So it was midnight Tuesday, and I shut off Tarzan and the Great River halfway through, long before the part where Mike Henry lays a whole heap’a whup-ass on Rafer Johnson.

That was my first mistake.

Then I turned on my computer, thinking I’d get some late-night work done.

Second mistake.

And in my braindead, just-before-bedtime mental state, I started fiddling with my website.

Big freakin’ third mistake.

Within seven minutes, Deb was out of bed and cradling me in her arms while I mewled plaintively like a lost kitten.

Not pretty.

Funny how sticking an itty-bitty piece of computer code in the wrong spot can ef-up your life, huh?

The good news is I put the kibosh on my website crisis by mid-morning.

Bad news is I’d lost sleep, tested my wife’s patience, stressed out the dog, chewed my fingernails down to the quick, shot my blood pressure skyward, and dealt myself a merciless verbal beating.

And Wednesday, I was wasted and totally useless.

All because I hadn’t recognized my limitations.

Maybe I’m a “night person,” but that doesn’t mean I oughta take a crack at intricate surgery in the wee hours.

So here’s my tip for the day…

If you’ve really been hitting it hard — whatever “it” is at the moment — allow yourself some downtime.

Take a breather.

Veg out with a book or in front of the tube for awhile.

If you’re more health-inclined, take a walk, exercise, or toss the ol’ pigskin around with your kid.

Most important, acknowledge that there are times you’ve just gotta ease off the throttle.

As I learned this week, that “quick fix” on your website should probably wait until morning, when you’re operating at full capacity.

I’m gonna take a nap.