Strawberry Days

So this past weekend I took a mini-vacation. Friday night after work I drove to Glenwood Springs, Colorado for a parade that was occurring the following morning: Strawberry Days. While there is much history in this event, that was not the reason why I participated in this particular event.
Let's just say that a dear friend of mine called in a favor. His step-grandmother has a mortgage company in Glenwood and had the bright idea to get more publicity for her company by inviting her step-grandson and his fellow mascot friends to do their "thing". What else draws attention like big furry mascots running around, tossing candy and just joking with the crowd? Not much. Well, except for the girls that rode the ATV's in the parade- they turned a lot of heads!
Back to my story. So after driving to Glenwood and grabbing a quick bite to eat, we went to my friend's grandparent's home, which was on the side of a mountain with an AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL view. Honestly, it could have been romantic if the right two people were alone together. The best part about being at their house was that the family and friends that were around were so hilarious.
Imagine having to keep up with three people that are mascots- we are used to telling funny (but true) stories about our experiences and relating them to "normal" people i.e. non-mascots. For this family to keep up as well as they did, I was amazed.
And about the parade- can I make a helpful suggestion to parade organizers around the world? When you have mascots in a parade that you are in charge, please don't make them get into costume until 15 minutes before your event begins, as it is extremely hot in our characters. Plus it only takes us a few minutes to get dressed anyway- you are practically a pro after your first appearance.