Is It Really Only Tuesday???

A bad week, and it's only Tuesday. It actually started to get bad on Friday night when we had the end-of-the-season coach's meeting at the gym. This is when we decide which gymnasts are ready to move up to the next competition level. Of course Jill did not agree at all with any of those I felt should not move up from our Level 4 group. Then I was totally shut out of any of the decisions regarding Level 5 because, obviously, I had been totally shut out of coaching that group since December. It ended up that there will be 15 to 17 girls at Level 5 next year...a group large enough to merit two coaches again. So did I get the big invite back to the 'inner circle'.....NOOOOOOOOO! Instead my boss brings up some volunteer lady whose daughter has just made it into the Level 4 Group. She's a nice lady and a good teacher, but what the heck is going on here? Of course, in my usual milk-toast manner, I said nothing about my shock and hurt feelings over this apparent snub and the meeting moved right along. It bugged me all weekend and I vowed I would go right into the boss's office Monday afternoon before practice and say something. After all, I had said something in October when the Level 5 group was suddenly split between me and Jill cutting my hours, and the again in January when she gave the group over entirely to Jill and I lost even more hours. Well, Peggy didn't come in at all on Monday so I had to fester another day. I finally got around to talking to her this morning. Once again she belittled the entire situation saying that she really hadn't thought about the group being big enough for two coaches (can anyone do the math of the difference between 8 gymnasts and 17 gymnasts!?!?!) and that she was considering the volunteer lady for Level 4 not Level 5. OK, I was not the only one who thought she meant Level 5. Alisha thought so too and we discussed it in the parking lot after the meeting. As for me going back to coach Level 5 it seems that Jill thinks we don't work well together. Of course not...............she is perfectly happy alone and hasn't worked with me in over 5 months. She has also given the boss the impression that we don't work well together and that's why I haven't been given the golden invitation back to Level 5. It is so frustrating. Jill has made an art form out of getting her own way regardless of who gets stomped on in the process. I coached Level 5 for 6 years and suddenly I don't work well with other people? Peggy mentioned that she had to have a meeting with Jill and Dennis because she complained about his coaching too. Hey wait....see a trend forming here? Jill is always complaining about other people so maybe she is the problem?

I need to escape into the beautful world of the past. I share some photos with you now that always take me away from the not-so-good present into a world of style, charm and dignity.

Danish Royal Family in the mid 1870's: Alexandra Princess of Wales, King George of Greece, Princess Thyra, Crown Princess Louise( wife of Prince Frederick), Crown Prince Frederick, Dagmar(Empress Marie of Russia)

Princesses Victoria and Maud of Great Britian 1893

Grand Duchess Serge, nee Princess Ella of Hesse 1880sFormer Princesses of Denmark, Marie Empress of Russia and Alexandra Princess of Wales 1878. Another set of sisters dressed alike!Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, nee Alix of Hesse 1896.