Thoroughbred Travellers
For offshore surfers, Australians can’t speak today. Awfully sorry, but the nation holds its breath this afternoon - or for three holy minutes round 3pm as every punter stands mesmerised by the babbled poetry of Dolphin Jo/Eskimo Queen/Zipping/The Fuzz/Et Cetera over the SkyChannel.
Yes, the Melbourne Cup has shrugged off the side-effects of equine flu, drought and a federal election campaign to deliver the annual thrills and frills. The fillies and the bays. The hoops and flashes. The carpark debauchery, the railway frottage, the marquee snobbery, the race.
From a crossword setter’s point of view, I can only hope a generic word (like Zipping, or Efficient) or established surname (Mahler) doesn’t sneak home. Our puzzle lists have registered those time-weary entries already. Much rather a Makybe Diva or a Delta Blues score the chocolates versus a Saintly or Rogan Josh.
And in case you’re seeking to nurse a Cup hangover tomorrow, for all Melbourne bodies with an interest in the travel racket, I can recommend a seminar at the Vic Writers Centre. Three speakers, myself included, will be magging about the biz of writing guides and features and books in the travel domain, as well as sharing a few roadside horror stories.
To learn more about the session, tomorrow at 6pm at the Centre, tap into http://www.writers-centre.org/infopage.cfm?menuID=2&SubMenuID=8&InfoPageID=0
So come along tomorrow (that’s Wednesday 7/11) and tell us how Blue Monday stole your shirt.
November 7th, 2007 at 9:54 am
“From a crossword setter’s point of view, I can only hope a generic word (like Zipping, or Efficient) or established surname (Mahler)…”
A black day for those in the black-and-white puzzle biz. My own apprehensions romped home, scoring 4th, 1st and 3rd respectively!
If only I put some Exacta cash where my mouth was….