Watch out for those busy May potatoes

Ooh, shiny new friends! *polishes and puts on shelf*

Do you ever read something in the newspaper and think to yourself, I just don't believe that?

Today's local paper is nothing but coverage of the May Race Carnival, which is a big deal in the City by the Sea (important enough that Cup Day, Thursday, is our public holiday in place of Melbourne Cup Day in November*) and also amongst the national horse racing community (who refer to the City by the Sea as The Bool**... eugh!).

Anyway, one of the big races is the Grand Annual Steeplechase, which is a little novel in that the horses jump over a hedge and actually leave the racecourse, cross a road and run around for a bit in a paddock, before crossing the road again and jumping back onto the racecourse to finish the race. This, The Warrnambool Standard boldly proclaims, is "world famous".

I just don't believe that. And I can check: had any of you heard of it before now?



* Some people, though, have far more imporant things to do. When I was a proper accountant, one of our clients, a s-l-o-w-talking vegetable farmer, came in during Race Week and while I checked his Quickbooks data we had the following conversation:

Client: Are you going to the Races on Thursday?
Me: No, it's not really my thing. How about you?
Client: No-o-o. The poe-tay-toes are keeping me busy this year.

Ri-i-ight.

** Which would make me a Boolean! Algebra jokes: they never get old. :-)