Hotdogger Blog

A day to surprise Amanda with the Wienermobile. We first heard about Amanda’s story through a friend of her fathers, and were so touched by her strong will and courage that we had to make a special visit while in Illinois. Amanda is 13 years old and battling Pre-B Cell All Leukemia (Cancer in the blood) she was diagnosed in early February and has been fighting through it day in and day out. After meeting her, you could tell she was a fighter, such a positive young lady with a passion for life, family and her friends.

Amanda Riding Shotbun

After setting up a time to stop by with her Dad (Tim) we decided it would be much more exciting if it were kept a surprise. As we arrived to their home, out comes her Dad (Tim), Amanda, and her Mom (Amy). She had no idea the Wienermobile was coming for a visit and was completely surprised. Her face just lit up from the sight of a 27 foot long hot dog and two girl co-pilots, it was definitely a memorable experience I will forever remember. We went for a ride around the neighborhood, picked up a couple of neighbors and one of her closest friends to relish the experience. On behalf of the Midwest Team we wanted to thank you for being so strong, and staying positive through all this. It was a pleasure meeting you, and hope we can “ketchup” again whenever we are in the area.

Amanda and her family riding in WNRMBLE

Tim, Amy, Crusin’ Crystal, Amanda, Victory Dog Victoria

Amanda glowing from excitment

I love the outdoors, and The Bass Pro Shop has it all. You can literally walk around this store for hours. So while shopping for winter clothes, I got a little distracted with everything around me.

After driving the Wienermobilefor 7months, I’m looking into downsizing and investing in a Mini Cooper. So while working an event in Santa Monica, CA I was able to see a famous custom made Mini Cooper that I almost traded in for The Wienermobile.

Being so close to a tropical atmosphere and beachy area, you can’t help but notice the beautiful Birds of Paradise San Diego is known for. The beautiful flowers add a great architectural landscape to the city.

Trying to keep warm in Colorado was a little difficult so I decided to walk to a local cupcakery near our event to warm up. I found the most delicious red velvet cupcake that I took back to the Wienermobile to share with Atta-dog-Adam.

Having 2 Dachshunds of my own back in Texas, I love seeing Dachshunds and their owners come by the Wienermobile. This little guy was a trooper. He was 15 years old, and only had 3 legs.

After being in Los Angeles for so long, I decided to convince Atta-dog-Adam to take a detour through Carson so we could see the Goodyear Blimp. My eyes lit up with amazement, as we approached the launching pad. The Goodyear Pilots were just as excited to see The Wienermobile, as we were to see The Goodyear Blimp. Just like The Wienermobile it is an American icon that has been around since 1925, though there are only 3 blimps in the entire country. We had the pleasure of meeting “The Spirit of America” which is the blimp based in Carson, California which is known as a “Aerial Ambassador. We even got invited for a close look inside where I got to sit in the pilot’s chair. This experience was definitely something to relish.

Being able to hang out with the kids from a Boys and Girls club in the San Diego area was bunderful. Seeing how the Wienermobile can impact a kids afternoon is amazing. We gave tours inside the Wienermobile, and sang along for Wiener Whistles. We had a blast, we even hung out after to play ping pong and Foosball.

The Colorado Butterfly Pavilion was so much fun. Both Atta-Dog Adam and I were able to hold Rosie the tarantula, and see all the other interesting animals. The butterfly habitat had a special rain forest weather simulator to help the butterflies feel at home, so it was pretty humid. This was a great experience.

Arriving at The Colorado Butterfly Pavilion

The entire staff with The Wienermobile

Hanging out with Rosie the tarantula

Beautiful butterfly

Getting ready to take off

A butterfly hatching from it’s cocoon

Atta-Dog Adam is excited to start his own butterfly habitat

Spending a day at a local Boys and Girls Club in Phoenix, Az was truly buns of fun. Atta-dog Adam and I joined in the fun while chatting with the vibrant kids and colored pictures of the Wienermobile. The most rewarding experience of this adventure was giving back to the community and making a child’s dream come true.