib end pork roast off the bone Marinade 3 Tbs soy sauce 1/4 C hoisin sauce 2 Tbs Sugar 1 tsp 5-spice powder 1 Tbs sambal oelek (any good oriental store) 2 Tbs vegetable oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar Garnish 1/4 C slivered green onion Lime wedges Place pork in a large baking dish and set aside. Combine soy, hoisin, sugar, 5 spice, sambal oelek, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and pour over pork making sure it is well coated. Marinate pork over night or for at least 6 hours, refrigerated. Preheat oven to 300 °F. place pork in a covered baking dish along with the marinade and 1/2 Cup water. Cover and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning every hour and basting until pork is fork tender. Remove from oven and let pork cool in juices. If you can refrigerate overnight it is much easier to remove the fat. Remove pork from juices and skim fat from sauce. Add balsamic vinegar to baking dish and bring sauce to a boil over high heat. Boil for 7 to 10 mins. or until juices have reduced and thickened slightly. Thinly slice pork, coat with sauce, pour over rice and scatter with green onions. Serve with lime wedges. Have a great day.