Frags on wheels

Today's installment of Friday Fragments is inspired by wheels. That's been the theme of the week around here this week.

First, there was the Suburban we rented to go to Amish country last weekend. I only drove it for about 30 minutes, but I did not enjoy it. I'm too short to drive something that big. Felt like I was driving a semi. BUT...I did love riding in it. There was so much room. Everyone had plenty of space. There was no "she touched me" or "I'm squished" whining. I could get used to that, as long as Mike does all the driving.

Then on Wednesday, we got to spend 4 hours tooling around Indianapolis in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Frankly, it was bunderful! (I know, so bad!) I wonder if I can get one of those from CarMax?

Last night, we went to Lucas Oil Raceway where they were racing stock cars and midget cars (apparently the word "midget" is socially acceptable in reference to automobiles). I am really NOT a racing fan, but we had a great time. Going to the race track is like going to the movies with someone you don't like. It's ok because you don't have to talk to each other. I need to make an appointment to get a hearing aid now.

And next week, I'm taking some friends for a limo-chauffered girls' day, courtesy of one of my tourism contacts!

Finally, in the category of "spinning my wheels," I have had a heck of a time getting a uniform skirt for Annie to wear to high school. It's a long story that she probably doesn't want me to share all the details about, but let's just say that $45, 3 yards of fabric and umpteen phone calls and e-mails later, she is still skirtless. At this point, she might be showing up on the first day of school in a plaid sari.

In need of more fragments? Wheel yourself on over to Mrs. 4444s's place to hear what she's got to say today!

I wish I rode the Oscar Mayer wiener (and I did!)

The e-mail came from Dyl-icious Dylan, asking if I wanted to hop aboard the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and show him around Indianapolis. Frankly, he didn't have to ask me twice! I told him I would relish the opportunity.

Dylan and his partner, Ketchup Kylie, are in Indy for the week and had some down time. They were looking for someone to introduce them a bit to the city. So Dylan googled "Indianapolis bloggers" and came up with me. Hot diggity dog!

It turns out that Kylie was feeling a little under the bun, so Dylan pulled up to my house by himself. There is nothing quite like seeing the Wienermobile driving down your street.

The boys wasted no time running out of the house and taking their seats in the hot dog on wheels. I'm just glad Clifford the big red dog wasn't around to chase down this treat. Dylan, being a very conscientious Hot Dogger, insisted everyone buckle their "meatbelts" before we headed out. I decided to ride "shotbun" so I could help Dylan navigate our way to our first stop.

We headed to a nearby shopping center where Annie and about 29 other teenagers were due to return from a day of service at a camp for kids with disabilities. You should have seen how excited these kids were to see the Wienermobile, get Wiener Whistles and stickers that said "I saw it!"

I'm afraid, for these kids, any other surprise just won't cut the mustard after they've experienced the Wienermobile. And it wasn't just the service day kids. People came out of stores, pulled up in their cars, and followed us into the parking lot just to get close to the legendary Wienermobile (which is actually one of 6 Wienermobiles on the road around the country). 

We had so much fun spreading hot dog smiles that we decided to take the smiles across town to our friends at Joy's House, an adult day community. For security reasons, the guests at Joy's House couldn't come outside to visit the Wienermobile. Instead, Dylan pulled up along the dining room windows, so the guests could relish the view from there. Then we all got out and went inside to visit with the guests and hand out Wiener Whistles and I saw it! stickers.

Of course, we took some time for a few photo ops:

Laura & Tina at Joy's House -- What you might not be able to tell from this picture is that Tina was about to strangle Robbie if he blew his Wiener Whistle one more time.

Once she took the shotbun seat, we weren't sure if we were going to be able to get Tina out of the Wienermobile. 

And despite the fact that the heat was beginning to ketchup with Robbie, we piled out of the HDOW (hot dog on wheels) to pose for a family picture. I'm pretty sure I'm going to send this one out in our Christmas cards.

By the time we were wrapping things up at Joy's House, we were getting pretty hungry. Despite the fact that you're driving around in a giant hot dog -- did you know the Wienermobile is 60 hot dogs long and 24 hot dogs high? -- there's actually nothing to eat on the Wienermobile. So, where do you take the Hot Dogger who is graciously driving you around town in a grilled fiberglass hotdog? To a hamburger joint, of course!

After a dinner at Boogie Burger, we decided to introduce our Hot Dogger to the hottest dawgs we know -- the Butler University bulldogs.  We pulled up outside of legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse and snapped this postcard-perfect picture:

Just as we were getting ready to leave Butler, there was a knock on the side of the Wienermobile, which Dylan said is a pretty common occurrence. What was uncommon about this knock, however, was it came from the father of Butler Blue 2. They (Blue 2 and his pop) had been following our tweets and knew we were on campus. So we introduced Butler's hot dog to Dylan and the Wienermobile. Even our seasoned Hot Dogger was impressed. 

First Blue 2 checked out the Wienermobile -- that's just mustard. Blue 2 was perfectly behaved. 

Then Dylan tried out the Blue 2 mobile.

It was a mutual admiration society. 

By that time, we were all getting pretty tired. So we rolled on home and said goodbye to Dylan and the wiener on wheels. But before he drove away, Dylan left me with my very own beanie weenie -- a stuffed Wienermobile!

Of all the things I've gotten to do as a blogger (and there have been plenty), I think my afternoon in the Wienermobile has been the best yet. (Even better than flying upside down in an airplane!)

Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Dyl-icious Dylan, the Hot Dogger and Wienermobile driver.