MissWho, I find that story to be a really good metaphor for my ADD brain! It’s not like I’m completely off topic, just….on the previous channel! 
As for the out-the-door problem, it’s definitely one of my biggest hurdles.
Interestingly, I find that if the event in question is a one-time thing the odds are much higher I’ll arrive on time. (Because I have to rely on outside info only to estimate the time needed. Example: a doctor’s appointment in a place I’ve never been. One with one of those “Please arrive fifteen minutes early….” OK, sure. First appointment: On time!
Then after that, I’ve “figured out” I don’t need the full fifteen minutes for the paperwork – maybe there won’t be any! And I’ve “figured out” that Google Maps’ time estimate is just an estimate – I’ll get there faster! Somehow! And I’ve “figured out” that they don’t mind if I’m five minutes late! Because, well, when I sign in the blank that says Appointment Time with “9:30” and then the blank that says Arrival Time with “9:47,” they never whip the clipboard away and smack me on the hands with it…
But maybe they should. And of course if they start charging a late fee, I will probably start being on time again….
We have an expression in our house we love: “To the pain.” Those who are geeky/old enough will remember that it comes from The Princess Bride.
To the pain: It’s where they set the meter on the torture machine. It’s a great unit of measure for just about anything in life. Your commute, your job, the price you’ll pay for the cell phone contract, the number of steps in your Christmas Card routine….it’s all “to the pain.” Everything is determined by some mysterious awesomeness/hassle ratio, determined by you but often cannily calculated by salespeople as well. Why does Apple charge 30.00 for every accessory? To the pain! Why do I live in a place where every grocery store is fifteen minutes away and every appointment 25 minutes away? To the pain! Why does the gas gauge have to be on steady orange and not just flickering orange before I will stop and fill up? To the pain, and I guess now I will have to go to the gas station, rather than waiting for one to happen along on my route to the doctor’s appointment I am late for….
Wow, overly long post. I’m thinking maybe the question I had earlier – did I take the pill, or just get the bottle out? – is being answered…