Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Taking Things for Granted........


My last post “So Much to be Thankful for……..” talked about many of the things Barb and I are thankful for but don’t necessarily take for granted. This subject of this post was brought on by a recent package I received from one of my sisters.
There were a lot of things that I took for granted prior to full-timing; never ending water supplies,  sewer systems, electricity (or clean electricity), freezer space……. The list goes on. Over the past 8 months I have begun to realize and appreciate these things and adapt accordingly. I guess I knew that these things would be different when we hit the road but until we actually experienced it we did not fully appreciate it.

One thing I was not expecting was the fact that I am not able to get some of my food staples where ever we are! Growing up in the Midwest all my life you get used to certain foods being available at all times. No I am not talking about Lutefisk (yuck) or Swedish Meatballs (yum) Lefse (yum). I am talking about things you should be able to get at any grocery store. The three that have turned my world upside down the most are (in order of importance) Western salad dressing, Townhouse crackers and Hormel Chili!
Would you believe I have not been able to find Western dressing west of the Dakotas?!?! Seriously, it is “Western” dressing, and not available out west! Townhouse crackers……could not find them in Canada last summer, had to have them imported by friends that were coming up. Hormel chili has been hit and miss, sometimes I find it, sometimes I don’t. I get the fact that Hormel is a Minnesota company and may not be found out of that area, but the other two?

So, a big “Thank  you” to my sister Judy who sent me 10 bottles of Western dressing in a USPS Priority Box! I don’t even want to tell you what each of those bottles cost, but it is totally worth it.
 
The flipside of this situation is that we get to experience new foods that I would have never tried before. I wrote about my first experience with Fleischkuechle in North Dakota and my food horizons continue to be expanded.  I am what most would call a picky eater so getting me to try new things is quite a feat but out here in Utah I have been introduced to the fine art of Sushi dining. Now sushi is available in the Midwest but not as prevalent as it is out here. We have been having Sushi about once a week and I am even an accomplished chopsticker now!

I would be love to hear what food experiences other have had when they first started full-timing, feel free to comment on some of your biggest surprises below.
This week we have ben spending a lot of time with the grandkids, holiday programs, tree lighting events or just visits and spending time with them. Next week we may head down to Lake Mead for a few days.....stay tuned!

10 comments:

  1. I was also surprised to find how different food could be in different regions of the country. For example, I have never heard of Western Dressing!! :) One big thing I missed last winter was NYS pizza. Yum. Something new I discovered last year was boiled custard and I love sausage gravy and biscuits. More yum. However, most people down here haven't even heard of a hot turkey sandwich. Lots of differences.

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    1. Never heard of a hot turkey sandwich? That is just un-American! On the other hand I have never heard of boiled custard.

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  2. We miss some things, but we slowly wrap our heads around doing without them. We do tend to try new things that we wouldn't normally try at home. It's all part of the adventure! Don't forget to hit a Triple D when you get the chance.

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    1. We have been severely lacking on the DDD's, we need to make that more of a priority!

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  3. Hi, Jim and Barb -- I have never heard of Western dressing either, but when I see it, i will try it! Growing up in Texas, my answer is always going to be "Tex-Mex" but you can't ship that in a USPS box. ;-)

    I saw your comment on Box Canyon Mark's site, and just came over to tell you that I had seen your blog and had been following your Utah travels. I actually watched your video of Angel's Landing the night before I attempted the hike. Your Go-Pro camera is exactly the reason I decided I was going for it! I thought "Man, if that guy can go up that trail while filming, surely I can get myself up there!" ;-) So thanks for the sneak peak that helped me get my courage up!
    Suzanne
    www.taketothehighway.com

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    1. Thanks Suzanne, I am glad that we could help in part of your journey. Now you can cross Angels Landing off your "What's Next" list! I added your blog to our "must read" list so we can see what trouble you get yourself into next!

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  4. Salerno butter cookies - every time we go back to Illinois we stock up LOL

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  5. Love those cookies but have not had them forever!

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  6. I just saw a comment on Watsons Wander that you were going to be in Gulf Shores SP in AL in Jan. We are trying to get a reso there for Jan 4 - 11. Will you be there then? Looks like a great place. I hope I didn't wait too long to get in.

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    1. We have reservations for January 28th, 29th and 30th. We are coming across from Arizona and made reservations at all of our east coast locations as they seemed like they were getting booked up. If you are coming across Texas in mid-January let us know maybe we can meet up!

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