How’s the old saying go? It takes a hot dog to know one? Well, I did the math on that and found that I sure do know my fair share of hot dogs, including one on wheels that has become a national icon known as the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile!

I first laid eyes on the Wienermobile in July when Hotdoggers, Dyl-icious Dylan and Ketchup Kylie rode into town to do some grocery store appearances and participate in the Kroger 200 NASCAR Nationwide race at Lucas Oil Raceway. But it was a chance encounter that really led to a great relationship between us “dogs.”

Me, the Blue II Mobile, & Wienermobile on a warm summer evening.

Fellow blogger and Butler grad, Amy Magan had connected with the Hotdoggers over the summer and a meeting was arranged with Amy, husband and Butler grad Mike, and of course their lovable kiddos. During the Magan’s voyage in the Wienermobile, they naturally guided the Hotdoggers toward the Butler campus one summer evening.

As luck would have it, Pops and I were present for their arrival and we had great fun getting our own tour of the Wienermobile. Photos from that encounter are up on my Flickr page.

Little did we know that it would be just a couple days later and our paths would cross again at Lucas Oil Raceway for the Kroger 200 NASCAR Nationwide race. Given Kroger’s strong relationship with Butler, I was invited as a special guest to their suite and to serve in the receiving line during driver introductions.

Riding shotgun in the Wienermobile!

Meanwhile, the Wienermobile was on hand, because well, Kroger sells Oscar Mayer hotdogs! Oh, and the Wienermobile got to participate in the race parade lap which was cool, because I got to ride along for that as well.

This ride-along was actually crucial to my well-being as the heat index was well over 100 degrees for the race and the Wienermobile served as a air conditioned oasis. Air conditioning is a bulldog’s life blood, so I’ll always be grateful for not just the lift, but the climate controlled air as well.

Needless to say, it was through all of the aforementioned experiences that I formed a relationship with Dyl-icious Dylan and Ketchup Kylie. So getting together when they swung back through Indy was a foregone conclusion by that point.

The Wienermobile parked outside Hinkle Fieldhouse

Only this time when the pair brought the fantastic frank into town, the leaves had turned, the temperature was less than half of what it was in July, but they still provided refuge for me, albeit from a cold, driving rain and not a hot, zapping sun.

No matter the conditions, it was fun to hear that famous Oscar Mayer jingle and hang out with my fellow Hotdoggers. Just driving around campus on a cold, wet and dreary October Tuesday, we still brought great joy to people which was easily seen on smiling faces. And while doing this, it dawned on me just how much me, the Wienermobile and the Hotdoggers have in common.  Even Dyl-icious Dylan blogged about it this past summer.

So what do the Weinermobile and I have in common? Well, I’ll tell you…

1. We both LOVE Oscar Mayer hotdogs, of course!
2. We seem to be pretty good with the social media, including Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc.
3. When we roll down the road, we bring great smiles to people’s faces.
4. People love to get their picture taken with us.
5. We both get bathed quite often and require regular maintenance.
6. We operate under the care of “handlers.”
7. Considered media hounds, we love the camera, spotlight and finding our way into the news.
8. We seem to both hangout with a lot of college-aged kiddos.
9. “How did you get this job?” is our most commonly asked question.
10. And last, but not least…I’m Butler’s mascot, the Wienermobile is Oscar Mayer’s mascot, but we’re both America’s Dogs!

My thanks to Dyl-icious Dylan and Ketchup Kylie for taking the time to come back to Butler’s campus, for coming back to specifically to see me, and for spending time with The Butler Collegian staff.

I would encourage our next crop of Butler grads to look into the Oscar Mayer Hotdogger program. I’m proud of all of the Butler grads, but you know that my chest would really swell for a Butler grad to land a job behind the wheel of the Wienermobile!

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

P.S. Oh, I almost forgot, we had a little fun shooting some video aboard the Wienermobile. Stay tuned for that!