As I quickly flossed my teeth at a red light just a few days ago -- I did have the wherewithall to be sure no one was watching -- I realized how acute my time crunch has become. Practicing good dental hygiene at an intersection isn't a great idea, but it exemplifies my desperate need for MORE time. I have not a single milli-second to be squandered. And the multitasking must keep pace.

What am I doing wrong? I make lists. I've given up procrastinating. I try to plan ahead with meals. I'm part of multiple car pools staffed by other frazzled moms so as to minimize our time as chauffeurs. If I could, I'd get a jump on the next work day while I sleep.

But I've come to realize that no matter how organized I am, life happens. Grandparents become ill. The dog chews up the electric bill. The bathtub won't drain. The ballerina is at the dance studio, but the pointe shoes are at home. The job runs late. The roast planned for today's supper isn't in the freezer; then I remember it was Sunday dinner two weeks ago.

I'm still in a book club, and we meet this Friday -- one of the last luxuries of leisure time I've allowed myself. I've read approximately 11 pages of Amy Tan's "Saving Fish From Drowning.'' Perhaps the title could apply to my own life as it is now. Yet I'll go, even if I haven't finished the first chapter and don't really have the time, and hope that the other female compatriots at the table will throw me a lifesaver. I need one.