Hotdogger Blog

Afloat on a boat. I'm a poet, don't you know it?

Tis a proven scientific fact that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  Therefore, the Northwest Hotdoggers decided to save a few hours of driving by putting WEENR on a ferry from Silverdale, Washington to Whidbey Island.

Many children assume that the Wienermobile can fly. Though they are incorrect in that assessment, they would be pleased to know that the Wienermobile has happily floated across a sizable body of water.

Both WEENR and the Hotdoggers appreciated our little break from being on the road.  We felt like sea-faring Vikings who conquered an expansive ocean (though the Puget Sound in Washington is technically an inlet).

Texas natives. Solidarity.

Big 12 alumni. More solidarity.

Understandably, I wish the final outcome of the game had been more favorable, but I still had a tremendous time in Pasadena.  Despite my team’s loss, I still got to arrive at the National Championship Game in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile! I’m almost certain that I’m the only person who has ever gotten to do that.

Anaheim, CA - Mmmk and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the upcoming holiday season than by spending a day at arguably the happiest place on earth - Disneyland!  The entire park was decked with holly, among other festive things.

MmmK and I spent the entire day there.  We were having such a good time, we didn’t even notice the hours fly by until it got dark! Check out Sleeping Beauty’s Castle lit up at nighttime!

Pretty fancy.

Though I had not been to Disneyland in over a decade, the happiness in the air felt palpable and oddly familiar.  Turns out Disneyland and the Wienermobile have a lot in common - they’re both fun; they both revive fond memories of our youth; and most importantly, when visiting either the amusing park or the amusing vehicle, one can’t help but smile profusely.

We started at Fisherman’s Wharf and ended up in Sausalito, roughly eight exhausting, bun-busting miles later.  It’s safe to say that we took an extremely scenic kraut.

Phase one. Before the bridge.

Phase 2. On the bridge.

Phase 3. After the bridge. Success!

Our liberating bike ride across the bridge was refreshing and rewarding, but I have to admit that I quite enjoyed hopping behind the wheel of the Wienermobile again.  After all, the Wienermobile gets us to our destinations quicker and doesn’t require us to wear dorky helmets.

The entire town was hopping with excited fans and MmmK and I had a great time exploring the Oregon campus and infamously loud Autzen Stadium.

Hotdoggers posing in front of Oregon's relish and mustard-colored football stadium. Looks good enough to eat!

We also decided that WEENR should participate in the fun and fanfare so we decked him out in Oregon’s relish and mustard school colors!

WEENR sporting Oregon Duck colored decor

After an intense four quarters, Ducks were victorious over the OSU Beavers and the presence of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile gave everyone in Eugene yet another reason to smile and celebrate.

WEENR chillin at Safeway in Klamath Falls

The sky's the limit!

The entire Klamath Falls community organized to contribute to this great cause. The KLAD Wake Up Crew, the doggone DJ’s from the local radio station, even broadcast live from a cherry picker and refused to come down until they raised 120 tons of food for the food bank.

Besides making people smile and handing out wiener whistles , the Hotdoggers wanted to make a franktastic contribution of our own.

Behold the Frank Bank!  MmmK and I presented the food bank with this piggy bank shaped like the Wienermobile to help raise donations for the canned food drive.  Over $250 were put into the Frank Bank in the two hours the Hotdoggers were at Safeway. Hot dog!

A frank bank for donations benefiting the food bank!

Furthermore, the Hotdoggers made yet another contribution to the Klamath County Food Bank.  MmmK and I filled a shopping cart with a delicious non-perishable Kraft Macaroni & Cheese! Yummy!

A shopping cart filled with Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Delicious.

Being a Texas native, words such as “winter” or “snow” are completely foreign concepts to me.  I’ve seen the white, powdery dust a few times in my life.  Namely, when I watch the Winter Olympics or the occasional Christmas movie.

Therefore, you can imagine my excitement when I saw mountains, trees and rooftops blanketed in sparkling, white snow when MmmK and I visited Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon.  Known for its clarity and deep blue color, Crater Lake is one of the nation’s most breathtaking attractions.

This incredible snow-covered view of Crater Lake gave us the chills, literally and figuratively!

Two chilly dogs shivering in their buns!

I give two enthusiastic numb thumbs up to Crater Lake National Park.  That place is pretty cool.  Ha!

It’s not easy keeping in touch with other Hotdoggers.  The bonds of friendship that adhere us are strong and steadfast, but living in different regions and time zones makes ketchin’ up tricky.  Today, Atta-Dog Adam and I found an unconventional way of spending time together in spite of the sizeable distance between us.

Though separated by over a thousand miles, Atta-Dog Adam and I were faced with a similar dilemma. Equally excited about watching the Mizzou vs. Texas football game on Saturday evening, we were equally crushed when we discovered that the west coast wasn’t broadcasting the game in either Santa Barbara, California or Yakima, Washington (our respective locations).

But when there’s a will, there’s a way! Being the resourceful individuals that we are, we found a way to watch the game online.  Furthermore, we found a way to watch it together!  Even better!

Atta-Dog and I video chatted online while simultaneously watching our college teams duke it out.  Here’s a screen shot of the two of us, wearing our school colors in the privacy of our different hotel rooms.  What a fun way to ketchup with friends!  Even when they’re far away.

Mizzou Tiger Atta-Dog Adam and UT Longhorn A-Dog Alison simultaneously watching the Mizzou vs. Texas football game from two different locations. The image is kind of blurry, but you can see the score perfectly.

Occasions like this just prove that distance can’t come between the most franktastic of friends.  Secondly, Missouri and Texas should be proud to have such devoted alumni representing their alma mater in such remote, far away locations.

Typically, one would think that most people dress their dogs with condiments and toppings.  On the contrary, many people literally dress their dogs in sweater vests, Snuggies and even elaborate costumes. Check out this snazzy little chihuahua I spotted in Seattle!

Hot dog! It's a doggone pirate!

This silly dog gave me a great idea for my own Halloweenie costume…

A Hotdogger disguised as a menacing pirate for Halloweenie

After eating hot dogs smothered in sauerkraut and diced onions, it is only sensible to chew on a refreshing piece of peppermint gum.

I had never seen anything quite like this Wall of Gum in Seattle, Washington.

Thousands of pieces of previously chewed gum. Not your typical outdoor decor.

This colorful and impressive display of previously chewed gum is over 10 years in the making.  Contributors from across the globe have added to this unconventional tourist attraction.

MmmK and I were understandably grossed-out by this spectacle, but at the same time, slightly intrigued, which is why we made our own contributions to this odd phenomenon.