Post Mummers

 Every year I get hired by one or more of Philadelphia's Mummer groups to paint for them. What are the mummers?  Each year for the last 150 years a bunch of union workers get together on Jan 1st and put on performances as a competition. They have 3 categories: Comics...where a bunch of drunk guys wear 19th century dresses and umbrellas and dance around the street, String bands where a bunch of mostly guys dance around in costumes playing banjos and instruments and Fancies where a bunch of mostly guys put on stage show dance routines. 

Here is a link if you want to see more: 

During this period I spend a full month in unheated garages painting 50'x20' backdrops and floats. It's a grueling time of the year and always end with a thing we call " the mummers flu" where everyone gets sick the last week. 

This year I did something stupid...I took on 2 Fancy groups. I finished, but It was a race against time. 

Why do I do it? The pay is good for the time spent and usually needed as Jan through march are famine months with my business. 

I'm in episode 4.This one is from 2015 I believe.