Minnesota normal?

I have not been to work the last couple of days because I have had a miserable flu-like virus.  Even though my illness warranted me staying home from work, I still had a feeling of regret and dare I say shame when calling in sick to work.  Yesterday morning on my way to the local CVS to pick up my Gatorade and anti-flu medicine, there was a report on the radio that Minnesotans are rated in the top five for loyalty in the workplace.  The reporter mentioned that Minnesotans were up to six times less likely to call in sick to work.  Even though I felt like complete hell, I laughed at the little coincidence that I was hearing.

I have lived outside Minnesota for roughly four years while I was in the Army.  During this time I have noticed that people from different parts of the country are quite different in everyday social norms than Minnesotans are.  Through our class discussions, I know that several of my classmates have also lived outside Minnesota.  I'm interested in hearing about similar comparisons and the outsider's look on Minnesotans weird mannerisms.