100 Things in 20 Minutes

Hey, creators!

Let’s see how a journalist fares, shall we?

Part of being a reliable reporter is being able to write quickly and accurately. I am asked nearly every day to think fast and write faster. That’s not to say I’m always successful, but I sure do get a heck of a lot of practice.

My mind is constantly interrupting itself. There's a lot going on up there. Whether I’ll let myself put that complete lot on paper (or screen) remains to be seen.

Here goes.

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1. OK. So. Gosh, I’m nervous.

2. Surprise, I have anxiety.

3. Always have, but it took a big-girl job and the real world to realize it.

4. I’m still learning to navigate it.

5. Learning to navigate a lot of things right now.

6. I like this stage of my life, but it’s not easy.

7. Two years post-college, new boyfriend, house, job.

8. They’re less new now, but still rough around the edges.

9. The house has wacky hedges.

10. The trees are just a mess.

11. The fence only has three sides, so the dog can’t run free.

12. His name is Klaus, by the way.

13. I love him to death.

14. He’s my first dog. I’m still navigating that, too.

15. He’s a little weirdo. Little goof.

16. I bet he’s on the couch right now.

17. He’s not allowed on the couch.

18. But I walked in on him getting comfy there last night.

19. So, we figured, why not let him enjoy it?

20. We don’t sit in that room so much anymore anyway.

21. We spend a lot of time in our bedroom.

22. My boyfriend has a thing for I Love Lucy.

23. I haven’t seen it all like he has, so I’ve been catching up.

24. Our room is so much bigger than in our last apartment.

25. I don’t know what to do with all the space.

26. I want a big, giant teal rug to fill the floor.

27. And maybe a chest for all of our blankets.

28. My mom made me a t-shirt quilt before I left home.

29. Home is Baltimore.

30. Well, outside Baltimore.

31. There was an alpaca farm across the street from our house.

32. My brothers helped herd a loose one once.

33. That’s a story for another day.

34. Anyways, I like that place. That house.

35. It’s really where I grew up. Birthdays, Christmases, first dates, first car drives.

36. I hate driving.

37. I think I’d like it more if my car was filled with dogs.

38. If I imagine I’m a potato chip on a conveyor belt, the interstate is more fun.

39. Geez, I gotta speed this up.

40. My favorite color is blue.

41. I have a lot of denim shirts.

42. Less now, though, because I had too many.

43. I was starting to look like an old lady.

44. Old soul, maybe. I’m not old.

45. I don’t feel old. My birthday is in the fall.

46. I like leaves and sweaters and soup.

47. And grilled cheese. With all the cheeses.

48. And hot chocolate with extra whipped cream.

49. And sandwiches in general.

50. I like peanut butter and jelly pocket sandwiches.

51. I have a squish tool so I can make my own at home.

52. I’m sitting in our bedroom now.

53. I got us a new blanket for the bed that’s hecka soft.

54. Gotta love Home Goods. They save me every time.

55. My boyfriend is good at picking out the art.

56. One wall has a giant painting of horses.

57. It’s abstract and orange.

58. The opposite wall also has an orange image.

59. But I picked this one out.

60. I think it’s called Flaming June.

61. By Frederic Somebody.

62. She’s beautiful. The woman in that painting.

63. She reminds me of the woman in Dante Gabriel Rosetti’s paintings.

64. My dad used to say I looked like that muse.

65. Maybe that’s why I bought this one.

66. But she’s perfect for the room.

67. And in the corner is a little framed embroidery piece.

68. A small town with a church and a pond in fall trees.

69. The pond has ducks. Or swans.

70. So, that’s orange, too.

71. Our curtains are teal.

72. The bed is black.

73. It’s cozy in here.

74. It’ll be cozier when he gets home.

75. I love him so much.

76. It’s been a rough week, but we just need each other.

77. Can’t stand each other some days.

78. He hates it when I don’t do the dishes.

79. I hate doing the dishes.

80. Our dishwasher is broken, so that doesn’t help us out much.

81. I like laundry, though. I like warm clothes.

82. I like warm sun on my skin.

83. I like long walks with the dog.

84. Did I tell you his name?

85. His name is Klaus.

86. Yes, a German boy. A guard dog at heart.

87. We’re going to get him a sister soon.

88. I think we decided on Zelda. That’s spunky.

89. I like Hilda, too.

90. I love that Netflix show.

91. It’s so beautiful.

92. And the same color scheme as our room!

93. I crack myself up.

94. Sometimes I laugh to myself and the dog looks at me funny.

95. We spend a lot of time together.

96. I want us to hike more mountains.

97. He likes the outdoors.

98. One day we’ll finish the fence for him.

99. And maybe he’ll finally learn to fetch.

100. He’s the best boy in the world.

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Ha! And with three-plus minutes to spare!

I’m not proud of my brevity here. But we’ve proven, I think, that I can get the job done.

My anxiety is all over line 39. And I promise I don’t have short-term memory loss. I just really wanted you to know that the dog had a name. It’s Klaus, by the way…

All joking aside, this challenge has shown me that I am and I love lots of things. And I can’t wait to delve into each of those things, create stories and share them with you.

Thanks for reading!

Emma

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This entry was written in response to the personal challenge issued by Judey Kalchik, #100Thingsin20Minutes: "You set a timer and start typing."