It looks like the winning in Vegas will pay further dividends. The clutch on the Hot Dog Truck is shot. I have it stashed at my mechanic's place so I can limp over to the spot Thursday and not miss a day.
I was supposed to do cruising night at Red Streak Motors (a regular gig throughout the summer) but Dave at Any and All Automotive will be popping in the clutch tomorrow night so all the Hot Dog loving bikers will have to wait one more week for the Hot Dog Truck to supply the munchies for the ride.
It's a good thing we won in Vegas, paying for a new clutch stings a lot less when it's paid for with "house money."
Clutch win in Vegas
Blog Your Blessing Sunday XLXIV
I have started Fundraising Fridays to benefit the local Boys and Girls Club. I spent the better part of last night re-doing our league schedules to allow for longer games. I try to impress upon my kids that it is important to give back to the community in which they live and work in some way. It is something I truly believe in and I think it is an important lesson for them to learn.
Deuteronomy 6: 6-9
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Fundraising Fridays Returns
Last summer I switched the Hot Dog Operator's Relief Fund bucket out for the The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation bucket every Friday and Fundraising Fridays were born at the Hot Dog Truck.
Last week, a lovely gal by the name of Julie Horrigan stopped by the Hot Dog Truck. She's the Vice President of Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest who happen to be located right around the corner. She asked if I could help collect money to send kids to summer camp. I couldn't refuse, so I am ushering in the return of Fundraising Fridays with the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest as the sole beneficiary!
I can't think of money better spent than sending kids off to summer camp. So when you stop by the Hot Dog Truck on Fridays, cough up a few extra bucks, for the kids.
Vegas Baby!
The Hotdogman is back from vacationing in Las Vegas to begin the long haul of slinging hot dogs through Thanksgiving! Despite today's mishap with the electrical system, I will be ready for the long haul of hot doggin'.
This was my 19th trip to Las Vegas in as many years. It was the first time I did not stay in a hotel and carouse the entire time. I actually saw the real city for the first time. I talked to real Vegas residents at the playground and ambled around the Vegas burbs and outskirts. I found it to be a clean, live able city.
My in laws live 10 minutes from Red Rock Canyon National Park. 
What a fantastic place! I explored the canyon every day I was there. I even saw some of the wild burros that inhabit the area. Very cool!
Of course no trip to Vegas is complete without a trip or two to the casino. I had a winning ticket for $450 from the Red Sox World Series victory I needed to cash at the Red Rock casino near the in-laws. Unfortunately, it was 120 days past the event and in that situation you are supposed to mail your ticket in. Harry, one of the managers at the Red Rock Sports Book, took care of me. He dealt with the accounting department and got me my money.
It turns out I didn't need the money though. I flew out Thursday with the kids and I had a few unsuccessful nights at the Blackjack tables. When my wife arrived at the house at 9:30 Saturday Night, I cajoled her into going downtown since she'd never seen it. She was less than thrilled with the idea, but came along to appease me. We strolled up and down Fremont Street and saw the laser show. Then we sat down to play a little blackjack at the Las Vegas Club.
The Las Vegas club used to be the best place in town to play blackjack. Now, like all the other casinos, they have the very bad rule of the dealer hitting the soft 17. It's a terrible rule for players and the only place I saw "real" blackjack was at the Mirage at a $100 dollar table: THAT's a LOT OF HOT DOGS! Anyway, we quickly lost about $125 playing blackjack, so we decided to go "roll the bones" at the craps table. Smart choice!
We started with $60 each and after about an hour, we had won back what we lost at blackjack. Since it was 1:30 AM, I suggested we leave. My wife said, "we can't leave when we're winning!" We didn't. Roll after roll by shooter after shooter was making us cash. When the dust settled, we'd raked in over $800 combined! We left at 4AM with our wallets quite a bit fatter than when we started! And she didn't even want to go out!
The next night we saw LOVE, the Cirque de Soleil Beatles tribute. Great show! It ended at midnight and when we got back to the house I suggested we try our luck at the Red Rock Casino. After about an hour of Blackjack, we were even. We went to the craps table and KILLED it AGAIN! 4 AM and another $800 richer we crept home to bed.
The next night we spent some of our winnings at Terra Rosa, an fancy schmancy Italian restaurant opened by one of the winners of Hell's Kitchen. I hate to say, but chef Gordon Ramsy would be disappointed. I've had better Veal Parm in local red sauce joints. For the money we spent, I wasn't over joyed. After dinner, you guessed it, CRAPS AGAIN. We only won about $500 that night and we went home at 2AM.
I love going to Vegas and coming home a winner. I have never had much luck at the craps tables in the past, but ever since I introduced it to my wife on our honeymoon, she's been hooked! I have NEVER LOST AT CRAPS while playing with her. I guess I've found a new game!
Armour Franks
I love these old intermission trailers, especially when Hot Dogs are involved! Such catchy tunes.....
ODB Just Don't get it
ODB from the California office of Horizon Technologies is apparently my biggest fan. He's never had one of my hot dogs, but his east coast associate (and # 1 customer) Jeff has had many. ODB has taken to being the arbiter of what I should do with my business. He got on my case via email about closing the first two Fridays of the season due to (torrential sideways) rain.
When he saw I was taking a few days off next week to travel to FABULOUS LAS VEGAS with my wife and kids, he sent me this email:
HDM,
Off the 17th, 18th, 21st, and 22nd - WTF? I guess you roll part time or you married money n sh*t cuz no working man has a schedule like yours - you have more excuses as to why you aren’t there then a crack head in court.
Why don’t you post pictures of your dogs as we can never buy them cuz you are closed more then you are open – better yet, just tell us what days you are open and save the ink…..
ODB
The ODB just doesn't get it. He is like I once was. He sits on the phone all day trying to sell electronics. He does a pretty good job of it from what Jeff says. Probably makes decent money to boot. But at what price?
I got sick of worrying about quotas, sick of listening to some sales manager push and push, sick of the rat race. After all, even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat! So I bought a Hot Dog Truck. I answer to nobody. As long as I serve a good dog (and I do-ask around), I will be employed without condition.
Taking 4 days off WHEN I WANT TO is part of it. I am the boss. I make the rules. If you don't like it, tough.
So while ODB is sweating talk time, his quota and god knows whatever other petty little fires may flare up during his day, I'll be sitting poolside in Vegas thinking of what show I want to go to that night or whether I'll play Blackjack or craps.
I'll be thinking about the Hot Dog Truck too. Not because I'll dread going back to work, but because I'll be looking forward to it. It's the best job in the world, and I don't have a quota.
Thanks for the pictures too, ODB. Enjoy your cubicle.
Blog Your Blessing Sunday XLXIII
As the season starts, I see the kids practicing in the fields, I hear the parents asking the same questions, and we go out and play the games.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Let's all go to the Lobby
Classic Snack Bar Trailer- My apologies if you can't get it out of your head!
Don't Touch The Weiner
While this isn't a "classic" hot dog commercial, it is kind of funny. I never saw this one on TV, I just came across it on YouTube....
Real Men of Genius: the "Foot Long"
I love these "Real Men of Genius" Bud Lite commercials in general. This one is particularly poignant for broadcast on the Hot Dog Truck. While I don't serve "foot longs," their inclusion in the lexicon of hot dog lore can't be ignored.
Blog Your Blessing Sunday XLXII
I have been trying to have a baseball practice for a week now to no avail. I have even skipped two Fridays at the Hot Dog Truck due to torrential rain. At least the fields will be lush when it finally stops.
Psalm 147:8
He covers the sky with clouds;
he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.
CLOSED TODAY
Fridays have not been good to me in 2008 so far!
It is POURING, again. Two plus inches plus a snowy mix are forecast for today. The hotdogman is staying home. If you would have stopped, you have my sympathies!
Experience tells me sustained, POURING rain = no business, or at least not enough. Days like today are a money losing proposition. I can break even at home!
SEE YOU MONDAY!!!
Hot Dog Days Redux
I had this video on the site last spring but it was removed from YouTube. I found another posting of it the other day so I thought I'd share it again. This is my favorite campy hot dog intermission clip. This is the type of stuff they played between movies at the drive in theaters in the 50's and 60's. Drive In Theaters largely disappeared in the early 80's as developers found more profitable uses for the land they occupied.
Remember, Hot Dog Days are FUN DAYS!
Replays
I am so busy right now, I don't have time to post much. Between Little League, soccer and running the business, I'm too cooked to post.
I plan on running some Hot Dog Truck classic posts over the next few weeks to keep folks suitably entertained.
When I have time (or something funny or interesting to say) I'll post!
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