Hi, I’m Laura, and I’m fried. Like totally burned out. I took a few days off from social media, gave myself some grace about home and family chores, and abandoned daily writing goals. I feel a little better.

The past 14 months have been a ton of work. Ian still isn’t in school full time, so Steve and I are driving him around to various therapies, activities, and tutors — anything to keep him busy — all afternoon. At the end of June, he’ll transition into a work-social skill program, which he’ll need before he goes to college. It’s going to be a full day program!! I won’t have to worry about him until 3:30 every day!! I can’t tell you how much we need this.

We’re prepping the house for new siding and windows. The family compound is getting a face lift! Pictures to come. Like any house job, the prep work is the worst. It took me a year to find a contractor that I liked. Mike and I picked out doors and window trim last week.

I’m also working on a book, pitching agents, selling books, networking, making every day dinners, making a nice dinner for the folks, organizing the family on weekends, making sure Jonah followed up with with professor about a missing assignment, cleaning up for the cleaning lady, organizing a new parent’s organization for the school, speaking at school board meetings, keeping track of everyone’s vaccination schedule, and folding boxer shorts.

Like I said, I’m fried.

So, I’m cutting back on the responsibilities. I’m not accepting freelance work for a couple of months. I’m going to spend a little less time on twitter. My work priority will be rewriting Chapter One. Book selling is in that grey area between hobby and work; I like it most days, so I’ll keep doing that. (I bought a 54 book reference set for $15 this weekend; I’ll set it for $500.)

Blogs and newsletters are also in that grey area between hobby and work. I seem to specialize in grey area employment. I’m staying here, but might take off more days here and there.

I also need to concentrate on personal wellness. So, I’m taking the time to cut up the fresh strawberries and walk with a friend in the woods. I’m reading books, not BuzzFeed articles. But healthy can’t mean too much work, because that’s exhausting, too.

Burned out with finding new places to hikes and explore on weekends, Steve and I dragged Ian to a dive bar on Sunday for pizza and beer. It was one of those places with the ballgame and the lotto games on the TVs, the regulars at the bar drinking Coors, and RC cola on tap. I was feeling guilty about drinking at noon on a Sunday, but a very wise friend told me that drinking during on a Sunday is actually called “brunch,” so it’s all good.

It’s been a tough year for all of us. For many, the tough year is going on Year Two. It’s okay to take some time off and lower expectations. Dive Bar Sundays, aka Sunday Brunches, are a good thing.