El Fin

On June 17th I turned my WMB keys over to the new South Crew and flew to Chicago. I am in the process of completing a scrapbook which captures moments from my year on the road. Hopefully you'll be able to see it soon.

In mid-August I will be starting my new job as a third grade teacher. The picture above captures how I arrived to my first interview for the job. ...They always told us in college that we needed to make an impression that would set ourselves apart from the other applicants...

New York City

New York City was a blur of activity and adventures. Finding a place to legaly park a 27 foot hot dog is a puzzling problem in and of itself. Coordinating part of a national promotion is quite the task! For all of those who have been asking, I have included a picture of Mario Lopez.

With regards to sightseeing, my favorite was definitely the Statue of Liberty. This was my first time in New York City and I was very impressed. We did not have the opportunity to climb up in it, but I thought that a boat ride by it was more than sufficient. We also went to Times Square, ate New York Style Pizza, and toured Central Park.

The Final Days

After spending a few days in Madison and wrapping up odds and ends, I said "adios" to my colleagues/ friends from this past year of travels.

Emily and I are staying on for an extra two weeks for a Hispanic Tour and the National Promotion Kick-Off in New York City. On Monday we will be flying out to NYC for the Promotion. We will be working with Mario Lopez in Times Square.

New Media

http://commercialappeal.com/news/2008/may/27/hotdogger-job-can-help-in-future-careers/

Media

http://www.themonitor.com/video/index.php?bcpid=1155236419&bclid=1155331309&bctid=1571653254

http://www.themonitor.com/articles/oscar_12288___article.html/mayer_wienermobile.html

Another Island?

Having thoroughly enjoyed our last stay at Galveston, we thought we would fit in one more island stay before we pass over the keys to the new group. Now we're on South Padre Island (it's about six hours south of Houston). South Padre is so close to Mexico that we almost made a wrong turn over the border on our drive down here. I must admit, I really do enjoy being able to relax on the beach or eat dinner with a ocean-side view.

We have a few off days here and then we'll be moving to McAllen (a border town) to finish up our last official days on the job. Next week we'll fly to Madison, WI for some end of the year events at headquarters and then most everyone will stay "Adios" to their year on the road. Myself and one other teammate (Emily), will be continuing the job for an additional two weeks. We are doing a special tour which will involve some more time in almost-Mexico, as well as a trip out to New York City. My official last day is June 17th.

Life on the Island

We have spent the last week staying on the Island of Galveston. Galveston is about an hour and a half south of Houston.

It's easy to forget that I am working when I come back in the evening with a view of the ocean. The ocean is just a few steps away and the paths are lined with palm trees.

Wiener Dog Races?

In a tiny town known as Buda, Texas, people gather from all over the country once a year to race their short, long, stubby-legged dogs. Though this event has been on my calendar since January, last weekend I could hardly believe my eyes.

In two days, over 600 Wiener Dogs hit the race track. The winner of the weekend took home $500 and a much-coveted prize trophy. Let me be the first to tell you, those dogs were speedy!

I have never seen so many dachshunds congregated in one place. They were being carried in purses and pushed around in strollers. Some were dressed up in sweaters (it was a tad chilly outside) and others wore wigs.

My good friend Kayla, came all the way from Indiana to watch the Wiener Dog Races. She was so fascinated that I hear she is consider finding her own wiener dog puppy.

Much Awaited

Having spent numerous days in Texas, I have heard many individuals mention, "The Alamo." I was finally able to pay my visit to The Alamo the other day when I was in San Antonio. Apparently it is quite the attraction for the tourists. To my dismay, it was not located in the middle of a cactus-strewn desert.

San Antonio also has a lovely river walk running through town. It is the perfect place to go for a stroll or grab a bite to eat. Since I was in town during Fiesta (a festival celebrating the independence of Texas), there was a huge parade ON the river. That marked the first time I've seen a floating parade.

Bring on the Catfish?

http://franklinparishcatfishfestival.com/

Today marked the 22nd annual Catfish Festival in Winnsboro, Louisiana. Known as the largest one day festival in the state of Louisiana, people travel from miles to get a bite of the farm-raised catfish. Last year, over 5000 pounds of catfish were served. By the looks of the frying vats, I would guess that this year doubled that number. Dan & I were obligated to sample the famed catfish today at work. It was, well, different. The locals insist that "the crispier the better" with regards to the catfish. I had difficulty discerning between the fish flavor and the fried flavor.

Continuing with the Southern experience, today I also watched a "Fiddling Contest" and had a number of people comment on my "yankee" accent. Most importantly, however, we got a picture with a giant catfish. Cute?

Media Clip

http://www.oncue.net/photos/pirate4508/base0.html

Scroll down to second video on the right:
http://www.myspace.com/arkansaspirates

...a glimpse into part of a "typical day on the road."

The Duck March

To read: John Philip Duck by Patricia Polacco

"Based on the real-life tradition of the Hotel Peabody Ducks, the "New York Times" bestselling author pens a tale of how the famous duck march came about and made the hotel a Memphis landmark."

For those of you who may not be up-to-date on all of the strange American traditions, allow me to explain. A Brief History Lesson:

In 1933, the General Manager of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis returned from a hunting trip unsuccessfully one evening. He and his buddy put some ducks in the hotel fountain as a joke and went to bed. Come morning, a crowd had gathered--the absolutely loved the ducks. The bellman offered to train the ducks. A tradition had begun! The ducks now march down a royal red carpet to their fountain every morning at 11 and return to their palace on the roof of the hotel at 5. The Duckmaster escorts the ducks as they march to John Philip Sousa's King Gotton March. A crowd always gathers for this eccentric tradition.

All this to say, that on Monday, Dan and I were priviledged to be the Honorary Duck Masters for the day. This position is usually reserved for special people--like Elvis' daughter. The WMB does wonders. I guess you could say that we were quite the "lucky ducks."

Memphis, Land of Elvis?

When we told people that we were headed to Memphis, all they could talk about was Elvis--the King of Rock n' Roll. Dan and I felt obligated to stop by Graceland. We left our visit wondering which was more interesting, Elvis' house or the people at Graceland? http://www.elvis.com/

Another "must do" in Memphis is the Bar-B-Que. Dry ribs are the legendary bar-b-que of choice in Memphis. Having tasted them for my first time, I found the blend of spices on the ribs unique, but I do prefer my ribs wet. The ribs were, nevertheless, delicious. Dan deemed them the best that he's ever tasted.

Bievenidos a Guatemala

With a week off from work, three of us were seeking adventures that travels across the country could not provide. Guatemala is not your typical tourist destination and it definitely has not been "Americanized." No one knows English, you have to pay off armed guards, and you go shopping at the market.

With only a few days to see the country, we decided to fill our schedule to capacity. At first, we spent a few days in Antigua. We were there during Semana Santa (the week before Easter). Apparently Antigua is known, nation-wide, for its festivities. Thousands of people were in town from across Central America and, in some cases, from around the world. Processions were continuous. "Alfombras" were also an important part of the celebration. The Guatemalans spent hours creating intricate mosaics across the cobblestone streets.

We took a few day trips from Antigua. One to Lake Atitlan (my favorite part of the trip!)--a gorgeous lake nestled within the mountains. Here we visited pueblos, as well as zip lined over the treetops. Another day we hiked up a volcano and then proceeded to walk over the hot lava! A one point, we could have reached out and touched the lava flowing down.

An all night bus ride then took us to the middle of the jungle in Northern Guatemala. We went to Tikal and watched the sunset and rise from the top of the ancient Mayan ruins. In the jungle we observed monkeys and toucans.

Our trip came to a close in Guatemala City. In the main plaza, we had a tour of the government plaza. Unlike the White House, the tour is quite extensive. We also stopped by an ancient cathedral and then went bargain-hunting at the largest market in the city.

I am continually fascinated by other cultures. Guatemala is a largely Mayan country, so I learned a little bit about the ways of the Mayan. It was quite typical to see women dressed in traditional woven clothes walking down the street carrying bundles on their head Though a very poverty-stricken country, Guatemalans are friendly and have sweet personalities. They are patient with those attempting to speak Spanish.

Spring Break

Unlike most first jobs out of college, I get a week off for Spring Break. A number of individuals from our team are going to Florida, but a select few of us decided to travel internationally.

Tomorrow we leave for Guatemala. I am going with Caitlin (one of my team members who has traveled extensively) and Jeff, my former partner. We will be spending most of our time in Antigua, which is located just outside of Guatemala City. Anigua is a smaller, colonial city which has the typical squares and parks, as well as a historic section. The city is in a valley and within sight is the Agua Volcano, as well as two other volcanoes.

I am certain our trip will be filled with adventures!

SXSW

South by Southwest

SXSW is an annual music and film festival in Austin. Bands and mobs of people take over the big, little city. Concerts pop up all over. Tonight was the opening of the music portion of the festival, so I got to experience a taste of the craziness. One of the concerts I attended featured a band from Sweden. All of the excitement and energy made me consider joining a band. :)

http://sxsw.com/

Amigas Pay a Visit

A True Texan Experience

Yeeeee-haaaw! I have been working at the Austin Rodeo all weekend. I have been thrust into the true Texan Experience. Austin likes to think of itself as separate from the rest of Texas, but the rodeo is on the outskirts of town and attracts the die-hard Texan fans. I have seen more cowboy hats, flashy belt buckles, and boots than I ever imagined possible. After a while I started to feel a bit self-conscience about my gym shoes. Texas state flags are flying all over the fair grounds. The smell of barbecue overwhelms the air.

Besides looking at the pigs, cattle, and steers, an obvious highlight of the rodeo is Whiplash. Whiplash is a collie-riding monkey. What next?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3716656868007810218

Media Clip

http://newsok.com/article/3212335/1204781838

OKC

Oklahoma City. I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to visit the capital of Oklahoma. Having spent almost a week here, I officially consider myself an expert on the area. Several friends from IWU came to visit me this weekend and we were able to do quite a bit of sight seeing. The main tourist attraction is the Oklahoma Memorial. It is located only a couple of blocks from my hotel.

Perhaps the most unusual sight in downtown is the statues of bison. Similar to the Chicago Cows, Oklahoma City has decided to distribute artistic bison throughout the city. In one particular area, however, they fenced in a "field" of about 20 different bison statues. It is a quite humorous thing to happen upon in the midst of the city.

Oklahoma is home to the filming of the movie "Twister." Very fittingly, the other night when I was dining with my friends, the waitress at the restaurant came to our table to inform us that there were 5 tornadoes in the area. She escorted us through the kitchen, across an alley, and down a cellar to the basement of the restaurant. We waited out the storm on some sacs of flour in the basement. Apparently 3 tornadoes touched down nearby. Welcome to Oklahoma!

Media Clip

http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2008/2/29/oscar-mayer-recruit-mu/

Oklahoma City

The weather here is absolutely gorgeous compared to Missouri's. My Oklahoma City hotel is in a cutesy area of town known as "Bricktown." From what I have observed, OKC has been working on improving the image of their city. Some parts are still very old, but they are modernizing many other sections. Bricktown seems to be part of the renovations. Directly behind my hotel is a canal and walkway. There are restaurants and some shops along the canal.

Littered throughout the city are statues of various kinds. There are cowboys on horses, bison, as well as musicians. I have never seen so many statues in such a confined area.

The End of Recruiting

I think we have successfully found all of our potential replacements for the next year. Yesterday marked my last day of recruiting. I have been at the University of Missouri for the past ten days. Similar to Texas, we talked to a number of classes about our job, as well as interviewed with some media outlets. It has been lots of fun exploring new college campuses. I have found unusual, to be on campus without "homework" or a standard class schedule.

Austin, Texas...my thoughts

Video in Lower Right of the Webpage:

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/

http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2008/02/15/University/Wienermobile.Stops.On.Campus.During.U.s.Tour-3213139.shtml

Austin Texas is one of the cleanest cities I have seen! I guess the slogan, "Don't Mess with Texas" has worked. Our hotel was directly downtown, so we were able to walk to all of the local attractions. My favorite, perhaps, is one of the public transportation systems: The Dillo (short for Armadillo). I'm still holding out to see my first armadillo. The state capitol was of course downtown as well. The capitol in Texas is taller than the US capitol. Besides being the typical city, Austin is located on a pretty little lake. I would highly recommend Austin if you are looking for a place to live.

University of Texas

I taught my first college class today. We are recruiting at the University of Texas for next year. It's hard to believe that our bosses are already planning on replacing us. I did however, begin interviewing for this job about a year ago in early February.

Today my partner and I ended up teaching an entire Public Relations Technique class. The professor was fascinated with our job, so he decided to hand the class over to us. I never thought that I would get experience teaching at a university this year. There is certainly never a dull moment on this job.

Southern Texas

Though I always imagined Texas as a giant desert with a multitude of cacti, today I discovered the coast of Texas. Just south of Houston is a popular vacation spot on the Gulf of Mexico. I spent the day touring Galveston Island. One of the highlights was all of the dolphins I saw while taking a boat ride through the bay.

The beaches in Southern Texas do not seem as clean as those in Southern California, perhaps that is because there are giant cargo ships and oil rigs visible throughout most of the area. There are still, however, some stretches of pure beach.

FOX TV Morning Show in Houston, TX

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=5718670&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.2.1

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1398210131

New Media Clips

http://www.rankinledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080128/NEWS/80128002

It's always a funny feeling to be sitting in the hotel lobby eating dinner and then have guests point out that you're on the television. The television stations in Omaha, NE & Jackson have been really enthused about the Wienermobile. As I mentioned, in this region of the country the media is easier to pitch. Events are always more fun when the media is involved.

Scroll Down the Page and Click on the Album:
http://www.947jackfm.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=323&Itemid=1

http://www.columbustelegram.com/articles/2008/01/18/news/local/doc478f8ca1913a3411754274.txt

More Thoughts on the South

Having stepped into Mississippi, I somehow set foot into what appears to be another country. I am still working on learning the language. Schools close when it rains. I am referred to as a "Yankee" and the confederate flag seems to be flying everywhere.

I'm "Down South"

I knew that it was going to be a difficult cultural adjustment when I was pulling into Jackson and I called my hotel to get directions. I could not understand a word of what the gentleman at the other end of the line was saying and he could not understand me. Luckily I happened to find the hotel despite the lacking directions or address.

Though the scenery reminds me of the Midwest, it is strangely warmer than a typical January day in Chicago. Apparently the area is experiencing a bit of cold front--it was in the 50s today.

As far as Southern food, I have yet to taste any. The hotel recommended a place called "Cock of the Walk" which apparently serves traditional Southern food.

Nebraska

NEBRASKA: "The Good Life"

As we drove into this deserted area of the country, we were welcomed by the license plate motto stated above. I guess I haven't had any experiences with Nebraska in the past. Right now, however, it seems quite similar to Northern Indiana, Iowa, or Central Illinois. It tends to get cold when standing outside for extended periods of time. Pitching media, however, is much more successful in the midwest.

The next stop is Jackson, Mississsippi via an overnight stop in Missouri.

A Taste of the Midwest

I've officially said "Adios" to California--and the rest of the West. I am quite saddened to leave the gorgeous mountains and breathtaking coast. After a lengthy & complicated flight to Wisconsin (due to weather), I eventually ended up in Madison at our headquarters. Thirty hours later, my luggage arrived in Madison. As always, meetings at Madison are a highlight of this job. Our team shared many stories and experiences from our travels. It is strange to think that the next time we will all travel to Madison will be in June, when we turn the job over to the new class.

As you are aware, I am now on my way down South with my new Co-Worker and new Mobile. Instead of driving directly to the South, we are spending a week in Omaha, Nebraska. Working one day outside reminded me of how cold it really is in the winter out here in the midwest. Also, I have observed that people in the Midwest seem to have drastically different personalities compared to those in the West. For the most part, people in the Midwest are easier to impress and all-around more intrigued by the simple things in life.

New Year, Same Cool Job

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

...

I'm back in San Francisco after a week off in Chicago for Christmas. As you have probably noticed on the news, California is receiving torrential downpours. I feel as though we have moved to Seattle! On the positive side, it is a warm rain. Early Monday morning I am going back to Madison for some meetings, and then we will all switch partners and drive to our new regions of the country.