#100 Things in 20 Minutes Challenge

A Challenge has been passed around among many of the Vocal creators in our social groups, and after I read two of them I decided I’d take it on- it sounded like fun. But it's about yucky foods and just thinking about it sounds gaggy.

I'd need to pick something that I don't really dislike (aka: cheaters never win!) or else risk it just to be part of the crowd. While I am co-dependent like that I thought "Hey self! Didn't you do a challenge on that *other* platform? Why, yes you did! Let's share it and maybe some other folks here on @Vocal will give it try?!"

So I looked it up, and here it is. If any Vocal creators are reading this, please let me know if you take up the #100Things Challenge, too. You set a timer and start typing. (ProTip: after you write the first 'thing', highlight it and format it as a bulleted line. Then just keep going and the marvelous Vocal platform keeps count for you!)

Note that this is a personal Challenge to keep your writing skills limber and perhaps shake loose a few topics for future writing. This is NOT an official Vocal Challenge. (Good news! That means it NEVER STOPS- so join in anytime!)

Here's my slightly edited original entry. You can tell that I was already in trouble based on the header....

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I can EASILY write 20 things in 100 minutes: no problem.

Just before starting I decided to look up the post from Paul Comb that motivated me to take it on, because it seemed like something was off. I remembered it being longer than 20 things, so I needed to check it out.

S0. Very. Wrong!

It’s 100 things in 20 minutes. Still; a decision is a decision and I start now!

1. Why do I do this to myself?
2. 100 things. It sounds like a lot but I think 100 things every hour, I just need to catch them and write them.
3. I wish I had a Diet Coke for this.
4. I’m in a Pepsi hotel, and that is annoying to Diet Coke people. Diet Pepsi tastes nothing like Diet Coke.
5. Coke Zero tastes nothing like Diet Coke.
6. I’m in trouble, that’s only 5 things… and I think I’m stretching that as it is.
7. Michigan is home to Little Caesar’s Pizza and Domino Pizza. According to the boxes in the recycle bins each week my street is a Dominos street.
8. I seem to remember that Walmart used to do a presentation for stockholders to determine the state of the economy based on the roadkill left along the road- so making sales projections from road refuse has a precedent. More road kill on the road means less desperate people taking it home to eat.
9. This is a horrible thing, Walmart. Although it reminds me of Granny and the Beverly Hillbillies.
10. I wonder if that could have been two thoughts? Rats.
11. I wonder if I can prove that Michigan sells more Dominos than Little Caesars through sales figures?
12. I wonder if I will remember to look for that after I finish this?
13. And that is only 12 things. I am in trouble here.
14. The most boring hymn is ‘Jacob’s Ladder (insert link here, Judey) Update: link inserted.
15. The most boring Beatles song is ‘Hey Jude’ because of the drawn out ending.
16. With my name I’ve listened to ‘Hey Jude’ countless times. Too. Long!
17. I know that serial killers were participants on the ‘Dating Game’. I wonder if any were on ‘What’s My Line?’ or “The Newlywed Game’?
18. Do men urinate after moving their bowels, or is that only women? Is that some weird survival instinct?
19. I wonder if I will remember to look that up after this?
20. And I’m a fifth of the way through this.
21. Why is a fifth of whiskey called a fifth? Is there a fourth of whiskey?
22. I learned how to send signals to my partner when my dad taught me pinochle. Some say that’s cheating- I say it was a bonding moment in a life of too few such things.
23. I need to pick a new favorite book, no one knows what I am talking about when I tell them the truth.
24. My favorite book is The Tree That Sat Down/The Stream That Stood Still.
25. I know- you never heard of it. (Insert link here later) (Update, this link was for the two books in one edition and it's no longer available.)
26. I’ve decided that going back and inserting links is not cheating. I’m supposed to write 100 things, no one said anything about inserting links.
27. Loop holes! Love them!
28. Rats- I thought this was #30 before I looked up. Five minutes down and not even at 30.
29. Still isn’t 30.
30. Huzzah! 30.
31. Not sorry for those last few entries.
32. I used Lyft for the first time yesterday. Survived. Adulted and did something kids do. Still ridiculously pleased with myself.
33. Maybe I should write a tutorial for people of a certain age that aren’t sure how to use rideshare thingees?
34. I wonder if I will remember to look into that after I finish this?
35. It’s 2:20 in Tacoma, and I am the last room on this floor. The housekeeping service is still in the hall going strong. Is this late?
36. How did people figure out that glass could be blown? What horrible injuries happened as they created the craft?
37. Note- research blown glass.
38. Can whales blow glass? Sure the logistics of molten glass+ water are probably not ideal, but they are mammals. Could they do it with some help? They have enough force, I would think.
39. I refuse to buy ice cube trays that make skinny cubes to fit in my steel water bottle.
40. I am disappointed that the water in my bottle is often tepid- but still- I’m not gonna get another kitchen thing that I will forget about using.
41. Do I have a funnel to put crushed ice into the bottle?
42. Maybe I’m ok to buy a funnel. Still won’t get special trays.
43. And I thought I was half way through. Nope.
44. Speaking of Paul Combs: one of his thoughts was about sparkly vampires. I head Stephenie Meyer read ‘Twilight’ when it was just published. Vampires avoid the sun, they die and don’t sparkle. I predicted that the book would not go far. What do I know!?
45. Note- I don’t always hit a home run on my instincts.
46. Do people use hair dryers? If I used a hair dryer I would look like a brunette dandelion.
47. I did not know that planes have usb plug-in places for each seat. No need for the outlet plug part. That is nice.
48. As nice as having a usb place, one still needs the correct head on the charging cord.
49. A micro usb thing doesn’t work with an Apple phone.
50. Many ladies’ rooms have outlets but they are usually right above the faucets. That is unsafe.
51. They still work, though. Just have to stand there and hold the phone while it charges enough to request a Lyft.
52. Requesting a Lyft from the ladies room is not a good idea unless the ladies’ room is in the parking lot of the airport. These Lyft drivers are speedy.
53. Climbing up on the seat in an airplane is one way to have people offer to help you reach stuff.
54. Or maybe they were afraid that I would fall on them?
55. I use four fingers to type with, and I type pretty fast. I type faster when I don’t concentrate on where the letters are, so likely that means I can type without looking at the keyboard.
56. Not gonna happen. I need to look right at the ‘g’ and ‘h’ keys while I type- those keys will never get away on my watch.
57. I do NOT type loudly or angrily. I prefer to describe it as decisive or emphatic typing.
58. Telling the waitress that I am eating low-carb feels weird, but has always turned out well. So why do I think I am weird to say it?
59. Mt. Rainier is right outside my window, or maybe 100+ miles a way. I guess I don’t really know- but it looks like it is just hanging in the air. I wonder if there is a word for that?
60. Would an article about visuals illusions be a good idea?
61. I wonder if I will remember that idea after I finish this? (Update- she did not, in fact, remember she wrote this, or any of these ideas)
62. I wonder if I’ve used that too often even though it applies to several different wonders?
63. Is it one-wonder-fits-all?
64. I’m going to meet Tracy Kidder this week. I hope that, when I tell him I’ve long-admired his writing I will also remember the names of his books at the same time.
65. Sometimes it’s hard to remember the title and the author when faced with excellence.
66. I once saw Stephen King sing with the band the ‘rock bottom remainders’. Dave Barry and Amy Tan were also there that night, along with many others.
67. I remember Stephen King most of all: he wore a silver halo headband and sang ‘Teen Angel’. That made quite an impression.
68. Are there any angels in Stephen King books? Outright angels, not implied angels, like in ‘The Stand’.
69. Implied Angels might be a good band name.
70. Thirty to go in 8 more minutes.
71. If someone double dog dared me to do this again, would I do it?
72. Why does a Challenge appeal to me? I should be writing other stuff instead of this.
73. Will You (the reader, natch) write one of these because you read this?
74. What power does Paul Combs possibly have that his article led to this? Could that power be bottled and used for good?
75. Bottle Paul Combs is not a good band name.
76. Pierce McIntyre also wrote one of these and encouraged me to do one.
77. If Paul and Pierce asked me to jump off a bridge would I do it? Of course not.
78. Well, I guess that depends on how high the bridge was. I could do a very very very un-high bridge. Like a footpath bridge.
79. Why is Oktoberfest in September?
80. I’m sorry I missed Carol’s Oktoberfest this year.
81. I have a wedding coming up in October, not Oktober. I need to meet with the couple.
82. I officiate weddings.
83. One of my most memorable weddings had a Disney theme, complete with fairy godmother bridal attendants who threw glitter during the ceremony.
84. Glitter is the herpes of the craft world. Once it’s out there you never quite get rid of it.
85. Note to self- check for glitter in the folder you use for weddings.
86. I used to sing at weddings- I was a soprano, now I think I would be hard-pressed to sing contralto.
87. If I exercised my voice by singing would I be able to hit those nots again? Or not? (Update: NOT is the correct answer)
88. What is really exercised when someone practices singing? Do some throat cords get tighter?
89. Throat Cords is not a perfect name for a band, but it’s not horrible either.
90. I started to write a book when I was in fifth grade. I remember nothing but the title: ‘Senile at 13’. I don’t know why I picked that, but somehow I believe I peaked back then.
91. Full disclosure- I am now at 21 minutes, so technically failed the Challenge. I’ma gonna finish anyways.
92. I miss marshmallows. I’ve heard there are Keto marshmallows. I wonder if they taste of sadness?
93. Taste of Sadness is a good name for a high school band.
94. I have never been in a band. Maybe it’s because they would be afraid I’d want to decide on the name?
95. Listen- if Tracy could be in the Partridges band and just whap on the tambourine every once in a while, I should be able to be in a band, even though my voice is flabby and unexercised.
96. The Partridges really isn’t that great of a band name, either, just fyi.
97. How often does the average (edited to be:)Vocal writer check their stats page in a day? A week?
98. I wonder if I’ve learned anything doing this Challenge?
99. I know that all four of my typing fingers are tired- that’s for sure.
100. I wonder if anyone is going to leave any comments, and how many times I’ll check today to see if they have?

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If you are limbered up, perhaps you'd be interested in the 2023 Vocal Writer Awards. Details are here:

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