Many job opportunities for college graduates are anything but adventurous. But three recent college graduates landed a job for a year that is anything but monotonous.

University of Wisconsin alumnus "Bologna" Brad Locke, University of Iowa alumna "Mustard" Michelle Norton and "J-Dog" Julie Nocella, a University of Colorado alumna, are traveling through the Midwest in an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Oscar Mayer, the meat processing division of Kraft Foods, calls the members of the Wienermobile teams hotdoggers.

The Midwest team, clad in red polo shirts with hot dog nametags, khaki shorts and tennis shoes, greeted people Saturday and gave out free Wienerwhistles at Jerry's IGA on Kirby Avenue in Champaign. They also held a raffle for a stuffed hot dog pillow and gave hot dog-shaped "wienie babies" to people who bought at least three Oscar Mayer items in IGA.

Oscar Mayer has between five and six Wienermobile vehicles traveling through different parts of the country throughout the year — "It's a coast-to-coast wiener roast," Locke shouted as he raised his arms above his head and laughed.

Champaign resident Linda Cross brought not only her daughter and two grandchildren to see the Wienermobile, but also an old version of the Wienerwhistle to show the hotdoggers.

The Wienermobile debuted in 1936, according to the company's Web site.

"I've seen grown men turn into 5-year-old kids before my eyes … everyone loves the Wienermobile," Locke said.

Nocella and Norton took turns looking at the old whistle, and the three women exchanged stories and trivia about Oscar Mayer, including mention of the Oscar Mayer Wiener Jingle.

"Everyone probably thinks about the Oscar Mayer song when they see it," she said. "It's just cute, it's unique."

Cross' grandkids sat on the mobile's doorsteps and blew their new whistles as she took their picture.

"I think it's something fun for them. Kids like things that are familiar to them but are big, oversized and larger than life," said Melissa Mildreth, a Champaign resident and Cross' daughter. "I don't know if they'll ever see one again."

The hotdoggers train in Madison, Wis., at Hot Dog High training camp before splitting up into different vehicles to travel the country.

Six vehicles travel during the summer, but the company cuts down to five vehicles for the rest of the year. The two hotdoggers in the sixth vehicle join other vehicles. Locke joined Norton and Nocella a few weeks ago.

The Midwest vehicle travels everywhere from Kansas to Pennsylvania, and from the Canadian border down to Arkansas. Norton said the team has spent a lot of time in Wisconsin and Illinois.

"It's really the people who make the experience," Nocella said. "You have absolutely no idea who you're going to meet. People want someone to listen and it's great to give them the opportunity to talk and tell their stories."

Norton said they usually visit grocery stores and other retail stores that sell Oscar Mayer products, but they also go to parades, festivals and sporting events. They do a lot of their own public relations and advertising as they travel. Norton said their bosses tell them where they will be going, and then the team calls the stores, sends announcements and advertisements and tells local media they will be coming.

The team has Internet access in the vehicle and gets a company laptop to use.

"No one can really relate to life on the road besides other hotdoggers," Norton said.

The giant hot dog looks roomy enough to function as an RV camper from the outside, but the inside is only a little more spacious than a conversion van. The hot dog theme continues on the inside. The relish-colored bucket seats have hot dog imprints on the dark green fabric. Norton calls the van's sunroof the "bun roof."

The dashboard and glove compartment are plastic hot dogs called the "condiment control panels" by the hotdoggers. The van's walkway is red linoleum with a yellow strip through it, representing mustard and ketchup. And the walls are carpeted in navy with bright colors splashed on it — "our condiment-splattered walls," Norton said when she pointed them out.

The van also has a Global Positioning System to give directions. The hotdoggers stay in hotels and friends' homes while traveling.

Locke said over 1,000 people apply to be hotdoggers, but only 12 are selected.

Norton said she heard about the job from a friend who joked about it and sent in her application after finding out more about it.

Nocella said a former hotdogger gave her the idea to apply, so she talked to the company when it visited her school to recruit hotdoggers.

Locke said most hotdoggers are marketing, public relations or journalism majors. But Locke, who got his degrees in microbiology and immunology, is a slightly different story.

Oscar Mayer has always been a part of his life since his mother, father and grandfather have worked for the company. He said he interned during three summers for Boca Foods, another division of Kraft that makes vegetarian foods, doing research and development.

"I can't imagine a better job than driving around in the Wienermobile," Locke said. "I've wanted to drive it since I was 12. Luckily I cut the mustard in the end and I'm here now."

Nocella said the job always surprises her.

"When you wake up in the morning, you never know what the day is going to bring," Nocella said. "This is definitely a job where you stop and think, 'Is this really my life? Am I really doing this right now?'"

So does the Wienermobile help sell hot dogs?

"In the long run it does," said Jim Peters, IGA store manager.

Peters said he didn't expect an immediate increase in that day's sales, but thought the Wienermobile's visit would have a lasting impact.

The Wienermobile was only one attraction at the grocery store's parking lot Saturday afternoon. Jerry's IGA also hired a wrestling act from the area, had Boy Scout Troop 101 sell concessions and held a hot dog-eating contest to start the first of three weekends of IGA's annual Beef Roundup. The roundup is a competition among area IGA stores to see who can sell the most meat products in a two-week period.

Locke joined in the hot dog-eating contest and walked away from the contest with a third-place trophy. Contestants had 10 minutes to eat 10 Oscar Mayer hot dogs and hot dog buns. Locke ate seven and a half before time was called.