TIME is of the essence.

Always. Running for work, running for the school bus, running to get all of us out the door.

Whatever we're doing it's at speed, five minutes late and trying to be achieved without forgetting something, losing something or missing someone.

Christmas compounds this punctuality problem.

The clock has been ticking towards the Big Day for weeks already. Which is always a problem – that illusion of lots of time can be tricky if you fall into the disorganised category.

Anyone who juggles a working life with looking after small children will happily regale you with how little actual 'me' time they get (just as soon as they get a minute).

But with Christmas comes a lengthy list of add-ons to the already cluttered list of things to do.

Buying the presents, wrapping the presents, kitting out the kids, remembering the parties, the nativity shows, the dinners and where the damn Sellotape is, is fraught.

Putting pen to paper and actually writing a list is one of those things they always urge you to do when you're overwhelmed by the things that need done.

The theory goes that simply getting it down on paper is a therapy in itself.

So! Feat accomplished. List is written. As of yet there are only a few smug ticks.

But with Jobs To Be Done committed to paper, which is halfway to actually getting it done apparently, I skipped off to the dentist.

Two wisdom teeth have been giving me gyp and a hospital X-ray was required.

What joy; a waiting room, a good book, no children.

It is surely a sad day, though, when an offer to remove one of said problem wisdom teeth on the spot (a cancellation in the diary) gives rise to an immediate thought of further indulgence in 'me' time.

Fifteen minutes for the jag to kick in is clearly an opportunity to squeeze in another chapter of said book.

And in the daytime too.

My morning out could only have been improved with a Starbucks or a Costa in the clinic's waiting room to help ease away the stresses and strains of the morning chaos.

The troublesome wisdom tooth that had impacted on another tooth came out in a jiffy.

I was hoping for an offer of a wee half hour in the waiting room to make sure there were no complications but sadly, no such proposal was forthcoming.

Still, next week the other one comes out. I might even manage a stop off for coffee on the way in just to help the big day out go smoothly.

Then I'll get round to tackling that list.