Sunyay! Digest: Is Micky a prostitute now?
Plus, T. Swift's chai cookie has no business being this delicious, your next walking podcast and signing up for things I have no business signing up for.
I don’t know what I was thinking, I guess I was drunk on those real good back to school feelings, but I had no business signing up for my girl’s classroom parties. I’m not crafty and I overwhelm easy in the midst of chaos. And yet, as we went around visiting our girl’s new classrooms, I walked right up to the sign-up sheet and slapped my name up for Lucy’s fall party and Poppy’s spring party. I turned around with a self-satisfied, do-gooder look on my face when Rob said flatly, “Cool, looking forward to you forgetting you signed up for these and then panic begging me to do it.”
Wow, I thought. This man knows me well.
In my defense, I thought I signed up to “help” - maybe bring in some snacks or paper plates. Give kids high fives at the Halloween cookie decorating station, that sort of thing. And while I did, in fact, forget I signed up for the party, it wasn’t until parent teacher conferences last week when I was also informed I signed up to “lead” the party, not just help. Meaning, I was to plan the event and implement it. Was this in the fine print? I’VE BEEN SCAMMED.
Listen, Lucy started Kindergarten during COVID when parent’s were barely allowed to loiter in the parking lot, let alone go inside and throw a party. I’ve had zero experience and in way over my skis.
Luckily, another mom who’d been around the classroom party block more than once also signed up, saving me from a full blown downward spiral of regret. I invited her over to my place for coffee so we could get this thing nailed down and moments before she was to arrive, I brewed the coffee, but felt like I should be a better host and set out some scones or something. Sadly, I didn’t have scones. Or olives. I had cheese, but no crackers. And unless I could figure out a nice way to put out Oscar Meyer deli ham, I had to think fast. So, like an idiot, I decided to start baking cookies 30 minutes before she was set to arrive and even weirder— decided to try Taylor Swift’s chai cookie recipe. Apparently years ago, when Taylor was famous but not mega famous, she had a Tumblr and posted this recipe. Someone unearthed it and it went viral again, so here we are.
This cookie is better than it should be. I ate half the cookie dough and had little leftover for actual cookies. I ate two during our meeting and she ate none so there’s that, but she did happily take some home to her family and I’m secretly hoping she pounded them all in the car and didn’t even tell them about it.
So here’s me panic baking in real time and here’s the recipe I used.
As for the rest of my life, things have been a little exciting, hard and uncertain, but I’m still doing my best and following the bread crumbs.
Here’s how I’m nourishing my mind:
I’m investing in friendships.
Listen, I’m the classic “want to be invited, but definitely not coming” friend, but you just can’t keep that kind of reputation and expect to have fruitful relationships. While I was building my platform, my friendships weren’t even close to a priority, and I also know how hard it is to get out of the house when you have small children.
But for the first time since my twenties, I see the treasure in good friendships. I’m not so sure social media connects us as well as we think it does. In a lot of ways, I think it gives us faux connections— a hit of dopamine that disappears like a wisp of smoke.
I’ve not only reinvested in friendships I’ve had all along, but I’m pushing myself into new social circles. Last year, a woman called my publicist and asked if I could attend their book club in person since they were reading my book. I went, had THE BEST time, and then boldly asked if it would be weird if joined their club. It was a little weird, but in a good way? Many of those women happen to be professional marketing powerhouses, who then went on to throw me a launch party for my second book that was so incredible, I could weep just thinking about it.
I’m not saying you should join clubs so people can do you favors. But miracles do seem to happen when we invest in relationships. How can God use us to help and nourish people, or use people to help and nourish us, if we never get around people?
I don’t want to be so obsessed with my writing career, I miss the fullness of what life has to offer. And what’s better than a friend?
Here’s how I’m nourishing my body:
My weight has stalled at 153 for almost two weeks and it’s totally fine. Don’t care at all. Not even a little BUT SERIOUSLY GET OFF THE 153 AND LIVE A LITTLE BODY.
I started around 175 and my goal at the time was to get to 145. Once I get there, I’ll assess if it would be better for my body to be a bit lower.
Still strength training, HIIT and walking 10K steps a day, even when my weight stalls and things get boring.
Are you walking with me?
Let’s Walk!
Set your goal to 10K steps a day. You don’t gotta get weird out there, just enjoy yourself.
Here’s our Episode Six, in the I’m Not Ready for This walk with me series, “Never Ready for the First Day.”
Here’s how I’m nourishing my spirit:
With discipline. I’m convinced, now, more than ever— that a disciplined life is a happy life. Some disciplines I’ve got locked down, like my workout schedule— but other things are slippery, like efficiently using my “work” time during the day, financial discipline, etc. I know God’s love and grace are mine abundantly, no matter what I do. But it feels so right to be a good steward of His gifts. I’m doing my best for Him, and it makes me feel good.
Question of the week:
Is Micky a Prostitute Now?
Question asked when I attended a multi-book club event for my latest book, I’m Not Ready for This this past week.
What happened to Micky in Chapter 5? Is she a prostitute now? Dead? In prison? I can’t stop thinking about her!
My Answer:
For those who don’t know who Micky is, in Chapter 5 of I’m Not Ready for This, “Micky’s Gotta Gun,” I share a loss of innocence story about a girl in my elementary class named “Micky.” Even as a young child, I knew that something must not be right at home because Micky would do anything and I mean ANYTHING to get attention. The boys would egg her on to do truly naughty stuff (like locking our teacher in a dark closet) and I would passively participate, nervous, scared, sad and exhilarated all at the same time.
One day, her mom called and asked if Adrienne could come over and play. I was at Adrienne’s house at the time, so her mom sent us over for a couple hours. We heard rumors Micky’s parent’s were abusive, so we were scared to go, but we did and without giving the chapter away, she brought us to her parent’s room and introduced us to a “closet of horrors.” The last time Adrienne and I had lunch she told me she thinks of that day and still feels the trauma.
I reached out to my childhood friends to see if they knew what happened to Micky before the book went to press as Google searches gave me scant results, and it looks like she’s not dead or a hooker! She’s married, with kids, still living in that area. I haven’t reached out to her, but I hope she’s happy, safe and secure. For now, it appears, she is.
Have a question for me too? Ask away in the comments or reply to this email.
PS: If you’d like more info on this endeavor, offerings and my heart behind it, check out the updated about page.
And, of course, the best way to support me is to not only buy my books, but to get a copy for your friends and family to help support my mission to spread laughter.
Have we met? I’m Anna Lind Thomas, a humor writer out of Omaha, Nebraska. I’m listed as one of USA Today’s top ten funniest women writers, and author of the best selling book We’ll Laugh About This (Someday) and my latest - I’m Not Ready for This. Once you read them, text me (number’s in the back and I respond!). Don’t forget to say hi on Facebook and Instagram.