Nicole and Sasheer’s Hot Tub Time Machine

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata

Episode: Nicole and Sasheer’s Hot Tub Time Machine
Date: April 15, 2026
Host: Headgum

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Episode Overview

This episode of Best Friends is a lively mix of friendship reflections, hilarious anecdotes, nostalgic trips, and heartfelt advice. Nicole and Sasheer recap their recent “Creamy Girl Weekend” on the East Coast, including misadventures in themed hotels and school visits. They muse on hotel design, animated bee movies, and the charm of kitschy experiences. The episode closes with classic candid listener advice, addressing heavy friendship rifts, living situations, and that most classic dilemma: how to tell your friend their breath stinks.

The tone is irreverent, honest, and heartfelt, with Nicole and Sasheer’s chemistry and genuine affection at the core.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Summer, Bugs, and “Lazy Bee” (00:14–06:51)

• Wardrobe Finds & Summer Heat: Nicole finds a forgotten shirt; both lament and love the summer heat. The conversation sets the easygoing tone, riffing on clothes, walks with Nicole’s dog Clyde, and “sneaky” bugs seeking refuge in Sasheer’s house.
• Bugs Inside: Sasheer recounts calmly dealing with intruding wasps and the saga of painter’s tape as a bug deterrent.
• Bee Movie Pitch: Sparked by bug talk, Nicole pitches “Brenda the Bumblebee,” an animated movie about a lazy worker bee:
  • Nicole: “Maybe your hobby is squeezing your bug body into tiny little cracks.” (03:10)
  • Nicole: “Somebody make it. Not with AI, please. Somebody who animates. Make it animatic for us for free.” (04:17)
• Pendulum on AI Art: Both express hope that audiences will reject AI-created content in favor of genuine artistry.
  • Sasheer: “I hope that also, like, is ingrained in art where people are like, I want to see it actually animated or actually like a computer generated or whatever.” (05:18)

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2. Martial Arts, Jet Li, & Movie Nostalgia (06:56–09:28)

• Where Are the International Movie Stars? Nicole reminisces about action icons like Jet Li and Jackie Chan, noting their rarity now.
• Jet Li Appreciation: Nicole recently watched a Jet Li film (“The One”) and is now “a Jet Li head.” She describes the plot and its wild early-2000s soundtrack (Papa Roach, “Last Resort”).
  • Nicole: “This is a movie where Jet Li plays a bad guy who is hopping into alternate timelines to kill the alternate version of himself to take their powers.” (08:05)
• Spy Kids Recommendation: Nicole is shocked Sasheer hasn’t seen it.

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3. Creamy Girl Weekend: School Reunions & Tub Hijinks (09:28–20:13)

• High School Visit: Nicole is amazed that her old school has dropped iconic spicy chicken and Otis Spunkmeyer cookies. Both reflect on how quiet, well-behaved today’s students seem compared to their own rowdier high school days.
  • Nicole: “Fresh baked cookies as you walk the halls at 9am … oh my God. Might as well have me there at sunrise.” (10:16)
• Speaking to Drama Kids: The duo was impressed by the thoughtful questions students asked.
  • Nicole: “Nobody wants you to fail. So if you just have that in the back of your brain...” (14:46)
  • Sasheer: “This is a rare moment where I actually thought about the question before I answered it.” (14:20)
• The Champagne Jacuzzi Quest: Nicole details her dream of bathing in a champagne-glass-shaped tub; after Poconos plans fail, Sasheer serendipitously finds a suitable (highly suspect) “love hotel” for them.
  • Nicole: “I loved the champagne tub so much… I don’t understand why everything is a gray box when you can have fun—a champagne fluted bathtub.” (16:59)
  • Sasheer: “Every room was blasting music. I loved it so much.” (17:26)
• Hygiene Concerns and Hot Water: Their hotel adventure is full of laughs, cleaning rituals, and accidental over-heating.
  • Nicole: “I got so hot. I was drinking water.” (19:33)

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4. Themed Hotels, Desire for Kitsch, & Business Schemes (26:00–29:41)

• Themed Hotel Dreams: They lament the lack of themed hotels like the Madonna Inn and brainstorm their own fantasy “shaped tub” hotel, with rooms ranging from clovers to Scooby-Doo.
  • Nicole: “Heart shaped tubs… Maybe every tub is a shape.” (28:05)
• Pole Dancing Struggles: Nicole updates on her pole dancing lessons, noting how hard it is to get skills “in your bones.”

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5. Moulin Rouge! & Broadway Inspiration (29:43–35:12)

• Seeing Bob the Drag Queen in Moulin Rouge: Both gush about the Broadway production, Bob’s performance, the elaborate sets, and the wish to be musical theater stars.
  • Sasheer: “It was like a pop up book.” (30:45)
• Singing Lessons and Vulnerability: Nicole discusses the fear of singing due to its objectivity, compared to comedy’s subjectivity.
  • Nicole: “There’s a definitive—you’re bad or you’re good... with comedy, it’s just like, maybe you’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but with singing, it’s pretty definitive.” (33:38)

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6. Food, Nostalgia, and Questionable Eats (35:52–42:31)

• Virgil’s Barbecue and Food Allergies: Nicole convinces Sasheer to eat at a Times Square staple where cross-contamination with shellfish is a real concern.
  • Sasheer: “I do taste the shrimp… any fry thing has been tainted.” (36:37)
• Nicole’s Dulled Senses: Nicole reveals she often can’t taste or smell food gone bad, leading to frequent, unintended rotten-food consumption. The stories include moldy bread, ancient ranch, and a twisty tie in a customer’s food.
  • Sasheer: “Of the people I know, you are someone who has eaten a lot of, like, rotten food.” (37:28)
  • Nicole: “I could buy an apple. I truly act like I’ve never had a penny to my name.” (38:15)
• Restaurant Gross-Outs: Both share wild stories of finding unwanted objects in food and awkward server responses.
  • Sasheer: “I was at a restaurant… eggs… and there was hair in my eggs. And the waitress was like, ‘Oh, I know who that belongs to.’” (41:58)

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7. Brunch Delights and Childhood Nostalgia (46:51–51:16)

• Ice Cream Cone Joy: Brunch at Mermaid Inn ends with Nicole living her best life—getting a sprinkle cone for breakfast.
  • Sasheer: “You looked really happy.” (47:08)
• Bowling Alley Memories: Nicole recounts the sticky, smoke-filled days of her youth.
• Smoking Initiations: Both discuss how, or in Sasheer’s case, how not, they started smoking.

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8. Listener Advice Segment (51:19–68:32)

A. Heavy Friendship Rift After Traumatic Event (51:28–60:33)

• Listener Issue: The caller describes a fraught roommate friendship, culminating in discovering a dead body together. Despite the trauma, emotional distance remains.
• Nicole’s Take: Recommends therapy but also honest communication: “Make a plan of action steps in order to save that friendship.” (55:02)
• Sasheer’s Take: Advocates for expressing a desire to “push a little reset button” and focus on what actually affects you vs. what’s just irksome.
  • Sasheer: “I do think talking about it and being like, ‘I just miss us… is it possible to get back to that?’” (57:36)

B. How to Tell a Friend They Have Bad Breath (60:39–68:18)

• Listener Issue: The “cursed nose” caller can’t stand their friend’s breath.
• Nicole & Sasheer Roleplay: Both struggle with the awkwardness of a direct approach.
  • Nicole: “When we were hanging out the other day, I was like, something smelled a little funky… I think it might be your breath.” (64:01)
  • Sasheer: “But if someone says something, you really are a true friend.” (65:28)
• Final Advice: Lie strategically! Use health or dentist concerns as an entry point (“I heard this podcast; they talked about dental health and I thought of you…”).
  • Nicole: “I honestly think… I think lying is it.” (66:50)
• Both agree: Avoiding the friend is a bigger loss; say something, however awkward.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Somebody make [Lazy Bee]. Not with AI, please. Somebody who animates.” – Nicole (04:17)
• “I loved the champagne tub so much… I don’t understand why everything is a gray box when you can have fun.” – Nicole (16:59)
• “Every room was blasting music. I loved it so much.” – Sasheer (17:26)
• “I can be a hotel.” – Nicole, on themed hotel dreams (27:25)
• “Nobody wants you to fail. So if you just have that in the back of your brain…” – Nicole, advice to high school drama students (14:46)
• “There’s a definitive—you’re bad or you’re good… with comedy, it’s just like, maybe you’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but with singing, it’s pretty definitive.” – Nicole (33:38)
• “Of the people I know, you are someone who has eaten a lot of, like, rotten food.” – Sasheer (37:28)
• “I do taste the shrimp … any fry thing has been tainted.” – Sasheer (36:37)
• “I think lying is it.” – Nicole, on breath honesty strategy (66:50)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:14–06:51: Bug stories, summer, and Lazy Bee pitch
• 06:56–09:28: Jet Li movies, martial arts, and nostalgia
• 09:28–20:13: Creamy Girl Weekend, high school visit, and champagne tub hotel adventure
• 26:00–29:41: Themed hotels & kitsch dreams, pole dancing updates
• 29:43–35:12: Moulin Rouge! review and dream of Broadway
• 35:52–42:31: Food nostalgia and adventures in eating rotten food
• 46:51–51:16: Brunch, ice cream cones, and bowling alley memories
• 51:19–60:33: Listener advice: heavy friendship/roommate trauma
• 60:39–68:32: Listener advice: telling a friend about bad breath

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Episode Tone & Takeaway

The episode, like all of Best Friends, is a joyous blend of absurdity, affection, nostalgia, and unfiltered real talk. Nicole and Sasheer effortlessly shift from wild hotel exploits and pole dancing woes to giving heartfelt guidance on life’s messiest problems—making this installment both a comedic treat and a balm for anyone dealing with friendship dilemmas.

Transcript

[Host]

This is a Headgum podcast.

[Nicole]

Hello, Sushi.

[Sasheer]

Hello, Nicole.

[Nicole]

How are you?

[Sasheer]

I'm good.

[Nicole]

How are you? I'm pretty good.

[Sasheer]

Okay.

[Nicole]

I was cleaning and I found this shirt. It was behind my hamper. Oh, can you believe?

[Sasheer]

Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky.

[Nicole]

It's from that costume liquidation thing.

[Sasheer]

Oh, yes.

[Nicole]

The outside one where it was too dang hot.

[Sasheer]

It was so hot. And there was nowhere to try clothes on inside.

[Nicole]

And I don't think I tried this one on at all, but it works. I love that It's a longer short sleeve.

[Sasheer]

Yes. Usually short sleeves are very short.

[Nicole]

Yes. This one's not. But it's not quite a three quarter sleeve.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. Wow. It's like a half sleeve.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. Like hitting the half Half of the arm.

[Nicole]

Yes. This is a half sleeve.

[Sasheer]

I love her. Yeah.

[Nicole]

I said, summer's here.

[Sasheer]

It's hot outside, girl.

[Nicole]

You're telling me.

[Sasheer]

It is so hot.

[Nicole]

Clyde and I went on a walk today and I was like, I know you're feeling better, but, like, we have to go back inside. I was wearing shorts.

[Sasheer]

Damn, it was hot. It's hot.

[Nicole]

My God. But I'm happy about it.

[Sasheer]

Yes. It's much better than rain or cold, thankfully.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Sasheer]

The bugs are also out too.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Sasheer]

Because it's so dang hot.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Sasheer]

And then they went inside my house.

[Nicole]

They were trying to find refuge from the heat, probably.

[Sasheer]

Yes.

[Nicole]

But little did they know, you don't turn your air on.

[Sasheer]

That is also true.

[Nicole]

They're like, God damn, it's hot in here, too.

[Sasheer]

That's probably why they were still in the window. Cause they were like, get me out of here, there's a breeze.

[Nicole]

So funny.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. It was like I found five wasps. There were two blue ones that I think they're. They were like mud something muds in their name. And then two yellow jackets and then one big daddy that I don't know what it's called. And they were thankfully very chill. Like, I just walked in the bathroom and they were on the window and I was like, hey, guys, I don't want you here. And I just, like, cranked open the window and they're like, bye. And they flew out.

[Nicole]

Well, maybe they were calm because they were like, well, this lady's a terrorist. The air's not on. We're really hot.

[Sasheer]

I'd rather be out there.

[Nicole]

We gotta get outside. And maybe if we're calm, she'll just let us out.

[Sasheer]

Like, I want any trouble. I just want to go back outside.

[Nicole]

Now they're outside telling their friends are like, don't go in there.

[Sasheer]

I hope so. Spread the word. Don't come in the house. But I did. You told me to put painter's tape on the edge of the window. Cause I had an inspector come by and they're like, it's probably coming from the window, not from the bathroom vent. Cuz I was like coming from the vent and. And then I taped the window and they haven't been back since. So maybe they were crawling through the window. But like the crack that was like between the window and the G and the wall is so small that I'm like, I mean. But also bugs can get through anything. I guess.

[Nicole]

Yeah. And I guess if like you don't really have hobbies or like things to do, maybe your hobby is squeezing your bug body into tiny little cracks.

[Sasheer]

Concentrate on this. I'll spend.

[Nicole]

Well, you know, I procrastinated all day yesterday and I can, you know, I can believe a honeybee is like, I don't want to make more honey.

[Sasheer]

Can I do something else?

[Nicole]

Maybe if I get stuck in this house, the queen will forgive me.

[Sasheer]

The queen will forgive me.

[Nicole]

Well, isn't there a queen?

[Sasheer]

There is a queen.

[Nicole]

Oh, okay.

[Sasheer]

Yes.

[Nicole]

I was like, oh no.

[Sasheer]

But it was very funny. Like a bee coming back to the hive being like, I don't have any honey, but it's because I got locked in the house. You have to understand.

[Nicole]

Wait, where's this movie? Where's this movie about this little worker bee who didn't want to work?

[Sasheer]

Ooh, I like it. Yeah. A lazy bee.

[Nicole]

A lazy bee. Oh my. And that's the name of it. Lazy Bee.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh my God. Brenda the bumblebee doesn't want to work.

[Sasheer]

They're like, brenda, get back to work. Everyone's working their ass off. And she's like working their sting off.

[Nicole]

Somebody make it. Not with AI, please. Somebody who animates. Make it animatic for us for free. Wait, I actually think. I really love this. I really love it too. So what's your guys next project? Brenda the Bumblebee.

[Sasheer]

Brenda the Bumblebee.

[Nicole]

Just picture this.

[Sasheer]

They're like, oh, okay.

[Nicole]

Oh, so you guys don't want to be in it? Well, our voices, but like no, no. Animation is the star. Yeah.

[Sasheer]

I think I'll take 16 years to make it. But we are dedicating our lives to it.

[Nicole]

It will take a. Animation takes a long time. So long. I, I mean I, I'm just absent minded and forget things. But I have voiced things and then got an email like two years later that like, here's the promo stuff. And I'm like, what? Like, oh, yeah, this didn't come out already. Oh, my God, somebody's in my eye.

[Sasheer]

Oh, no.

[Nicole]

Who is she?

[Sasheer]

Can you go to the bathroom? Brenda? Brenda flew in your eye?

[Nicole]

No, I think I'm good.

[Sasheer]

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, like, thankfully, I. I really do hope it does feel like there's like a pendulum swing where people are really opposed to seeing AI slop. And I hope that also, like, is ingrained in art where people are like, I don't want to see a movie that has an AI sequence. Or I don't want to see it. Like, I want to see it actually animated or actually like a computer generated or whatever.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Like an actual CGI artist creating it with the tools that it's. It's. I. I think you're right. I do think a pendulum swing is happening. I think a big one's gonna happen in four years.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

That is my prediction. I watched a movie with Jet Li in it. Here's my biggest question after watching that movie. Where are the international movie stars? We had Jet Li.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Jackie Chan. Yeah.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

The list ends there for me. I can't think of another one.

[Sasheer]

Well, I guess maybe that, that, like. No, yeah. I was gonna say that, like, martial arts style movies was like such a trend at one point. And even though we do have fight movies, I don't know if, like, they're specifically martial arts. Like that. Yeah, I guess we've moved to gun fu.

[Nicole]

We have moved to gun fu. You watch that John Wick documentary? I just rewatched the John Wicks, they're perfect. But this movie, the one with Jet Li, it's so fun. The fight sequences are truly incredible. There's some wire stuff that I was like, hey, now, that would never happen. But I was like, yeah. And then there's like Papa Roach on the soundtrack. What's that song?

[Sasheer]

I need a little bit more.

[Nicole]

I think. I think that's how it goes.

[Sasheer]

I feel like I'm getting it vaguely. Also having a hard time figuring out any Papa Roach song in my head.

[Nicole]

Ooh, what's the one I'm thinking of?

[Host]

Is it Last Resort?

[Nicole]

This is my last resort. Yes. That's the Papa Roach song I was thinking of. And then they had that song, Let the Bodies Hit the Floor. Let the. Was that the same one? Who's that?

[Sasheer]

Is that Papa. I don't think that's Papa Rich.

[Nicole]

Maybe not. It had a really great soundtrack to, like. I was dancing along with the movie and Then I was screaming about the fighting. I was so rowdy. That's fun. Truly so rowdy in my house.

[Sasheer]

That's fun. That's fun. Is this the movie where they zoom in and you can see an X ray of their bodies, like, their bones breaking?

[Nicole]

No, this is a movie where Jet Li plays a bad guy who is hopping into alternate timelines to kill the alternate version of himself to take their powers. And he's on trial, and they're like, you got the last one. We're gonna fry you up. And then his girlfriend comes and she releases a rat from her shoe. And then the rat does something, and then he, like, breaks free and goes to another alternate timeline. And in this one, there's one left. There's one left. But he's a good Jet Li and he's not a criminal like the other ones. And then they have to fight each other.

[Sasheer]

Oh, my goodness.

[Nicole]

And Jason Statham's in it. Oh, you are in Delroy Lindo. We love that. Ah, My good all star cast and the lady from Spy Kids. Wow, that's rude of me not to know her name. Carla something.

[Sasheer]

You watch Spy Kids?

[Nicole]

You've never seen Spy Kids?

[Sasheer]

I haven't.

[Nicole]

Spy Kids is a great time.

[Sasheer]

Ooh.

[Nicole]

I think you'd really like Spy Kids.

[Sasheer]

Okay.

[Nicole]

It's a fun movie. Yeah, it's silly. It knows what movie it is, and everyone's having a great time.

[Sasheer]

Great.

[Nicole]

Much like this Jet Li movie. The one.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I'm a Jet Li head now.

[Sasheer]

I see that.

[Nicole]

I texted you last night. I says, go flip your lid. And honestly, I stand by it.

[Sasheer]

I can't wait to watch.

[Nicole]

I'll watch it with you.

[Sasheer]

Okay, great.

[Nicole]

God, I had such a good time. Oh, we should talk about Creamy Girl weekend.

[Sasheer]

Oh, yes, we had a Creamy Girl weekend,

[Nicole]

so it was really fun. But Middletown High School south no longer serves spicy chicken. They flipped to, like, being healthier, I guess. And they really wouldn't give any answers other than the website being like, we don't have it. And me being like, but maybe they will.

[Sasheer]

Maybe if I just wish hard enough.

[Nicole]

Yeah. And then everyone at that school remembered the spicy chicken and kept going. Oh, yeah, it was really good. And I was like, then bring it back.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And then they don't have Otis Funky Meyer cookies.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, that was a surprise, actually.

[Nicole]

Right.

[Sasheer]

I feel like that's just a school staple.

[Nicole]

That's what I think. Fresh baked cookies as you walk the halls at 9am oh, my God. Might as well have me there at sunrise. It's so crazy 9am school. You want me to learn? Oh, my God, it is crazy.

[Sasheer]

I think they get there at seven.

[Nicole]

What?

[Sasheer]

I remember getting into school at seven.

[Nicole]

You got to school at seven? Yes. Did I? Probably not. Seven?

[Sasheer]

Yes. Like 7:30.

[Nicole]

And then classes started at 7:30.

[Sasheer]

I think maybe it was like whatever the first, like, opening period was, which. I don't remember what that was called. But then. Yeah, then you had classes.

[Nicole]

I really feel like I got to school at 9am every day.

[Sasheer]

I mean, that could be possible, but I feel like I had to be in a class in a classroom at like, 7:30.

[Nicole]

Whoa. That's wild. I simply don't. Maybe. Maybe I block that out of my memory.

[Sasheer]

I mean, it doesn't make sense. It's not rational.

[Nicole]

No. That's so early. Also, I don't, like, drag the kids at my alma mater. They were so quiet. I remember high school being so much louder.

[Sasheer]

They were really quiet. They're very well behaved. I was just like, walking down the hallway being like, hi.

[Nicole]

It was wild.

[Sasheer]

Good morning. It was very sweet.

[Nicole]

It was. I was like, was. I don't think I was like this.

[Sasheer]

I. I remember kids, like, running around paper. I feel like in my mind I have like a. That scene from Mean Girls where, like, papers are flying in the air and people are tackling each other. That didn't happen all the time. But, yeah, I do feel like kids were rowdier.

[Nicole]

I think they were rowdier. Yeah. And then they were all. They all seemed to be, like, in class, nobody was, like, roaming the hallways. I was always roaming the hallways. That's funny. And I would smoke in the bathroom. There was no cigarette smoke anywhere in that school. Do the kids not smoke? Oh, they're vaping.

[Sasheer]

Oh, they're vaping. That's true. That's true. And maybe also, like, I don't. I wonder if there. If there. There's something about the increase of phones, like. Because you can just like, film somebody doing something bad and be like, oh, narcing on them.

[Nicole]

Wow, Big brother.

[Sasheer]

Yes. Everyone's watching.

[Nicole]

I would be Enemy of the State. I have no idea if that's what that movie's about, but I don't either. I know Will Smith's in it. Nice. But. Yeah, it really confounded me.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I was like, oh, my God.

[Sasheer]

Oh.

[Nicole]

And then I went and visited. I'm so old that most of my teachers had retired, but I visited one teacher who my guidance counselor was like, she remembers you. And I was like, she does not. And that's a.

[Sasheer]

Okay.

[Nicole]

And a Kid was like, can I get my phone? And I was like, yeah.

[Sasheer]

They asked permission.

[Nicole]

It blew me away. Cause I feel like everything I hear is like, the kids are bad.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I was like, these kids are really good.

[Sasheer]

Those kids are really good. Hopefully. Hopefully that's. That's the reality. Because on my phone, on the videos, I see kids are being misbehaving all over the place. Yes. But maybe that's a small percentage.

[Nicole]

Maybe. Hmm.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

One bad apple's spoiling the bunch. Is that the phrase? Sounds like it. Oh, okay.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

It really did not roll off my tongue and confused me.

[Sasheer]

One bad apple spoils the bunch. Yeah. Just say it with confidence.

[Nicole]

One bad apple spoils the bunch. It still didn't feel right.

[Sasheer]

And we spoke to the drama kids at your school, and that was so nice.

[Nicole]

It was really nice. And I was like, in lieu of chicken, it feels nice to do this. One of the kids was like, are you coming back? I was like, no. And I didn't mean for it to come out like that, but I was like, you don't have anything I need here, which is spicy chicken.

[Sasheer]

I only came for spicy chicken.

[Nicole]

That's all.

[Sasheer]

I have it. This is it. This is goodbye forever.

[Nicole]

But they asked such good questions.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Questions that made me, like, think before I answered them. I was like, wait. That should always be the case.

[Sasheer]

This is a rare moment where I actually thought about the question before I answered it.

[Nicole]

I do feel like with adults, I'm like, because it doesn't matter. But I was like, I don't know. They're 16, 17. It matters. And I should be thoughtful with it. My favorite question was, how do I be more confident performing? Because I really thought about it. Cause I get nervous and I'm not, like, not confident about before. I'm just like, if I'm nervous, I care. But I was like, nobody wants you to fail.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

So if you just have that in the back of your brain. And when I was like. When it was rolling off the tongue, I was like, holy shit, this is so good.

[Sasheer]

That was a good answer.

[Nicole]

Thank you. My other favorite question was this girl was like, I get really burnt out with all the activities in high school. How did you combat that? And I went. And you went, I'll take it. Nicole didn't do a single thing in high school. And I was like. And my guys counselor just nodded her head. I really didn't.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. And that's okay. It turned out right.

[Nicole]

Hey, thank you. That's nice. The kids are all right. Don't know what that movie's about.

[Sasheer]

You keep quoting things that you don't know about. It's really funny.

[Nicole]

Things are just popping up in my head. It is funny that they're all movies that I simply haven't seen.

[Sasheer]

Wow.

[Nicole]

My summer shirt's making me.

[Sasheer]

She's having fun today. Oh, and then we found. So you. You also part of this creamy sister east coast trip. You wanted to go to a resort in the Poconos because they had a champagne shaped Jacuzzi. And I looked it up and I was like, the Poconos is not close enough to everything else we're doing. And it was really stressing on the websites. Couples only. And I was like, oh, my God, are they going to make us prove it? What's happening?

[Nicole]

Make us check into, like, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, finger each other.

[Sasheer]

And I was like, maybe let's not do that one. And then somehow I stumbled upon a different hotel that did have a champagne glass Jacuzzi.

[Nicole]

It was wild. It if, like, I don't know, the universe or God, whoever you want to believe in was like, sasheer, I'm going to help you make your friend deeply happy. Oh, my God. I'm almost going to cry. I loved. I loved the champagne tub so much. I loved it so much. I don't understand. I don't understand why everything is a gray box.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

When you can have fun. A champagne fluted bathtub.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I don't think it's because I cleaned it before we got in it, because it was definitely a sex hotel.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. Yeah. The other hotel was for love.

[Nicole]

This one.

[Sasheer]

This one was like, we're only fucking here.

[Nicole]

Smash it out and get out. We had to pay for the remote.

[Sasheer]

To pay for the remote. You could rent the room for the hour

[Nicole]

people checked in at midnight. Yes.

[Sasheer]

Every room was blasting music. I loved it so much.

[Nicole]

And I remember, like, we walked in and at first I was like, I don't think I want to touch anything. But then I was like, no, I smell bleach. They're taking care of everybody here and everything. I, like, touched. I was like, no, this was recently cleaned. And I feel so safe and secure. And then I kept being like, I love it here. I love it here so much.

[Sasheer]

And then we just watch TV in the jacuzzi.

[Nicole]

I've never been happier.

[Sasheer]

It was really fun.

[Nicole]

Oh, my. And then when we decided to go to bed, I was like, okay, I'm gonna rinse off. But it's not like there was no chlorine or anything. It's literal. Like a Literal bathtub. And you went, okay. And then you just sat in there watch the rest of the documentary room

[Sasheer]

because you were rinsing off and there's only one shower. And I didn't want to like, I don't know, just being wet in my bathing suit or taking off my bathing suit and still being like kind of wet and waiting for the shower didn't sound appealing. So I just sat in a like non bubble Jacuzzi. Like the jets were off and I just sitting in still waters watching the Tyra documentary.

[Nicole]

I wish I had taken a picture of that. It was so funny. And I was so far away because

[Sasheer]

it's so high up.

[Nicole]

And I'd be like, she's crazy.

[Sasheer]

And like.

[Nicole]

And you'd be like, oh, that's crazy.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, I was like eight feet above you while you're on the couch.

[Nicole]

And I got a little overzealous because when I started filling it, the hot water wasn't super hot. So I only left the hot water on. And then when I got in it, I was like, who's burning me up? Yeah, who is burning me up?

[Sasheer]

Pretty hot.

[Nicole]

And then I got in it when it was still a little too hot because I was so excited. And then I just couldn't stop sweating. I was like, it's hot, right?

[Sasheer]

Do you want cold water?

[Nicole]

And you were like, it's fine, I think. And I was like, fine for who?

[Sasheer]

We were having two different experiences. I was like, I. I waited. I was like, it's way too hot. And then I got in when it was like a little cooler and I was like, okay, this is nice. And then you were like, should we turn on the cold water? And I was like, I think it's okay.

[Nicole]

I got so hot. I was drinking water.

[Sasheer]

Great. Maybe that's what we have to do to get you to drink water. Get you so hot. Put your ass outside.

[Nicole]

Put your ass outside. Oh man, that sounds so awful to get so hot. I'm just so. I drink water.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, but it'll work.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I try. I try so hard. Yeah, I try so hard. It got so far. But in the end it doesn't even.

[Sasheer]

So I don't need to drink water.

[Nicole]

It doesn't even matter in the end.

[Sasheer]

That's not what they're talking about. That's not what. That's what I'm talking about. They are not talking about water.

[Nicole]

Wow. We should go to a break.

[Sasheer]

Oh, yes.

[Nicole]

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[Nicole]

And we're back.

[Sasheer]

We're back.

[Nicole]

Also. Okay. I don't know who I need to talk to about theme hotels because I feel like the Madonna Inn is such a destination.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And they're always sold out. Every time I've ever looked for a room, like in two months away to six months away, they're always, like, sold out. So I'm like, someone in LA should do a themed hotel.

[Sasheer]

Definitely. Who do I talk to?

[Nicole]

Gavin Newsom. Make it happen. Make it. Make a mandate that a Hilton has to have a themed hotel.

[Sasheer]

Well, I feel like a themed hotel is usually just owned by a family or just like one entity.

[Nicole]

That.

[Sasheer]

Because it also. You have to dedicate a lot of time and effort to making the theme, making all the rooms different or sourcing the cool shaped tubs or beds or whatever. Where. I think that's why, like, most hotels are just like, it's plain because that's just easy. Yeah, but someone should do that. But it's also like, who has the resources and the creativity to buy a hotel or buy a property, to build a hotel and then also create something cool.

[Nicole]

All right, Sasheer, you're right.

[Sasheer]

Maybe that can be a goal for you. One day you can be a hotel.

[Nicole]

That's so crazy. It never once occurred to me that it could be me.

[Sasheer]

You can be the change.

[Nicole]

I can be a hotel.

[Sasheer]

You can be a hotel.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Maybe I'll do that one day.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I wonder how much money it would cost to like, make a hotel.

[Sasheer]

I have no idea.

[Nicole]

Hey, if someone's in business or finance listening, put together a sheet, numbers for me.

[Sasheer]

I also wonder if it would, like, make more sense to buy a hotel that's already. That's like, not doing well or like, is closed and then revamp it or to just build it from scratch.

[Nicole]

Probably revamp me things because the structure is already there.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Where do I get heart shaped tubs from? Oh, my God. Maybe every tub is a shape.

[Sasheer]

Oh, that's fine. Stars. Stars. Yes.

[Nicole]

Clovers.

[Sasheer]

A diamond.

[Nicole]

Diamonds. Scooby Doo. A Scooby Doo shaped tub.

[Sasheer]

And then we have one Scooby Doo room. We're like, I thought I understood the theme. And now there's a Scooby Doo room.

[Nicole]

Really fun. There were, like, specific themes and then one wild card room.

[Sasheer]

Really funny.

[Nicole]

And you can't book it. We'll just put you in it one day.

[Sasheer]

It's a surprise.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I have a prank hotel that's fun. There is A themed sex hotel in Vegas that I want to go to, where I think they have, like a jungle room.

[Sasheer]

Ooh, that's fine.

[Nicole]

Where it's like all leopard print and there's a stripper pole in there.

[Sasheer]

Oh, that's all you.

[Nicole]

That's my jam. I'm wearing leopard print now.

[Sasheer]

That's true.

[Nicole]

You always are swinging on that pole. Two days ago.

[Sasheer]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Nicole]

She's prepared and I'm still so sore.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Veronica's very kind, but she believes in me too much. We worked on a sequence two weeks ago, and then we had Creamy Girl Weekend. And then I went on Wednesday and she was like, let's do the sequence from last week. You did it a couple times last week, so it's in your bones. And I said, yeah, it's in my bones. And by the end I'm like, it wasn't anywhere near my bones.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

The whole video's me going, ugh. Ugh. No. And then at one point, I stopped and stared at her and I went, how?

[Sasheer]

How? Explain yourself. How do I do that?

[Nicole]

Boy, it's hard.

[Sasheer]

It's hard.

[Nicole]

Also on Creamy Girl Weekend, we went and saw Moulin Rouge.

[Sasheer]

We did with Bob the drag queen.

[Nicole]

Bob was so good.

[Sasheer]

So good.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Ugh. I had a real time.

[Sasheer]

I had so much fun. Yeah, the songs were fun. Bob was fun. The dancing's fun. I guess I forgot I have seen Moulin Rouge before, but I forgot that the. Harold Ziegler. Is that the name? The character name. How meaty of a role that is. I was like, oh, Bob's here again. Bob's here again.

[Nicole]

I feel like in the movie it wasn't as meaty.

[Sasheer]

I don't. I don't think so. I think he just like, you know, popped in here and there. But I was like, oh, but yeah,

[Nicole]

in the play, I. Because I said to a friend, I was like, I'm going, my friend's in it. He's playing them. Or Harold Ziggler. And he was like, oh, so like the lead. And I was like, I don't know about that. And then I saw it. I was like, no, no, that's. That's one of the leads.

[Sasheer]

Definitely.

[Nicole]

Oh, my God, those sets.

[Sasheer]

Oh, the sets were so cool.

[Nicole]

Ugh. Ugh.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. I love all the hearts, like, coming in from the sky and, like, aligning. It was really like. It was like a pop up book.

[Nicole]

Yes, very that. And sometimes when I watch things like that, I'm like, people's minds. I don't even. I don't Understand the construction of how that happened. I don't know if they needed, like, an engineer to, like, or they know how to do.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

It was so incredible.

[Sasheer]

It was cool.

[Nicole]

Big old elephant. I. Ugh.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. Ugh.

[Nicole]

Loved, loved. And then the singers. Ugh.

[Sasheer]

Very good.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Every time I see a Broadway show, I am so inspired to sing.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I have an appointment with Doug.

[Sasheer]

Oh, great set up. Great. She's back in it.

[Nicole]

Back in it. I gotta, like, really dedicate myself. Cause I would really. I just want to sing.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I'm so jealous.

[Sasheer]

Do you ever sing in the car? Yes.

[Nicole]

All the fucking time.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

But I sing hard. Things like Lady Gaga where I'm like, well, friend. Or Beyonce. And I'm like, you know, reaching for the stars here, friend. But then I learned that they can change music for you in a show.

[Sasheer]

What do you mean? So notes or like the. The key?

[Nicole]

Yes, yes. I was gonna say the range, but yeah, they can, like, lower the key for you if you need a lower key.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And I was like, I love live theater. We can just make adjustments.

[Sasheer]

That's true. Do you sing high or low or mid range?

[Nicole]

I think I sing low. I think.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

But I don't really know what I sound like. I don't really, like, hear myself.

[Sasheer]

Have you ever recorded yourself?

[Nicole]

Yes. But then I go, that's not me.

[Sasheer]

That's not me.

[Nicole]

Something's changed in the phone.

[Sasheer]

This does not represent me.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I think it's, like, kind of low. Ish. I mean, I've learned about head voice and chest voice, and I believe I sing. I think what I want to sing is always in my chest voice because I feel like it sounds stronger. But, you know, now that I'm thinking of it, I think I sing high. I think maybe it's mid.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Because I can't go, like, high, high, high. Yeah, I think it's mid.

[Sasheer]

Great.

[Nicole]

What are you?

[Sasheer]

I sing low. I'm an alto.

[Nicole]

Oh.

[Sasheer]

And I live in my chest voice. But I would like to get better at a mix, which is your head voice and your chest voice together. But that's hard.

[Nicole]

I don't even know what that require.

[Sasheer]

I've done it before with Doug, our vocal coach, but I don't know how I got there. I remember him asking too, do you know how you got there? And I'm like, I do not.

[Nicole]

We. So I have stopped and started singing lessons so many times. And then when I started this last time, well, I stopped.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

The last time I started, we had, like, this little mini breakthrough where I was like, I think I'm so scared to sing because it is a thing where it's like, there's a definitive. You're bad or you're good. You're hitting a note or you're not hitting a note. You're flat, or you're sharp, or you're, like, actually doing it right. And I was like, with comedy, it's just like, maybe you're not everyone's cup of tea, but you might be someone else's cup of tea. But with singing, it's pretty definitive.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And I feel like that's very vulnerable to be like, is this good?

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

No, actually, you were sharp. Or yes, that was actually good. Or no.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And now that I've gotten over it, oh, boy, do I sing loud and wrong.

[Sasheer]

Nice. Sing loud and wrong.

[Nicole]

And Doug will be like, do you know what happened there? And I'll go, absolutely not. No, I certainly don't.

[Sasheer]

That's great, though.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sasheer]

That's a good break there.

[Nicole]

It was. And now it makes karaoke easier.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Cause I'm like, some of these people will be really, really great, but then also, some people won't be. But listen, we're all having fun.

[Sasheer]

It's for fun. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's more fun when people are, like, being silly than being like, here's my solo. You know, I mean, it's also nice to hear a really great voice, too, but also for the group, for the community.

[Nicole]

Yes. For the fellowship.

[Sasheer]

It's. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Speaking of fellowship, after Moulin Rouge, we had a nasty little treat in Times Square. We went to Virgil's Real Barbecue. Nobody will ever go with me. It's in the heart of Times Square. I have tried so hard to get people there, but I was like, we're in Times Square.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I can get nuts for nuts. Four for $10. And we can go. Go to Virgil's. I had a time.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I love it so much.

[Sasheer]

It was good.

[Nicole]

Thank you. They did try to kill you, though.

[Sasheer]

They did. They were. I was. They're like, any allergies? And I was like, I have a shellfish allergy. And they're like, oh, okay. Well, we do put everything in the same oil. And I was like, oh. I mean, I think that I've probably had that before. And they're like, just.

[Nicole]

It's up to you, though.

[Sasheer]

And then a manager came, and she was like, just gotta let you know. Like, it's really up to you. It's your decision. I was like, we fry everything in the same oil, and I was like, okay, but all right.

[Nicole]

It really felt like they were like, we don't want your death on our hands because it will be. But we did tell you.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Then at one point, she was like, we can use different tongs. And I was like, well, think it's the oil? Yeah. I don't think the tongs really have anything to do with it. But then we, like, really looked at the menu, and you're like, there's one

[Sasheer]

shrimp dish that's deep fried. Yeah. Just make that separate. Like, so, like. So I had. I had half of a french fry, and I was like, I do taste the shrimp, which, I mean, and maybe no one else could, but because I don't usually have it anymore, I was like, I can see what they're saying. So, like, that sucks. So the fried catfish, the French fries, fried chicken, like, any fry thing has been tainted.

[Nicole]

I'm so sorry. I could not taste the shrimp. But also, I don't really smell or taste a lot of things. It's really crazy.

[Sasheer]

Oh, no.

[Nicole]

I dated this guy who would, like, eat meat and then be like, it's gamey. Or like, this meat isn't good. And I'd be like, I'm having a nice time. I simply don't know what you're talking about.

[Sasheer]

Huh?

[Nicole]

Yeah. Or like, deep fried things. People be like, oh, it has, like, a taste of something. And I'm like, I don't know. It tastes like what I'm eating.

[Sasheer]

Has this always been the case?

[Nicole]

Yes. Yeah. I don't think it's, like, a Covid thing or anything. Yeah, it's.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Yes. Because I worked with this girl who, if chicken was funny, she, like, wouldn't eat it.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And then I'd always taste it and be like, it's chicken. I don't know.

[Sasheer]

I mean, that does. I feel like, of the people I know, you are someone who has eaten a lot of, like, rotten food.

[Nicole]

I must say, thank you so much for trying to find the words, not just saying. You're the person I know who eats the most rotten food. But I am. Yes, I am.

[Sasheer]

But I can see, like, because you don't have a defense. You don't have. There's nothing in you that's like, oh, I shouldn't. You have no. Nothing protecting you. I should not eat this. You're just like, tastes all the same to me.

[Nicole]

It is kind of wild. I've eaten so much rotten food. What was the last rotten thing I ate? Oh, I tried to eat a rotten apple. It was definitely, like, Withered away on half of it. So I like cut it up and I was like trying to eat around it and then I hit like a real nasty part and I was like, I think I gotta give that one up. I could buy an apple. I truly act like I've never had a penny to my name.

[Sasheer]

It's really funny.

[Nicole]

I used to eat old burgers.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, I remember those.

[Nicole]

We would have improv shows and then I would get rip roaring drunk just having a real nice time. And then I would get a burger and then fall asleep and then wake up and be like a treat and then eat it and then be like, I don't know why I'm so sick.

[Sasheer]

It's like this burger has been out for hours for the whole night.

[Nicole]

Oh, another recent one was I got bread. Did you know, like, bread doesn't live that long?

[Sasheer]

I guess I never thought, thought of how long it lives.

[Nicole]

It's like a week. A loaf of bread like lasts a week or something. Ah, I'm pretty sure it's like really short.

[Sasheer]

I. I don't get bread.

[Nicole]

I know, I know. You. You don't have a single.

[Sasheer]

I have nothing in my house.

[Nicole]

Nothing from a supermarket in that house. But I, I was, I thought bread lasted a long, long time. But then I was like, I made a simple sandwich and then I ate it. And then I was like, I'll make a simple sandwich tomorrow. And then I looked at the bag and I was like, there's mold. There's mold.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

So I'm like, I probably ate mold.

[Sasheer]

Probably. I did see a video on Instagram where people in other countries were putting slices of bread that they got from their grocery store under water and it would dissolve and the people in the States would take a piece of bread and put it under water and it was like a spoon sponge. It would just like not dissolve. Be the same. One guy was like squishing it and it would open back up.

[Nicole]

Oh, no.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I hope my bread's not doing that.

[Sasheer]

What. What kind of bread do you get?

[Nicole]

I think it. Okay, there was like a picture of a wolf on it and I thought that was fun.

[Sasheer]

Okay.

[Nicole]

I think it's like wolf bread, ink bread, ink wolf. I don't know. I often think about just going back to old food. When I bought that, like Costco economy sized jar of ranch, that was like maybe 2 gallons or, I don't know, 3. It was like gallons.

[Sasheer]

And I was like, oh, wait, I've

[Nicole]

been working my way through it for months. And you were like, when does it expire. And I was like, wait, what? I do remember that.

[Sasheer]

I was like, I don't know if it should be months.

[Nicole]

I had zero idea that ranch dressing expired as a full. This was maybe two years ago.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And I'm sure it was, like, slightly tangy or something, but I do.

[Sasheer]

Maybe. I actually. I think we did look up how long it lasts. I can't remember. But I would probably equate it to ketchup or something. Cause in my mind, ketchup takes a long time to expire. But it does expire. But I don't know.

[Nicole]

When I worked at a restaurant where the ketchup was so foul, it had such a. So, like, for me to be like, this is bad. It was bad because we would marry the ketchups at night.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And I don't think they ever got, like, cleaned out. I think it was just years and years of different ketchups. It was so gross. And nobody ever complained about it.

[Sasheer]

Hmm. Maybe it was fine. I guess it was fine. It must have been.

[Nicole]

I guess. I remember a customer found a twisty tie in their food.

[Sasheer]

No.

[Nicole]

And they were like, excuse me? And I was like, yes. And they're like, there's a twisty tie in my food. I went, oh, no, that's nasty. Then my manager was like, you don't say that. I agree.

[Sasheer]

That's nasty.

[Nicole]

Because they were, like, pretty quiet. And I was like.

[Sasheer]

I was at a restaurant, and I got brunch, and there was hair in my eggs. And I was like. I told a waitress or somebody. I was like, yeah, there's hair here. And the waitress was like, oh, I know who that belongs to. And I was like, I don't want to know that.

[Nicole]

That's really funny.

[Sasheer]

That's Charles or something.

[Nicole]

I gotta get Charles back. His little lock. He ain't got that much to lose. It's like, ma'. Am. What? That's a wild response. I don't.

[Sasheer]

I guess. I guess, of course it belonged to somebody. But just knowing. I don't want to know. I don't want to know. The human attached to that God.

[Nicole]

That's so funny.

[Sasheer]

Let's take a break.

[Nicole]

This episode is brought to you by Alma. A year from today, who do you want to be? What version of yourself would you like to meet? Do you feel less anxious or feel more like yourself? Maybe your relationship is stronger or the grief feels smaller. What if that thing you've been secretly worried about just took up less than space in your mind? The right therapists can help you get there. Alma will help you find them. Alma has a directory of 20,000 therapists with different specialties, life experiences and identities, and 99 of them take insurance. You deserve to feel like that future version of yourself. A year from today isn't that far away. Get started now@hello Alma.com Best friends. That's hello Amma.com B S T F R I E N D S Support for this podcast is brought to you by Chamberlain University. I have to tell you, anytime I go to the hospital or a clinic, my anxiety is absolutely through the roof. It's just an overwhelming, scary place to be. But I feel like we've all experienced meeting an exceptional nurse who walks into the room and changes your day completely. They are so experienced and they know exactly what to say to take the panic out of the room and make a terrifying day feel completely manageable. And if you're looking for a new career path or you just want to do a job that truly matters, you cannot help but think, wow, that is exactly the kind of nurse I want to be. Chamberlain University is where you start. Discover your calling at Chamberlain. Edu Chamberlain University Belong to something greater Certified to operate by Chev Starting something

[Sasheer]

new isn't just hard, it's terrifying. So much work goes into this thing that you're not entirely sure will work out, and it can be hard to make that leap of faith. Trust me, I know. When I started doing this podcast I wasn't even sure what I was doing. Like, is anyone going to listen? Are we going to make fools of ourselves? And now I know I was right in believing in myself and launching a podcast despite all the fears and hesitations. It also helps when you have a partner like Shopify on your side to help. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Magic Spoon and Mattel to brands Just getting started. Get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand style. Accelerate your efficiency Whether you're uploading new products or trying to improve existing ones, Shopify is packed with helpful AI tools that write product descriptions, page headlines, and even enhance your product photography. Get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond. If people haven't heard about My brand Shopify helps you find your customers with easy to run email and social media campaigns. And what if I get stuck? Shopify is always around to share advice with their award winning 247 customer support. Tackle all those important tasks in one place. From inventory to payments to analytics and more. No need to save multiple websites or try to figure out what platform is hosting the tool that you need. Everything is all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. And did I mention that iconic purple shop pay button that's used by millions of businesses around the world? It's why Shopify has the best converting checkout on the planet. It also helps boost conversions, meaning less carts going abandoned and more sales for you. It's time to turn those what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today shopify.com best friends go to shopify.com bestfriends that's shopify.com best friends.

[Nicole]

And we're back. We went to the Mermaid Inn on

[Sasheer]

the Upper west side.

[Nicole]

Shout out to them because they have ice cream cones. I got an ice cream cone for brunch with sprinkles. Oh, what a dream.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I was so happy in that moment.

[Sasheer]

You looked really happy.

[Nicole]

I think our server thought I was strange. I don't know.

[Sasheer]

I don't know a nice way to

[Nicole]

say what I felt like because he was like, yeah, you can have ice cream.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. I think you're like, do you guys serve ice cream? And he's like, yeah. And he's like, we can put sprinkles on it.

[Nicole]

You're like, really?

[Sasheer]

I think you even had like a dolphin sweatshirt on with your hair and like little space buns. You're like, oh boy. He's like, okay.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I was so excited. And that sweatshirt's funny because we went to my place to change. And I was like, should I change into this? And you were like, it's the same sweatshirt.

[Sasheer]

It was like also had a white collar and just a different graphic. I was like, these are the same.

[Nicole]

I know what I like. She does.

[Sasheer]

Oh, boy.

[Nicole]

That ice. I think I think about that ice cream. It's good ice cream.

[Sasheer]

Oh, good. I remember you were. You either finished or you were about to finish. And you're like, is it rude that I didn't ask you to have a lick?

[Nicole]

And I was like.

[Sasheer]

I was like, I don't think ice cream cones for sharing. If it was in a bowl, I could scoop it, but I don't want to also lick your Ice cream cone.

[Nicole]

I think I was just so excited, and I was like, I gobble this down without any sort of consideration.

[Sasheer]

That's okay.

[Nicole]

But, yeah, it is weird and gross to lick the same ice cream cone as somebody even if you're dating. It's kind of like, get your own.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, yuck, yuck.

[Nicole]

I do love ice cream. I meant to take you to Dairy Queen.

[Sasheer]

Oh, that's right. That was on the list. Damn. We did a lot of things, though.

[Nicole]

We did, we did, we did, we did. Shout out to the Linkroft. Dairy Queen. Yeah. And Joyce's subs, which is right next to the Link Croft. Dairy Queen. I wonder if they're still open. Oh, my God, they had the best bacon, egg, and cheese. And we would get it before going to the bowling alley with my mom.

[Sasheer]

That's fun. Yeah, that's real fun.

[Nicole]

I have so many memories of that bowling alley. They had a kid's room that was so nasty. Oh, just gross. Toys that, like, just children at Touch and they were sticky.

[Sasheer]

Oh, yeah.

[Nicole]

But then they had video games, and that was fun. And people smoked inside. Those were the days. It's probably where my addiction started.

[Sasheer]

Oh, maybe you're like, this is cool.

[Nicole]

Smoking school. When did it start? I'll never quit. I actually think it started in high school. Yeah. Because you have to, like, learn how to smoke. And I remember learning how to smoke. And I was like, this is tough.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. I think I tried a cigarette in college, and I was like, ew, Ouch. It burns. And then when I lived with Mateo, for some reason, he was really fixated on getting me to smoke eight cigarettes. He's like, I'm going to get you to smoke eight cigarettes this year. And I was like, no, you won't. And he didn't. I was like, I don't want it.

[Nicole]

What a fun, arbitrary number. Oh, my God. What a dream that. He was like, I want you to smoke eight cigarettes.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. And maybe we were, like, at a show outside, and he's like, do you want to try? And I was like, for you, I'll try. And I did. And I was like, this is gross. I don't want this.

[Nicole]

12 would be one that would pop into because. No, no. Just one a month.

[Sasheer]

Oh, okay.

[Nicole]

24 and a pack. 20 are in a pack? Yeah, I think 20 are in a pack.

[Sasheer]

I have no idea.

[Nicole]

I don't know. But they don't sell my siggies here anymore.

[Sasheer]

Menthols. Yeah. So sorry.

[Nicole]

It's a war on me. Are there 20 cigarettes in a Pack? Hell yeah, dude.

[Sasheer]

Nice. She knows she smokes.

[Nicole]

I love them. Buy them by the carton, put em in the freezer.

[Sasheer]

Mm.

[Nicole]

Should we do a quiz or answer questions?

[Sasheer]

I think probably answer questions. Yeah. Okay.

[Host]

Content warning. Death needing insight on if we're over.

[Sasheer]

Hi, Nicole.

[Host]

Hi, Sasheer. Longtime listener, maybe third time caller and trigger warning. This is about death. I discovered a dead body with my best friend and I don't know if we can ever be okay again. Prior to this event, tensions were already high between me and my best friend, let's call her Kelsey. We've been living together with another roommate who is a trans man, let's call him Harold, for almost six years now. And she's closer to the she's closer to him than I am, as she's been his friend as long as she's been mine. Only recently did we all start hanging out together, despite the fact that we attended the same college and are in our 30s now. Recently, I've had issues with Harold because he would outwardly doom spiral for hours past midnight in the common area. With Kelsey and I listening, it would never get stabilized. Despite our efforts. Kelsey saw no issue with his spiraling, but it made me break eventually and give him tough love. He also decided to purchase a large fridge that could easily fit three people's worth of groceries, but he has no interest in sharing, so it's mostly empty. This is also something Kelsey sees no issue in and thinks and they think I simply do not want him to have joy or improve his life. For Kelsey, my past issue with her is that I had been uncomfortable with hearing about her sex life and actually hearing her have sex as I have unresolved sexual assault trauma. Despite my efforts and trying to heal while being there for her, she thinks I'm kink shaming her and also thinks that I don't want her to have joy, but she doesn't understand how intrusive thoughts work. Bottom line, it seems that both roommates have no issues with each other and have decided to combine their problems to side against me. They even have the same therapist, so I worry what their therapist says. Everyone's been polite and reserved to me, but bonding has ceased between us, so Kelsey no longer asks for favors from me like she used to, such as feeding her cat or driving her places as she doesn't drive or have a car. Well, until 10 days ago, Kelsey asked me to drive her to do a wellness check on a previous co worker, let's call her Ann, that she hasn't seen in almost a year. A Mutual friend who was unaccessible had asked Kelsey to do this as Ann had been unresponsible for five days. At this point, well, the worst possible outcome happened. We unfortunately discovered that Ann had passed away and we had to wait next to her body for over three hours while the police were trying to figure out what to do next. It was incredibly sad because the woman was so alone and it had to be us to find her. No next of kin as far as we know to this day. I had thought that there would be a grace period of kindness or bonding between me and Kelsey after this tragic event, but no such luck. She returned to being reserved with me, even knowing I'm going through my own serious stuff. My cat was recently diagnosed, diagnosed with an enlarged heart, my mom with Alzheimer's and my dad is in and out of the hospital, etc. I feel taken advantage of and I outwardly told her this, but through text, which isn't the best route as she admitted she is still using past wounds to dictate how she treats me despite my efforts. I know this is something a therapist should help me process, but right now I just want the insight of professional best friends. I get a lot of joy to. I get a lot of joy listening to you. And I often joke that Nicole is Kelsey's twin as you both like purple and do pole and grew up in the East Coast. If I lose Kelsey, it would be as devastating as I've always considered her my sister. Thank you for reading.

[Nicole]

My initial thought was, I think a therapist because it's a lot. It's a lot. Yeah, it's like rather heavy. But then my second thought when she was like, or this person was like, I know I should see a therapist, but I wanted friendship advice from best friends. I think it's like talking, talking to Kelsey and voicing that, like a lot of things are going on. But like, you do want to work on this friendship and then make a plan of action steps in order to save that friendship.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if there's a way you guys can have a conversation that's like, I miss, like how light things used to feel. I would imagine even before the death, like, there's probably been a lot of heaviness between all of you. And it's also like, it's one, you know, having a friendship with somebody, especially a long friendship, like since college into your 30s, you all have changed so much. And that's going to take like a lot of adjusting and reframing and, and understanding. And you live together as and like even. And so like, that's like there's so many layers. Like also living with somebody while you're changing, while they're changing, while you're growing up together. And it's like there's so much stuff there and.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sasheer]

I wonder if there is a way you can be like, can we just like. Like not forget everything but just like kind of. Kind of push a little reset button. It's like, let's.

[Nicole]

Can we.

[Sasheer]

Is it possible to get to a place where it's like. Like it's just easy and we like each other? Because I like you and I hope you know there is still a reason that you are around me. I hope that you would like me too. Yeah. But it is a lot living together for, what do they say, six years?

[Nicole]

Yeah, I think so. And there's three people.

[Sasheer]

And there's three people. Yeah, it's a lot. That's a lot of energy and stuff. And it also sounds like everyone individually has their own stuff that they're dealing with. So it's also like some stuff that Kelsey is feeling probably has something to do with you, but some of it, probably most of it has nothing to do with you. So.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sasheer]

But I do think talking about it and being like, I just miss us.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sasheer]

Is it possible to get back to that?

[Nicole]

And I do think it's hard to live with three people because it's very easy for two to gang up on one. Yeah. And also with the whole refrigerator thing, I need to know if our listener is trying to put stuff in that refrigerator or. Or are they actually just. This person bought a big fridge and won't use it.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, I could. I couldn't tell if it was like cuz they said that that person won't share. Like they won't share the refrigerator. Like, is no one allowed to put food in the refrigerator?

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sasheer]

Or they won't share their food.

[Nicole]

I think they won't share the refrigerator. They bought a great big refrigerator and it's largely empty because they won't let

[Sasheer]

them put stuff in there. It's also funny because they were like. And the person who bought the refrigerator feels like I try to stifle their joy. Just a funny conversation. Be like, I'm allowed to buy a big refrigerator and have it filled with nothing. This gives me joy.

[Nicole]

It's really funny. But also it might actually give them joy. And unless you want to put something in there, I think it's just like, not my circus, not my clowns. I think our reader could. Or our reader. This is a book. I think our listener maybe could step back and go, what actually is affecting me and what's just irking me? Yeah. Because sometimes those things are different because sometimes I'm a person who's got a lot of rules, and sometimes I'm like, is this an actual rule or is it just my preference? Or am I just annoyed? Yeah.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. There's so many things that you can just, like, step away from, be like, you know what? It actually doesn't have to bother me. Like, you know, your roommate spiraling in the living room. That sucks. But you don't have to help them. Like, sounds like they go spiral regardless of you listening or not. Like. Yeah.

[Nicole]

And if you want to be in the common area, turn on the tv, put headphones in.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nicole]

I think conversation.

[Sasheer]

But also, I think a therapist, definitely. Yeah, I think. Yeah, a therapist can help.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Also, I'm sorry this person's going through all this.

[Sasheer]

I know that's a lot.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sasheer]

I think also, like, also see a therapist too, because, I mean, like, for. For all of this. But it's unfortunate that you found a body with your friend and you can't even process this with your friend because there's other feelings keeping you from being close and. And so you don't even get to fully talk about what you saw. Like, you don't like the one person that was there with you. You can't even, like, like, really, like, figure out your feelings about this. So, yeah, I would. I would try to find a professional to talk to, because that's a lot.

[Nicole]

It's a lot.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. Solved.

[Host]

Okay, this one is called A new friend, but a cursed nose. Dearest Nicole and Sashir. My problem is that my friend A has really bad breath. We hang out together with our mutual friend B, but. Or we hang out a lot with our mutual friend B. But due to my very keen sense of smell, I get overwhelmed with strong scents of just about anything. There have been multiple instances when A's breath was just too much and I subtly cover my nose to avoid the stench a little. Recently, I basically avoided being in the same room because I just couldn't stand the smell anymore. What do I do? Do I bringing it up with B, our mutual friend, or go straight to A? I'm afraid I can't do the hangs anymore, but I adore our time spen together. I can, of course, just hang out with B when A is not around, but the problem is that A is just as much a part of B's life as I am so I'd hate to make it awkward as to why I keep avoiding hangouts with A. A is a very cool person, and we get along really well. I'm hoping we can be friends even outside of B, but this stupid nose of mine just won't let me chill. Sincerely, cursed sense of smell.

[Nicole]

The advice is not to go to another friend to be like, is it stinky? But that's exactly what I would do. I'd be like, sasheer, did you smell that?

[Sasheer]

Probably. Would you just be like, am I crazy? But yeah, you definitely should go to the source. And it's unfortunate that, like, bad breath is such a, like, scary thing to talk about, because if someone has something in their teeth, I would say something. If someone's hair was messed up, I would say something. But something about breath. Maybe because it feels like a health thing or, like, you have to, like, actively do something more than just, like, pick something out of your teeth.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I don't know why it feels so deeply per. Yeah, because someone's stinky. I'll be like, oh, French, My God. Yeah, that's also sometimes a little.

[Sasheer]

Sometimes that's like, depending on how close you are, you may not say it,

[Nicole]

but yeah, I guess it's like. Honestly, maybe it's. It's because it's, like, a commentary on your economical status. Because, like, sometimes dentist stuff is out of pocket to, like, have teeth removed and whatnot.

[Sasheer]

Maybe.

[Nicole]

I don't know. Maybe it's like, oh, I'm accusing you of having poor hygiene.

[Sasheer]

Maybe. Maybe that's it. But it's like, people can have bad breath for multiple reasons. Could be a gut issue, what they're eating. Could be. Could be a dental thing where it's like, they don't. Their teeth are falling out. Yeah. It could be multiple things, but maybe

[Nicole]

this person's just chowing down on onions

[Sasheer]

before all their hangs or, like, literally what they're eating. Yeah. Do you think you have to say something? Because it would be such a shame to just stop hanging out with them because of their breath. And thankfully, that is a thing that can be changed. Yes, but how do you say. Yes?

[Nicole]

It's like an actual health thing.

[Sasheer]

Or. But then it's also, like, that could be helpful.

[Nicole]

Ooh, yeah.

[Sasheer]

Like, if it is like, oh, something. Actually, I do have a gut thing or a throat thing or whatever. Like, they might need to get checked out. Yes, but how do you say it?

[Nicole]

Okay, I'm gonna practice on you. You don't have bad breath.

[Sasheer]

Thank you, Sasheer. Yes.

[Nicole]

When we were Hanging out the other day, I was like, something smelled a little funky. And then you laughed really hard in my face, and I was like, I think it might be Sashir's breath. Oh, yes. Maybe, Maybe. Oh, do you use, like, alcohol, mouthwash or something?

[Sasheer]

Oh, no, I don't use any mouthwash at all.

[Nicole]

Oh, maybe. So I use this brand called Therabreath, and it really, like, it helps me. It works for me. Maybe. You want to try it? You. That was really hard, and it didn't feel good.

[Sasheer]

I know. It didn't feel good receiving it either.

[Ad Read Voice]

Okay.

[Nicole]

Do me.

[Sasheer]

Hey, Nicole.

[Nicole]

Hey.

[Sasheer]

So I just wanted to ask about something. Last few times we hung out, I. I. You know, I'm not really sure if it's something you're eating before we hang out, but, like, sometimes your breath is a little hot. Or just, like, it's not as fresh as it. As it could be.

[Nicole]

I want to cry. I don't like this. Oh, my God.

[Sasheer]

But it's like, if someone says something, you really are a true friend. Because this person, like, the person writing in is not the only person who has this experience with that friend. Like, this friend is going around breathing in people's faces, breathing people's faces, and everyone's hating it. So it's like, you are being a good friend by helping them realize this about themselves so they can work on it and it can get better. But it's just so hard to. To bring up lie.

[Nicole]

Okay, so you could just be like, I was listening to a podcast, and they were talking about dental health, and one of the hosts was like, I've had bad breath because I have a rotten tooth in my mouth. And you could be like. And not to be rude, but, like, your breath's been a little off lately. Do you think maybe you should go to the dentist?

[Sasheer]

I don't hate it. Why?

[Nicole]

Yeah, because then it's just like, oh, oh, oh. I'm reminded. Oh, maybe it's like a precaution, and I'm gonna tell you.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, yeah, maybe. And then they can be like, oh, I guess I'll go to the dentist and ask about it. And then hopefully, the dentist can be like, it's not your tooth, but something else is going on.

[Nicole]

It's your soul.

[Sasheer]

It's rotten. Rotten to the core. Rotten to the core.

[Nicole]

I think. I honestly think. I think lying is it.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, I really can't think of anything else.

[Nicole]

Me either. Because if you go, I think your breath is stinky. It's like, oh, wow, that hurts. But if you're like, I heard this podcast, and then I smelled your breath, and I was like, oh, God. It, like, really reminded me of this, and I don't want you to, like, get sick or have something else be affected.

[Sasheer]

Yeah, yeah. But it was more from a place of concern. Yeah, I think that might be good. As opposed to, like, you stink,

[Nicole]

and

[Sasheer]

it's making me not want to hang

[Nicole]

out with you anymore. I. I've smelled bad breath. I don't think I've ever encountered breath so bad that I couldn't hang.

[Sasheer]

I don't think I have either, because

[Nicole]

I'll just, like, kind of, like, I'll move. I'll just, like, turn slightly.

[Sasheer]

But apparently this person has, like, really sensitive smell, so maybe they really can't help it. So lie. Lie.

[Nicole]

Or when you're all hanging out, be like, pee you. Someone's breath stings.

[Sasheer]

No, not for other people.

[Nicole]

And then it's up to them to figure out who it is. And then it's a game. Lie.

[Sasheer]

Or play a game. But what if they can't figure it out? Because I feel like if your breast stinks really bad and consistently, you can't smell it. Otherwise, you do something about it.

[Nicole]

Yeah. All right. Lie.

[Sasheer]

Yeah. Solved. Well, if you have any questions or queries or concerns, you can email us at nicole and sashir gmail.com and hit it.

[Host]

That number is 323-238-6554.

[Nicole]

Well, that's it for now. We'll be back.

[Sasheer]

And so will you.

[Nicole]

And that's a threat.

[Sasheer]

Oh, no.

[Nicole]

Goodbye. Goodbye. Best Friends is a production of Headgum Studios.

[Sasheer]

Our producer is Ali Khan.

[Nicole]

Our executive producer is Anya Konovskaya.

[Sasheer]

The show is edited, mixed, and engineered by Rochelle Chet.

[Nicole]

Hi, I am Mandy Moore.

[Sasheer]

Sterling K. Brown.

[Nicole]

And I'm Chris Sullivan. And we host the podcast that was Us now on Headgum. Each episode, we're gonna go into a deep dive from our show. This is us.

[Sasheer]

That's right.

[Nicole]

We're gonna go episode by episode. We're also gonna pepper in episodes with different guest stars and writers and casting directors.

[Sasheer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Are we gonna cry?

[Sasheer]

Yes. A little bit.

[Nicole]

Are we gonna laugh a lot. A whole lot.

[Sasheer]

That's what I'm hoping. Man. Listen to. That was us on your favorite podcast app. Or watch full video episodes on YouTube or Spotify. New episodes every Tuesday.