melbourne cup and new job!!

Today is Melbourne Cup Day, which is equivalent to the Kentucky Derby. The race is (obviously) held in Melbourne, at Flemington Race Course, about 20 minutes down the road from us. The Victorians hold this day in such high regard that it's actually a public holiday state-wide!

But I'm on day two of my new job (!!!), and the university I work for has decided that it's too much of an interruption to give the day off today, just as students are getting ready for exams and the end of the year (which is the end of the school year here in the Southern Hemisphere). Instead, they give their staff two days off in December.

So I'm off to work, which I'm totally okay with because I'm loving my shiny new job! It's always sooo good to return to academia after working in annoying customer service for a while. Also, we get to dress up for the races today! I decided not to wear my super fancy dress that I wore for Amy and D's wedding, and sadly I left my fascinator in the US, but in going with a floral sundress.

Last year, I placed a $2 bet on the Melbourne Cup and I won back $32! I doubt I'll be so lucky this year, but everyone at work is going to pitch in a few dollars to a pot. In Australia, you can go to the local pub to bet on horse races or any other sporting event. Wish me luck!