Many Updates for This Week - Hectic Times!

Right so now I need to try and get you all up to date on the current situation. It's known that I've left college, a decision I don't regret and hopefully never will. In the past week I have been riding and teaching, and spending a lot of time making up my CV and putting myself up on websites as a freelance groom/rider/instructor.
I've advertised for freelance work as I will now have a bit more time. I decided to turn Chad and Bertina out for the winter as they need another break to grow and develop. They are both perfect at this stage of their training anyway so there isn't much I need to do with them.
With Chad and Bertina out, I now have Julius and Seb in. That's right, Julius is sound! He had his reassessment at the vets two weeks ago and they gave us the go ahead to start working him again. Sue (Mcmahon, at Cheltenham Dressage) rode him for the first week and then we did a swap this week where Chad went to Sue and Julius came back to me. Bertina will go over to Sue and Gary in a few weeks and her and Chad can enjoy their holiday eating grass and growing even bigger than they've already grown!
I've ridden Julius twice now and he is SO cool, just like putting on old slippers. He just goes around and does everything I ask of him without question or protest. I have also noticed how much better my riding has gotten since last time I rode him four-five months ago. I am so much more balanced and less reliant on my hands so I can keep a nice contact.
Back to the freelancing thing, my hunt for a job didn't last long at all. On Thursday I got a call from a friend who I ride with on the competition circuit, and she had fallen ill so had to go home and needed a replacement to look after the horses in the yard. She had heard I was looking for some freelance work, so she asked if I'd be interested. It sounded perfect - can work my own hours, have time for my horses during the day and just do the other yard's horses morning and evening.
I started today and it was great, though as I hadn't planned my Friday or weekend with having a job in mind, it is going to be a bit hectic. Today I had to do the yard early morning, see a horse off with a transporter at 11am then rush to my yard ride Julius before taking Seb to the vet for 1.30. Seb took a while at the vet (nothing serious! Just a couple of x-rays and a check-up to make sure he is fit and ready to work) and I had a lesson booked with a new instructor at 4.30pm. We only got back at 4.50pm so my lesson was from 5.15pm to 6, and thank god my mom was there to help as I had to get off Bertina, untack her and then race off to the other yard to finish the other horses for the day and ride one. Mum took over Bertina and rugged her up thankfully, and met me at the other yard where I'm working to watch me ride. It is never a good idea to ride a strange horse for the first time by yourself, especially if its at 7.30pm.
We ended up getting home at 9pm tonight, which isn't unusual but just goes to show that even without college I am still flat out! Tomorrow after morning work I have to ride my own horses, then go to a "leaving lunch" for one of the grooms that is leaving, then have three lessons at 3, 4 and 5pm. After the last lesson its back to do the afternoon work and then most likely crash into bed at home.
Sunday I have something really exciting happening... After doing the morning yard, I'm heading off to judge!! Yes really, I am judging a dressage competition! It's unaffiliated of course since I have absolutely no judging qualifications and have never done it in my life, but they were really excited that I agreed to do it so they obviously have some confidence in me! So we will see how that goes, I just need to learn a prelim, a novice and an elementary test and I should be fine.
After judging on Sunday I have to ride mine, and then have to show a horse at the yard where I'm working at 4pm. Then do the evening yard there. So you see how everything is a bit rushed and hectic!! I wouldn't actually rather it any other way, I love being busy and if it's being busy doing what I love (and now getting paid!!) then its just perfect really.