This was the kind of day I've been dreading, although I'm not sure I ever truly believed it would happen. It wasn't even a particularly stressful day, and I didn't have to work especially hard. But I did have to work, and that was the problem.

Usually I can pace myself. That's what makes me so productive, in fact. I can work at my own speed, and when I need a break I can take one. Today it was different, because I needed a break more than I ever have in my life, but I was so loaded with tasks that had to get done that I didn't have time for a nap.

This was work that I'd sail through like butter on a normal day, but on a day like this, when my head keeps bobbing, it might as well be molasses I'm trying to sail through. (Instead of butter, I mean.) Easy becomes hard when all I want to do is lie down and close my eyes. Hard becomes impossible.

So I didn't get everything on my list done today. And I didn't get a nap. That's why it was such a dreadful day, but I made it through and I'm looking forward to tomorrow when the to-do list will be shorter and maybe I can pace myself a little better.

One thing I'm trying to do to make my own life easier is cut down on the caffeine. In fact, I didn't drink any regular coffee today, just one cup of decaf and a lot of herbal tea. That might make sleeping easier tonight, but it also might have contributed to the feeling I had all afternoon that I wasn't alert enough to react to a crisis. It's a good thing there weren't any crises then, isn't it? It's also a good thing there were no foul balls hit into my section of the stands.