Winning vs. Losing

Losing.
 
For the past four seasons, Mark has had his dream job.  A football coach.  When people would ask, does he really like that job? and I would answer, he loves it so much he would marry it. 
 
Mark lost his job yesterday.  I was so hurt when he told me, it put tears in my eyes. 
 
He knew something was going on and among many other signs, the head coach was acting differently towards Mark and had been for quite sometime.  After a losing season, when coach said in a staff meeting a while ago, "There’s going to be some changes" Mark faced reality and considered the posibility of him getting cut.  The rest of the coaching staff, who has been friends with Mark for probably over the past five years now, didn’t believe it could posibility be him.  So Mark didn’t really worry any more beyond that until Saturday when coach texted him asking him to meet, but couldn’t get their schedules to fit each other.  Sunday was the same thing.  That’s when Mark guessed, he probably wants to do it on a weekend so Mark can empty his office when no one is there.  And he was exactly right.  When Mark went in yesterday morning, coach gave him the boot. 
 
There wasn’t any good reasoning behind it.  It wasn’t because of Mark’s work or his coaching ability, there just isn’t enough $ in the budget for him and for a strength and conditioning coach.  Someone had to go.  Poor Mark, I feel terrible for him.  He’s worked so hard for all these years.  Working long hours and 7 days a week making less than $20k hoping that it would pay off for him in the end.  Which it will, I know it will, but just not here.
 
It’s hard to believe our time at FSU is over.  No more maroon Fairmont Football t-shirts and hats, no more Saturday afternoon games at Duval field, no more team banquets with all the familiar faces, no more Feaster Center office.  As long as we’ve been dating, we’ve been involved with Fairmont and especially Fairmont Football.  Even I worked as coaches assistant for over a year while I was a work-study student.  It’s been such a huge part of our lives for so long, and now it has ended.
 
I STRONGLY believe that this is a blessing in disguise for us.  We’ve (I’ve) been wanting a way out of this town to get a better job for months now and this is the perfect time.  As hard as this is to accept, this honestly couldn’t have come at a better time.  It will be hard for a little while, but I think we’ll be just fine in the end and will actually end up thanking God for the wonderful changes he’s making for us.  Mark knows this too, we talked about it, but he’s still a little down and I can’t expect him not to be. 
 
I do believe, as strange as it may seem sometimes, that all things happen for a reason and maybe this does mean it’s his time to move on.  He’s just not supposed to be a FSU football coach after all. 
 
It was fun while it lasted. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yesterday at work I had to fold, stuff and put labels on 200 envelopes.  How long did it take me, you ask?  An awful long time, about 80% of my day.  Productive?  Absolutely not.  Is this an assignment a volunteer, or say, an intern could/should do?  Absolutely.
 
The story of my life
 
Today, though, was a bit more enjoyable, for lack of a better descriptive word.  I am VERY MUCH looking forward to going straight home after work today.  I’ve been going to the gym after work and while I LOVE doing that and HAVE to do it to keep me sane, I would much rather be home with my babe.  Today I am taking a break from the gym and going home to cuddle on the couch and watch Christmas movies with Mark.  We are in the middle of a Christmas Movie Marathon on Netflix.  Plus now that we have DVR, I record them ALL.  I love it.
 
My workouts have been going OK lately.  Not real great, but it’s a start.  My goal is to start running again and I want to run a lot.  I think it’s the best way to get into shape and it makes me feel so good.  Such a feeling of accomplishment.  Well, since I hurt my knee and went through a little physical therapy (nothing big) I haven’t ran the same since, but I think I’m almost there again.  I just bought a new pair of shoes and I think I’m just about cured.  I want to run a 10k and eventually a half marathon, maybe even by the summer, probably late summer, I want to try the 13.something mile run.  I can do it, I know I can.  I need to do it just to keep my life in balance.  It’s my only and best stress reliever.
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I have this ball of tension in my back.