Albany, Minnesota — Hamanda and I were invited to a BBQ in Albany, MN and as I jumped out of the Wienermobile the family (mostly adults, might I add!) came running out of the house to see the 27-foot hot dog. They were all giddy and happy, so were the two kids.
Mid-handshake, as I introduced myself, one woman paused and said “Wow, you’re normal!”
Apparently it was a risk they were willing to take when inviting two Hotdoggers over to their house for dinner; the possibility that we may, in fact, be weird!

I was shocked after I realized that she wasn’t expecting me to be normal, but then was flattered that I had already made such a positive impact in one handshake!
I’m glad I’m “surprising” people with my normal-ness as I travel this country of ours, because my Hotdogger life is just so… “normal!”

It’s normal to see Kool-Aid Man and Cheese-A-Saurus Rex in your side review mirrors, right?

Rochester, Minnesota — We had a two day drive from Michigan to Minnesota and in the middle of it all we stopped in Rochester, MN to give a family a ride.
This was a special ride for Amanda, my partner, and I. And it was my chance to give back.
My grandfather’s sister Eleanor had ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and passed away–very gracefully, she was a strong woman– not too long ago. I was given the opportunity, with this stop in Rochester, to give a family a break dealing with the same disease.
Ann is the mother of four. She has a 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old triplets–all adorable blondes! She currently has ALS. Her friend requested our presence at their fundraiser for the family and worked hard to get us there. As the Wienermobile pulled into the grocery store we were amazed to see the turnout. There were hundreds of people there in support of Ann and her family.
We were just part of the crowd.
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