The year is over (in my head anyway).

There are 49 more days to go before Christmas, and when all you worry about is what menu to create for Noche Buena, what shirt to wear for the Christmas work-do (is it that Mr P. green shirt or the Rag and Bone Terry polo?) and whether you can shave off two more kilograms in two weeks because you’ve stopped eating rice, then the year is truly done.

Work isn’t, but it now marches on its own timed, ticking beat until the 24th, and then everyone goes away as they do in New Zealand, leaving your inbox filled with out-of-office replies.

But not so for the builders who are most likely feeling the looming pinch of lingering projects. After taking their time completing a small ensuite, they’ve picked up the pace for the last three builds and have given us a completion target of eight days.

Eight days; need to go bathroom accessory shopping!