A Long Week

Well, it’s Friday, and it’s the Friday at the end of a very long week. I’m not sure why it’s felt so long, but I swear it’s lasted about ten days so far. With the squad training session on Sunday, dog agility on Monday, training Wednesday, teaching/training on Thursday and more training tonight (all on top of a very stressful week at work), it’s been quite tiring. There’s a Gup grading on Sunday which sees two people go for first gup, and that’s a big step, so I really feel for them. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for anyone out there currently sweating and dreading the thought of standing up and showing us what they’ve learned since the last grading, but at first gup it feels like a really big step, especially as it’s your very last gup grading ever.

One of the second gups I mentioned above is about to turn the big four-oh, and in celebration (commiseration?) of the fact she’s hired out a local venue tonight for a big party. Hog roast? Check. Bucking bronco? Check. Licensed bar? Check. Karaoke(!!!)? Check. All signs point toward a great evening! I don’t envy her having just the Saturday to recover before her grading though, but then I kinda know the feeling, I took my Dan grading the day after a week in Germany ‘sampling the local cuisine’.

I’ve had the pleasure of teaching the Falmouth class for the last few weeks, and I’m just starting to realise the enormous feeling of satisfaction you get when something you’ve taught comes together. I’m not nearly vain enough to claim that it’s down to me of course, I’ve only been there for four or five weeks, but seeing the little differences take hold is a fantastic feeling. The lower (I hate using that word, it sounds so condescending) gup grades especially have taken everything on so well and given the limited time back a lot of them have had, I’m impressed.

Plans for my own class (eek!) are coming together, I’ve got an appointment this afternoon to see the owner of a local studio with an eye to hiring it. The nearest Freshers’ Fair is on next Tuesday, so I’m hoping with a bit of help from some of the friendly faces we’ve already got training I may be able to get some on board, all ready for the first night. Before all of that though, I’ve got a serious amount of unwinding to do tonight, and a cocktail of beer and karaoke is just the ticket :D.

Good times ahoy, and good luck to everyone grading this weekend. You’ve done the hard work, enjoy the day.

(yeah, right! 😉 )

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