What's "MiSsInG" in Michigan? (& Virtual Tour #3)

Since my very first venture past Colorado, I have learned that I WAS RIGHT! When we lived in Greeley, Erik and I would comment to each other that we always thought Colorado was part of "the big west," but while we lived there we suspected it was more like "the midwest." Well, after leaving Colorado and heading east, we found we were right.

Since arriving and living...and grocery shopping in Michigan, I have discovered some things that Michigan is "missing." I am sure there are more...perhaps there will be a future installment.

1. Tortillas. Ok, so they have tortillas, but they are not easily found and the variety is pathetic.

2. you can't buy stamps from the cashier at Walmart! WTC!?

3. CHEESE!!! Serioulsy? You're neighborly with Wisconsin! I realize WI is NOT Oregon, so you are not Tillamook, but you should have SOME sort of yummy cheese and you DON'T! It is that really orange-y color and that is just not natural. It sickens me. Fortunately I have found Tillamook cheese, UNfortunately it costs TWICE as much here as it does back west. :) A tear is shed.

4. Frozen Vegetables. We are total snobs about our frozen vegetables, but even bigger snobs about not eating canned vegetables. I did not think frozen vegetables would be a problem, but they are! I basically have 3 brand options, and none are special. And they do not sell "petite peas" or "white corn." Darn it.

5. Sourdough bread. This one has a funny story. One morning we ate breakfast at a Denny's and asked for sourdough bread. When they brought it, we thought it did not look like sourdough, so Erik said, "Oh, this one is supposed to be sourdough" and the waiter said, with more attitude than a Denny's waiter should be allowed to use, "That IS sourdough." Yeah, no. It is not. But then when I went grocery shopping and really struggled to find some...and when I did find something labeled "sourdough" I brought it home and it tasted like the not-sourdough bread from Denny's...my heart broke a little. We used to eat sourdough toast every morning with our eggs! We are talking staple here!

6. Front license plates. They don't have them in Michigan. We stand out like a sore thumb. That's right, we have not visited the DMV yet. Erik is happy, he thinks front license plates are silly.

7. The Stinkin' FREEZING COLD weather everyone kept telling us we would have. Cold? Yes. Colder than Greeley, CO? Heck. no.

Finally, here is virtual tour #3 (the basement):