EP. 178 — Nicole Felt ALL The Highs & Lows This Week

 

Sasheer [00:01:09] Hello, Nicole. 

 

Nicole [00:01:11] Oh, boy. I’m having a tough time. Gobble, gobble. Thanksgiving is coming. And speaking of gobble, gobble– I guess this isn’t a gobble, gobble thing. Well, gobble, gobble reminds me of eating, and my tummy–that’s where food goes. 

 

Sasheer [00:01:25] Sure. 

 

Nicole [00:01:28] I have, like, an itchy on it. 

 

Sasheer [00:01:31] You have itchy on what? 

 

Nicole [00:01:32] On my tummy. 

 

Sasheer [00:01:34] Oh. Like a rash or a bite? 

 

Nicole [00:01:36] I’m not sure, but it’s like–I would say–a nickel. I haven’t seen one in a while, but a nickel-sized, red area on my tum-tum. And it’s itchy. Somebody bit me, I think. 

 

Sasheer [00:01:52] I think something bit you. 

 

Nicole [00:01:54] I’m very upset. I don’t want to be bitten. What’s it called? Unconsented. 

 

Sasheer [00:02:04] No non-consensual bites. 

 

Nicole [00:02:07] Yeah, I don’t want that in my life. It makes me really upset. And I scratch it, and itch it, and it’s terrible. 

 

Sasheer [00:02:14] Did you put anything on it? 

 

Nicole [00:02:15] Oh, no. What should I put on it?  

 

Sasheer [00:02:18] You know, I would probably put Neosporin on it, but I don’t know if that’s exactly what you need for a bite. Strange enough, I have Neosporin right next to me. 

 

Nicole [00:02:27] Well, that’s not helpful for me. 

 

Sasheer [00:02:30] Yeah. Do you want some? 

 

Nicole [00:02:31] This is mean! I’m so far away from you. 

 

Sasheer [00:02:39] You’re very far away from me. You’re in New York. 

 

Nicole [00:02:41] I’m in New York City. 

 

Sasheer [00:02:43] I’m in Mexico. 

 

Nicole [00:02:45] Hola. 

 

Sasheer [00:02:48] Hola to you, too. Hold up. “What to Put on Bug Bites. Calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream… Baking soda paste?” Baking soda can do a lot. 

 

Nicole [00:03:02] Baking soda also gets rid of the stink in your refrigerator. 

 

Sasheer [00:03:05] That’s true. And it also whitens your teeth. 

 

Nicole [00:03:13] It also gets rid of the stink in your sink. 

 

Sasheer [00:03:16] Oh. Do you put it down the drain or something? 

 

Nicole [00:03:19] Okay, so this lady on TikTok put– What are those yellow fruits? Lemons. Lemons, baking soda, and vinegar down her garbage disposal, and then churned it all up, and she went, “Ah. Fresh.” But I don’t know if it actually was fresh. 

 

Sasheer [00:03:38] Because you haven’t tried it?

 

Nicole [00:03:40] Yeah, I can’t smell her kitchen. 

 

Sasheer [00:03:43] One day we will. One day we’ll be able to smell through the screen. But right now?

 

Nicole [00:03:52] Sasheer, do you think that’s coming? 

 

Sasheer [00:03:55] Smell-o-vision? I feel like there’s been a dreamed-up thing in cartoons for a really long time. But I guess I could see it being, like, a 5D experience, you know, where not only are you watching it, and listening to it, and it’s shaking you, and it’s spraying you with water, “we’re going to make you smell it!”

 

Nicole [00:04:17] Wow. I don’t think I’m into that. I think that’s a little too much for me and my little fucking brain. 

 

Sasheer [00:04:26] I guess it depends on what we’re smelling. If it’s, like, a cooking show, that could be nice. And you’re smelling all the foods in the kitchen. 

 

Nicole [00:04:34] But what if you get hungry? 

 

Sasheer [00:04:36] That is the risk. 

 

Nicole [00:04:38] I don’t know if I could do that because I love good-smelling food, and then I get hungry, and then I get mad that I can’t have the good-smelling food. You know what I mean? Sasheer, I have to tell you something. I lost my mind yesterday. 

 

Sasheer [00:04:54] What? Why? I’m sorry.

 

Nicole [00:04:55] I had a tough day at work. I went to Little Dom’s because it was Friday night, and I said, “You know, what’ll ease my misery–what will be a real treat for me and my life?” 

 

Sasheer [00:05:06] Lasagna! 

 

Nicole [00:05:07] Yes! I got there at 8:30. 

 

Sasheer [00:05:10] Okay. 

 

Nicole [00:05:11] 8:30’s early for dinner. 

 

Sasheer [00:05:14] Yeah. Reasonable. 

 

Nicole [00:05:15] Yeah. People are still out and about. It’s busy, you know? Maybe I won’t get a seat because it’s so busy. But I get a seat. There’s no lasagna. 

 

Sasheer [00:05:27] It’s already gone? 

 

Nicole [00:05:31] At 8:30, Little Dom’s lasagna was already gone. 

 

Sasheer [00:05:34] Wow. 

 

Nicole [00:05:36] Sasheer, my eyes welled up with tears. 

 

Sasheer [00:05:44] Oh no.

 

Nicole [00:05:45] And to the naked eye, it’s just a fat woman crying over food. But internally, I was having a bad day, and I was counting on that lasagna. 

 

Sasheer [00:05:57] I get that. Yeah. Were they able to make it up at all? 

 

Nicole [00:06:02] No. And I asked, I was like, “Can they, like, look around. And a piece that they may have been saving for somebody–I’ll give them all the money in my wallet,” which was only $60. But I was like, “I won’t give it to the restaurant. I’ll give it to whoever finds that piece.” 

 

Sasheer [00:06:20] Damn, I’m sorry. 

 

Nicole [00:06:24] But alas. I didn’t get it. And I’m still really upset about it because I’m talking about it a whole day later. 

 

Sasheer [00:06:29] Yeah. I worked at Starbucks for a little bit, and people get super upset if their drink was wrong. And I figured out later that this is their one piece of control–for some people. For some people, you know, they go to work, they’re getting told what to do, they go home, they’re getting told what to do. Or they’re, like, serving other people, like their kids, or their spouse, or whatever. And it’s like, “I just want to go to Starbucks and get my mocha latte with my milk at 108 degrees, and the chocolate on the bottom, and the whipped cream.” Whatever their specifications are–perfectly–because that’s going to make them happy. And if they don’t get it right–something’s off–they will lose their mind. 

 

Nicole [00:07:18] Yeah, honestly, when I hear those orders, I’m like, “How did you arrive to the conclusion that you want to drink something at 182 degrees? And then how did you discover that you wanted the chocolate at the bottom as opposed to a drizzle on top?” Like, how did people arrive at that shit? 

 

Sasheer [00:07:36] I think, for the temperature, sometimes it’s, like, a driving thing. If they have like a–I don’t know–30 minutes to drive to work or something and they still want it to be hot by the time they get there. 

 

Nicole [00:07:47] Oh, my word. 

 

Sasheer [00:07:54] That’s what I’m guessing. Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:07:56] You know, life is just a series of highs and lows. 

 

Sasheer [00:08:00] That is true. 

 

Nicole [00:08:01] And I wish they were all highs. I don’t really like the lows. 

 

Sasheer [00:08:07] You want to hear a high and a low that I had recently? 

 

Nicole [00:08:10] I would love to. 

 

Sasheer [00:08:11] Yesterday I went surfing, and I’ll say that’s a high. I’ve never done it before. I’ve never tried it. It was fun. I’ll say the lows–I’m in a lot of pain. My neck hurts so bad. 

 

Nicole [00:08:27] Why does your neck hurt? 

 

Sasheer [00:08:28] I don’t know. Maybe from when my body was on the board and I was, like, kind of doing an “up dog?” 

 

Nicole [00:08:37] Something like that. 

 

Sasheer [00:08:38] A “cobra” to look at the waves? I don’t quite know. I also got knocked out a bunch. 

 

Nicole [00:08:46] Oh, no. 

 

Sasheer [00:08:47] But I did stand up twice. 

 

Nicole [00:08:50] Honestly, that is very impressive. I’m very impressed that you–in this last year–have learned to float, started swimming, and now you’re on a board on water. 

 

Sasheer [00:09:07] Just trying things. It’s a new year. 

 

Nicole [00:09:10] She’s trying things. It is funny, though, that you’re like, “I’ll learn how to swim so I can get on top of the water! I’ll be in it, but not really!” 

 

Sasheer [00:09:19] That’s really all I want. I want to be on top of the water–beside the water–like, going over the water. 

 

Nicole [00:09:26] I want to be in it. 

 

Sasheer [00:09:28] You love being in it, yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:09:30] I love the water. The ocean is a beautiful mystery. I think if, like, one teacher actually encouraged me, I probably would have become, like, a marine biologist or a scuba friend. I don’t know. I don’t know what the sea people are.

 

Sasheer [00:09:52] “Scuba friend.” 

 

Nicole [00:09:54] Well, it can’t just be marine biology for the whole scope of what people do in the ocean. Is it? 

 

Sasheer [00:10:01] I imagine there’s probably many jobs related to ocean things, but I don’t–

 

Nicole [00:10:06] Maybe they’re all under the guise of marine biology. Like, a first responder could be a police officer, or a fireman, or a fire person! 

 

Sasheer [00:10:20] You screamed. “Or fire person!” 

 

Nicole [00:10:20] I don’t want to exclude anybody.

 

Sasheer [00:10:27] Actually, you would love this. Here, there are pink fire trucks because those are all lady fire people. 

 

Nicole [00:10:37] Really? 

 

Sasheer [00:10:38] Yes. 

 

Nicole [00:10:39] We that’s so fun. 

 

Sasheer [00:10:40] And they have pink cop cars, too, because they have lady cop teams to help with, like, domestic abuse stuff or anything where there’s a woman that would probably feel more comfortable talking to another woman about that thing. 

 

Nicole [00:10:56] Boy. I really like that. 

 

Sasheer [00:10:57] I know. 

 

Nicole [00:10:59] But, I mean, this is maybe one of the most toxic thoughts I’ve ever had. If I was beating my wife and I saw that pink cop car coming, I don’t know if I’d stop. I’d be like, “I’ll take them all!” This is not good. It’s not good. But, like, if you’re a big abusive man, like… 

 

Sasheer [00:11:21] It might not be while the abuse is happening. It might be post. 

 

Nicole [00:11:25] Oh.

 

Sasheer [00:11:27] To help the victim out after. 

 

Nicole [00:11:32] Uh-huh. That makes a lot more sense. 

 

Sasheer [00:11:35] Unless maybe these are really skilled women who can take on anybody. I still haven’t asked a bunch of questions about the fire truck yet. That one does confuse me because that doesn’t seem like a gendered thing. Anyone needs to be saved from fire from anybody. 

 

Nicole [00:11:57] Sasheer, I have almost lit my home on fire multiple times growing up by putting cardboard in the toaster oven, metal in the microwave. And if a nice fire lady came to say, “No, no, no, no,” I would feel better than a big fireman going, “Hey! No, no, no, no.” 

 

Sasheer [00:12:18] All right. Yeah, maybe. Maybe they get sent whenever a kid does something dumb. They’re like, “Hey. We can’t be doing that.” 

 

Nicole [00:12:26] God, I almost lit our house on fire so many times. 

 

Sasheer [00:12:29] Really? 

 

Nicole [00:12:30] Yes. Well, I put my mother’s fine china–her wedding china–in the microwave, and it has gold on it. And sparks were flying. And she was pissed. I once put tinfoil in the microwave. Sparks were flying. And I was scared. And my mother was pissed. And then, you know those McDonald’s cardboard clam things that the burgers come in? 

 

Sasheer [00:12:57] Yes. 

 

Nicole [00:12:57] It’s like a shell that they put the burger in. Yeah, it’s like a clam. It’s the only way I can describe it. Why did they make them like that? Anyway, I put one of those in the toaster oven, and that caught fire. And my sister was like, “Oh, Nicole. That’s on fire.” 

 

Sasheer [00:13:11] Because you’re trying to heat the whole burger?

 

Nicole [00:13:14] Yes. And I didn’t want to put it in the microwave and get it mushy. 

 

Sasheer [00:13:19] You’re like, “Cardboard can’t possibly go in this microwave. Fine china? Yes.” 

 

Nicole [00:13:26] Listen, I’m thriving! 

 

Sasheer [00:13:29] I can’t believe you had so much access to the microwave. 

 

Nicole [00:13:32] What? Was yours locked up?

 

Sasheer [00:13:34] Well, I feel like I had to ask permission to use it. I couldn’t just, like, put anything in there. 

 

Nicole [00:13:42] Really? I’m pretty sure I could put anything I wanted in the microwave. 

 

Sasheer [00:13:46] Well, at a certain age, yes. How old were you when you were putting foil in there? 

 

Nicole [00:13:52] I don’t think I was as young as you want me to be. I don’t remember. I was up and about, and I was left on my own. So, at least 13-12. Too old! 

 

Sasheer [00:14:09] Yeah. Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:14:11] But also, I would heat things up in the microwave as, like, a child. As soon as I could reach the microwave and knew how to operate it, I was like, “All bets are off. I’m heating shit up. I’m going to eat. You can’t stop me!” 

 

Sasheer [00:14:24] “I need this warmed up right now!” 

 

Nicole [00:14:26] “Right now. I’m so hungry!” Do you have a microwave? 

 

Sasheer [00:14:31] I don’t. I haven’t in years. 

 

Nicole [00:14:34] Crazy. 

 

Sasheer [00:14:35] I have a toaster oven and an air fryer. 

 

Nicole [00:14:38] Why don’t you have a microwave? 

 

Sasheer [00:14:41] Because things get mushy like you had brought up earlier. You don’t want to put your burger in the microwave because it gets mushy. I can’t think of many things I have reheated in a microwave that came out the way I wanted it to, you know? A toaster oven does a good job of reheating it and keeping it fresh or, like, be in the way that you want it to be. And the air fryer is even better. 

 

Nicole [00:15:08] Air frying? People love it. I watched a woman on TikTok fucking make a hole, like, crab broil or whatever it’s called. 

 

Sasheer [00:15:18] You sent that to me. It was so funny. Black people do the craziest things with their air fryer. She put live crabs in there! They’re still moving. And she closed the air fryer and put it on high. 

 

Nicole [00:15:35] She sure did. It was a lot. She really did it. But it takes up a lot of room, one. Two, I just don’t know. I’m not having a great time air-frying stuff. 

 

Sasheer [00:15:49] Yeah. I do want to look up more recipes. But I’ve seen videos where you can make a whole, like, salmon and broccoli meal.

 

Nicole [00:15:58] That’s right up your alley! 

 

Sasheer [00:15:59] It’s right up my alley. And you put it all in at the same time. 

 

Nicole [00:16:05] Wait. So, you’re going to marinate some salmon, and then them juices are going to marinate the broccoli? 

 

Sasheer [00:16:11] I guess so. 

 

Nicole [00:16:13] I guess that’s fine. For whatever reason in my brain, I was like, “The salmon is raw!” But it is getting cooked, and then all the juices are getting cooked as well. 

 

Sasheer [00:16:24] Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:16:25] Cooking’s weird. 

 

Sasheer [00:16:26] Cooking’s weird. Yeah. I don’t love it. I don’t do it because I don’t have the patience. 

 

Nicole [00:16:33] I also don’t have the patience, but sometimes I’ll do it and I’m like, “Wow.” I mean, the payoff is so small, you know? You dirty up almost everything in your kitchen to have a plate of food? And then you eat it. 

 

Sasheer [00:16:49] And it’s gone. And now you have to clean everything up. 

 

Nicole [00:16:52] Awful. Last week, I fucking meal prepped. Sasheer, eating healthy is a journey, and I fucking hate it, and I don’t want to do it. But like–I don’t know–a healthy body, you live longer or something. But like… I don’t know.

 

Sasheer [00:17:12] What did you prep? 

 

Nicole [00:17:13] I made fucking quinoa with spinach, and then fucking broccoli, and then ground turkey. Boring. A boring fucking meal. 

 

Sasheer [00:17:28] It sounds good, though. 

 

Nicole [00:17:29] It was fine. And then you have to eat out of little compartments like you’re a child. It sucks. I hate it.

 

Sasheer [00:17:36] Like a Lunchable? 

 

Nicole [00:17:38] Yes! It was like an adult Lunchable. And I say adult because it’s a glass container. I don’t want it. Okay, here’s the thing. Sasheer, why do we have to eat healthy to stay alive? Why do they make junk food? Why they do that? 

 

Sasheer [00:17:56] That does suck because if we never had junk food, we wouldn’t know that there are things tastier than healthy food. We would just eat healthy food and be like, “This is great. These are all the options I have.” 

 

Nicole [00:18:08] “This is the best.” If I never had Strawberry Quik, I would just be eating strawberries, being like, “These are the sweetest a strawberry could be.” Instead, I bite into a strawberry, and I go, “Aw man, I’d rather drink Strawberry fucking Quik.” 

 

Sasheer [00:18:24] Did you, like, make it, or would you buy it pre-made in the bottle? 

 

Nicole [00:18:29] Are you fucking kidding? Let me control my sugars. I buy it in powder form and add it to the milk myself because I like it sweeter than you would think. Also, I add it to ice cream, making the ice cream sickly sweet. 

 

Sasheer [00:18:47] Oh boy. 

 

Nicole [00:18:48] And so fucking yummy. 

 

Sasheer [00:18:50] What flavor ice cream? 

 

Nicole [00:18:51] Oh, vanilla. And then it becomes, like, a strawberries and cream situation. 

 

Sasheer [00:18:57] That is a really good idea. 

 

Nicole [00:18:58] Oh, my God. When I was young, I used to love a powdered something. Kool-Aid? Love Kool-Aid. 

 

Sasheer [00:19:05] Oh, Kool-Aid’s so sweet. 

 

Nicole [00:19:07] I love sweet things. 

 

Sasheer [00:19:09] Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:19:09] That’s, like, a thing Black people like. I think we like sweet things. But you don’t like sweet things. 

 

Sasheer [00:19:14] I like more chocolaty things than, like, sugary sweet. 

 

Nicole [00:19:19] Do you like dark chocolate more than milk chocolate? 

 

Sasheer [00:19:22] I like milk chocolate more than dark chocolate. 

 

Nicole [00:19:25] Thank God. Me too. I was about to fucking get all riled up. 

 

Sasheer [00:19:31] Oh, I’m so glad I didn’t rile you up. What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Do you know yet? 

 

Nicole [00:19:38] I believe I’m going to go see my grandpa, and my sister, and maybe my aunt and my uncle. I don’t know. But I’m not going for more than, like, two days. 

 

Sasheer [00:19:49] Yeah, that sounds good. 

 

Nicole [00:19:51] What are you doing? 

 

Sasheer [00:19:52] I don’t know yet. Probably going to South Carolina, where my dad and my aunt are. 

 

Nicole [00:19:58] That’ll be nice. I love papa. 

 

Sasheer [00:20:00] Yeah, he loves you, too. 

 

Nicole [00:20:03] I just remember that one time we hung out. It was so nice. 

 

Sasheer [00:20:05] Yeah. You found the biggest fire hydrant in the area. I don’t know what its claim to fame is. It’s a really big fire hydrant. 

 

Nicole [00:20:14] I think it’s the biggest one in the world. 

 

Sasheer [00:20:16] I hope so. 

 

Nicole [00:20:17] And he was very confused as to why I wanted to see it. And when I kept saying I like big things, he was like, “I mean, okay.” Wait, should I turn on a light? I look like a ghost. 

 

Sasheer [00:20:27] Yeah. Somehow you got really backlit. Or if you just closed the blinds behind you, I think that’ll help you. 

 

Nicole [00:20:33] We have to go on a journey! 

 

Sasheer [00:20:35] We’re going on a journey? She’s taking her whole operation with her. 

 

Nicole [00:20:38] No, this is the wrong one. Do you want to see my light fixtures? Okay. 

 

Sasheer [00:20:43] That’s cute! 

 

Nicole [00:20:44] They’re balls. They’re big, old, spherical balls. 

 

Sasheer [00:20:48] You love big, old balls. 

 

Nicole [00:20:49] I love balls. I wish I had a pair in my mouth. Ha ha ha ha ha. Sasheer, when do you come back to the United States of America? 

 

Sasheer [00:21:06] In four days. When do you come back to L.A.? 

 

Nicole [00:21:09] I come back to L.A. on Friday. I fly out of New York City via JFK–John F Kennedy Airport in Jamaica, Queens. I get on my Delta flight at 7 a.m. I land at 10. I have to go to the doctor right after. 

 

Sasheer [00:21:27] Is it very cold there because you are bundled up? You have a hat and a hood. 

 

Nicole [00:21:35] Okay. Well, the hat is because Kathleen–who does my hair at work–she took my braids out, and it looks wild. So that’s what that hat is for. The hood is for–I don’t know–I pulled it up on the plane to take a nap, to go to sleep, and I just never pulled it back down. But I will say it’s brisk, not cold. 

 

Sasheer [00:21:54] Okay.  Okay. 

 

Nicole [00:21:56] Sasheer, I snored so hard and so loud on this flight that I just put my head down when we landed because I didn’t want to look anyone in the eye. 

 

Sasheer [00:22:07] Oh no, you’re ashamed. 

 

Nicole [00:22:09] Very ashamed. And I never use the blankets because I once found poop in a blanket. But this trip, I was like, “I should use a blanket and try to muffle my snores.” So, I open the blanket very delicately and carefully, and then I put my eye mask on. And then I had my mask on because I didn’t want it to touch any of my face. And I tried to cover my face with the blanket to muzzle the snoring noises. But every time I woke up, I had figured out how to get my head free of the blanket. 

 

Sasheer [00:22:40] “Let me out!”

 

Nicole [00:22:46] “I have something I want to say!” I also watched Bodies, Bodies, Bodies on the plane. What a fun movie. 

 

Sasheer [00:22:54] Oh, nice.

 

Nicole [00:22:55] A24 are really doing it. 

 

Sasheer [00:22:57] They have great stuff all the time. 

 

Nicole [00:23:12] Let’s do a little quizzy-poo? 

 

Kimmie [00:23:14] Let’s do it. First, Nicole, would you want to hear of different jobs you could have in the ocean if you decide you want to change careers ever? 

 

Nicole [00:23:22] Yes. 

 

Kimmie [00:23:25] There’s a very long list. I’m going to edit it, so we’re not talking about ocean jobs for the next two hours. But one of the first jobs is ocean engineering, which I think means building, like, oil rigs. And then you can be a marine mammal trainer. I thought that would be cool. There’s also marine archeology, which I think has to do with, like, shipwrecks and underwater cities. 

 

Nicole [00:23:48] Okay. 

 

Kimmie [00:23:50] And then there’s oceanography. I think that has to do with taking video or footage of the ocean, but I am not sure. 

 

Nicole [00:23:59] I wish it was choreographing dances for everybody in the ocean. 

 

Sasheer [00:24:06] I thought it was going to be porn but for sea life. 

 

Nicole [00:24:12] I mean, that would honestly be a very funny job. It’s like, “Hey, fishes. Do you want to fuck, so I can film it?” 

 

Sasheer [00:24:20] Like, trying to direct them. 

 

Nicole [00:24:23] It’s like, “Okay. Suck that fin. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Suck that other fin.”

 

Sasheer [00:24:28] “Alright, you’re hungry for plankton. And you are going to the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean.” 

 

Nicole [00:24:39] That’s funny. “Plankton.”

 

Kimmie [00:24:43] Some of the other options are aquatic veterinarian. Fish healthy. There’s scuba diving instructor and underwater filmmaker. And then lastly–I have no idea what this means–marine environment economist. 

 

Nicole [00:25:01] Oh, you’re trying to see how the economy of the underwater is doing. If the stocks are up or down. If the seaweed is still growing left or right. 

 

Sasheer [00:25:12] Hmm. 

 

Kimmie [00:25:13] That’s the list. Okay. So, if any of these appeal to you. 

 

Nicole [00:25:16] Thank you. You know, I don’t know. I might leave comedy to get in the ocean. 

 

Sasheer [00:25:24] Get in the ocean? You love the water. 

 

Nicole [00:25:26] I do. I’m a little fucking water baby.

 

Nicole [00:25:31] Okay, let’s do a Thanksgiving quiz. 

 

Sasheer [00:25:34] Oh yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:25:35] Ooh, okay. “Let’s Eat a Thanksgiving Feast to Discover the Absolute Best Thing About You.” 

 

Sasheer [00:25:42] Great. 

 

Nicole [00:25:43] I’m excited. 

 

Sasheer [00:25:45] I’m excited. “First, take a beverage.” 

 

Nicole [00:25:51] “Hot cocoa.”

 

Sasheer [00:25:52] “Mulled wine.” 

 

Nicole [00:25:54] “Pumpkin spice latte.”

 

Sasheer [00:25:55] “Apple cider.”

 

Nicole [00:25:57] I mean, I’m going for that hot cocoa. 

 

Sasheer [00:26:01] I’m also going for the hot cocoa. I love that it’s hot cocoa season. And I’ve just been drinking a bunch of it. 

 

Nicole [00:26:10] Ooh. That’s nice. See again, we should be drinking kale juice. Who found out you could liquefy chocolate? Who did it? 

 

Sasheer [00:26:21] Yeah. I know. Every time I do it, I’m like, “This is not good for me in any capacity.” But it’s so tasty. 

 

Nicole [00:26:30] No, but I guess it’s okay in moderation. But that’s so stupid. Why?

 

Sasheer [00:26:34] Why?

 

Nicole [00:26:40] But do you have to eat everything in moderation? Like, I guess I can’t eat, like, a hundred apples or, like, 100 stocks of celery. 

 

Sasheer [00:26:45] I think that’s true. I think everything in moderation. 

 

Nicole [00:26:49] It sucks. 

 

Sasheer [00:26:49] Sucks! 

 

Nicole [00:26:51] “Pick an appetizer.” 

 

Sasheer [00:26:53] “Bruschetta.”

 

Nicole [00:26:55] Uh oh. I know how to say this. Well, how do I say it? 

 

Sasheer [00:27:00] “Charcuterie.” 

 

Nicole [00:27:01] “Charcuterie board.”

 

Sasheer [00:27:02] “Croquettes.” 

 

Nicole [00:27:04] “Rolls.” Wait, rolls are an appetizer? 

 

Sasheer [00:27:09] Yeah, I guess at a restaurant. It’s like it’s mandatory. 

 

Nicole [00:27:14] Yeah. Rolls are just, like… You must get this basket of rolls, or you eat them politely as you wait for more food. 

 

Sasheer [00:27:26] Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:27:26] I like bruschetta. 

 

Sasheer [00:27:29] I’d do a charcuterie board. I like having options. 

 

Nicole [00:27:32] I just can’t get with cheese. I hate cold cheese. 

 

Sasheer [00:27:38] Yeah, I see that. “Pick a soup or a side salad.” 

 

Nicole [00:27:47] “Butternut squash soup.” 

 

Sasheer [00:27:50] “Caesar salad.”

 

Nicole [00:27:51] “Beef bon-guing-non.” “Bur-goo-gon.” I’m trying to sound it out. 

 

Sasheer [00:28:05] I’m sorry. I also don’t know what it is. 

 

Kimmie [00:28:09] Your first. One was not far off. It’s “bourguignon.”

 

Nicole [00:28:13] Ohhh. “Bourguignon.”

 

Sasheer [00:28:21] Or a harvest salad. 

 

Nicole [00:28:24] I can’t believe how badly that beef dish wanted to embarrass me. 

 

Sasheer [00:28:29] I wouldn’t have gotten it either. 

 

Nicole [00:28:30] Thank you. How would you have said–? Well, you’ve heard the pronunciation. 

 

Sasheer [00:28:34] “Beef bore-gyu-gyun.” Yeah. I wonder if I would have gotten it if I didn’t hear. “Bourguignon?”  Maybe I would have thought the “g” was silent. 

 

Nicole [00:28:46] Is it good, Kimmie? 

 

Kimmie [00:28:48] It’s really good. 

 

Nicole [00:28:52] Oh. What’s a harvest salad? 

 

Sasheer [00:28:54] It’s, like, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, some kind of lettuce, onions. Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:28:59] I’m going to be daring. I’m going to go with butternut squash soup. 

 

Sasheer [00:29:04] That’s so daring. 

 

Nicole [00:29:06] Yeah, I’m not a soup gal, but I really like the color of it, and I think it’s going to be good. 

 

Sasheer [00:29:13] I’m going to go off of Kimmie’s endorsement and try the beef bourguignon.

 

Nicole [00:29:23] This is very funny because I feel like we’re in a restaurant, and I know we’re not. We’re on Zoom. 

 

Sasheer [00:29:29] Yeah. Looking at a menu. “Pick a main dish.” 

 

Nicole [00:29:35] Ew. “Turkey?” 

 

Sasheer [00:29:39] But this is for Thanksgiving. 

 

Nicole [00:29:39] Oh, yeah. I was like, “Who’s willingly ordering turkey anywhere?” I’ve barely ever seen turkey on a menu. Nobody’s just eating turkey. 

 

Sasheer [00:29:51] Yeah, I think it’s mostly a Thanksgiving dish. 

 

Sasheer [00:29:56] Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving and never on any other day? 

 

Sasheer [00:30:00] I guess I’ve had turkey sandwiches but not like full-on turkey. It really is a holiday food. 

 

Nicole [00:30:06] It is. And I’ve only had one good turkey. And it was made by The John Milhiser. It was the fucking most moistest– That’s not a word. It was so moist, and he seasoned it really well. And this is a friend who I’ve seen put chicken in the oven with nary a seasoning on it. But he seasoned this so well, I might be like, “Can you make me a turkey one day, John?” 

 

Sasheer [00:30:32] He would. It’d be nice. 

 

Nicole [00:30:33] He probably would. You know what? Maybe I’ll have him make me a Cornish hen because that’s smaller than a turkey. But boy, was it juicy. 

 

Sasheer [00:30:42] I like a fried turkey. Have you had that before? 

 

Nicole [00:30:45] So my aunt will sometimes have people over for Thanksgiving, but I always end up there late because I start at my grandparents’ house. By the time I get there, my cousin’s fried turkey is gone. 

 

Sasheer [00:30:57] Dang. You gotta get there early for that turkey. 

 

Nicole [00:30:58] I know. It’s just really hard to get to places on time, Sasheer. I think… you know about that. 

 

Sasheer [00:31:07] I know a little something about that. Yeah. “Steak.”

 

Nicole [00:31:13] “Tamales.”

 

Sasheer [00:31:16] “Salmon.” 

 

Nicole [00:31:17] Well, I’m going with a steak. 

 

Sasheer [00:31:20] Yeah, you love steak. 

 

Nicole [00:31:24] You’re going to go with that salmon! Yesterday at work–it was our last day before a week-long hiatus–and the menu… Hold on. I just want to read you the menu because it blew my mind. Please hold. Ooh. My phone was wedged up in there good. Okay. 

 

Sasheer [00:31:45] Where did you get it from? 

 

Nicole [00:31:47] It was… Ooh. I’ll never tell. Okay. So, we had a baked potato, pesto pasta, normal stuff, and then grilled chicken, New York strip steak, and a lobster tail. 

 

Sasheer [00:32:04] A lobster tail? 

 

Nicole [00:32:05] Yes, Sasheer. 

 

Sasheer [00:32:07] For catering?

 

Nicole [00:32:09] Yes. From fucking catering, and I took a picture of it because they gave me the biggest piece of steak I’ve ever… 

 

Sasheer [00:32:18] Wow.

 

Nicole [00:32:20] It’s huge. I was like, “This is ten ounces.” And underneath was a full lobster tail. And then underneath that was so much grilled chicken. I couldn’t believe it. And it wasn’t a bad steak. 

 

Sasheer [00:32:34] Great. 

 

Nicole [00:32:35] Anyway, I just had to tell you about that. 

 

Sasheer [00:32:38] I’m glad you did. Yeah, sometimes–most of the time–the catering on TV sets is bad. It’s fine-to-bad. So, I’m quite surprised they were even offering lobster, let alone had good steak. 

 

Nicole [00:32:53] Blew my mind. I think I might just ask them, like, at the beginning of the day to be like, “Can you just grill me chicken?” Because the grilled chicken was so good, but sometimes they’ll slosh sauce on it, and then I’m like, “I can’t eat the sauce because I’m trying to eat healthy.” And then I look foolish with a bottle of water trying to wash the sauce off my chicken. 

 

Sasheer [00:33:16] Ew. Yeah. Don’t do that. Yeah, you can definitely tell them in advance what you want because they can make anything, especially if you’ve had it from them and liked it. 

 

Nicole [00:33:27] You’re right. All right. 

 

Sasheer [00:33:30] Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:33:31] That’s what I’m going to start doing–at the end of the day, be like, “Please set aside some grilled chicken for me.” 

 

Sasheer [00:33:36] Then you don’t have to meal prep. 

 

Nicole [00:33:38] Oh, that would be so nice. Sasheer, I hate meal prep. The only good thing about meal prepping is when I get home at like 8 or 9, I go, “I can just eat my little Lunchable.” 

 

Sasheer [00:33:51] That’s true. It’s already done. 

 

Nicole [00:33:51] And I don’t have to think about it. I guess I’ll do it when I get back from New York. “Pick a side dish.”

 

Sasheer [00:33:59] Stuffing. 

 

Nicole [00:34:00] Who’s picking stuffing? “Roasted vegetables?” 

 

Sasheer [00:34:04] “Mashed potatoes.” 

 

Nicole [00:34:06] “Casserole?” Isn’t casserole kind of like stuffing? What’s a casserole?

 

Sasheer [00:34:16] Isn’t that, like, the category, and there can be many types of casseroles? 

 

Kimmie [00:34:21] Yeah, let’s see what the definition is because my mind immediately went to green bean casserole. 

 

Sasheer [00:34:24] Yeah, but that’s not what that picture was. 

 

Nicole [00:34:26] No. Wait, what is green bean casserole? 

 

Kimmie [00:34:29] Oh, it’s nice. 

 

Sasheer [00:34:32] “Casserole is normally a large deep pan or bowl used for cooking a variety of dishes in the oven. It is also a category of foods cooked in such a vessel. To distinguish the two uses, the pan can be called a ‘casserole dish’ or a ‘casserole pan.’” So yeah, it’s a way to cook foods, but there can be different types of casseroles. 

 

Kimmie [00:34:53] So the main ingredient in a casserole is chopped vegetables, meat, and then a starchy binder. So usually it’s, like, eggs, or cream, or something that kind of makes it all stick together versus onions. I think maybe stuffing could technically be a casserole, but it’s usually bound–you bake it in chicken broth or some sort of broth instead of something starchy like egg or cream. I think that’s the difference. Someone can correct me, though. 

 

Nicole [00:35:20] I mean, I didn’t grow up in a casserole house. Did you guys?

 

Sasheer [00:35:24] Maybe I didn’t. I guess I’ve had them, but I don’t think it was, like, a regular thing. 

 

Nicole [00:35:29] I don’t think I’ve had a casserole. Well, John made corn souffle, which I don’t really understand what it is. And then he made a green bean thing that was, like, goop–it was goopy–and there’s stuff on top. 

 

Kimmie [00:35:46] That’s a casserole. It’s green beans, and cream of mushroom soup, and then crispy fried onions. And it’s baked together. And it’s really, really nice. 

 

Nicole [00:35:55] Oh, okay. But the picture of this casserole, I would like that. Oh, wait. Is, like, cheddar, chicken, and broccoli a casserole? 

 

Kimmie [00:36:04] Yes. Often it has, like, a cream of chicken soup or something making it kind of be formed or stuck together. 

 

Nicole [00:36:13] Kimmie, how are you a casserole expert? 

 

Kimmie [00:36:14] I was raised by a lot of nice white people who come from the Midwest. 

 

Sasheer [00:36:20] The home of casseroles. 

 

Nicole [00:36:23] Oh. Were you telling me about, like, a midwestern thing that’s, like, specific to the Midwest–that’s, like, a weird casserole? 

 

Kimmie [00:36:31] Hot dish. That’s a casserole, I think. And then, yeah, you just put tater tots on it, which is a big win in my book. 

 

Nicole [00:36:41] I do like tater tots. But so, for this side dish, I must pick mashed potatoes. 

 

Sasheer [00:36:49] For Thanksgiving, I do love a stuffing. 

 

Nicole [00:36:52] Really? 

 

Sasheer [00:36:54] Yeah. Generally, l’ll eat mashed potatoes any day. But specifically for Thanksgiving, I like the stuffing. 

 

Nicole [00:37:02] Who makes the stuffing that blows your fucking tits off? 

 

Sasheer [00:37:07] My aunt. My aunt makes great food. She makes great everything. 

 

Nicole [00:37:13] My grandmother puts bacon in hers. 

 

Sasheer [00:37:15] Yeah, I think there’s, like, chunks of ham in the stuffing that I like.  

 

Nicole [00:37:22] Ooh. Have you ever watched those BuzzFeed videos where it’s like, “Moms taste each other’s mac and cheese?”

 

Sasheer [00:37:27] Yes, I love it. 

 

Nicole [00:37:29] I love them, too. 

 

Sasheer [00:37:30] And they’re just roasting each other, like, “I don’t know who made this.” 

 

Nicole [00:37:34] And they’re like, “The spice is all off.” I think it’s my favorite genre of video. 

 

Sasheer [00:37:40] Yeah, definitely. 

 

Nicole [00:37:43] Carl Tart says he makes an excellent mac and cheese, so I was like, “We should have a mac and cheese off!” But then it’s like… you gotta make it, and it’s a whole thing. But I think I might demand it next week. 

 

Sasheer [00:37:53] Everyone can make a mac and cheese at home and then bring it. You don’t have to have it made at the same time. 

 

Nicole [00:38:00] Well, I wanted it to be brought on the same day so we could all have a taste test. 

 

Sasheer [00:38:04] Oh, yeah. Oh, to work? 

 

Nicole [00:38:07] Yes. 

 

Sasheer [00:38:08] No, just invite everyone over. 

 

Nicole [00:38:12] That is easier, Sasheer. 

 

Sasheer [00:38:15] Yeah. People can spend the day making macaroni and cheese and then bring it over at night. 

 

Nicole [00:38:20] Sometimes your wisdom knows no bounds. “Pick another side.” 

 

Sasheer [00:38:28] “Roasted potatoes.” 

 

Nicole [00:38:29] “Bread” is not a side. 

 

Sasheer [00:38:32] It really isn’t. “Green beans.”

 

Nicole [00:38:36] Who at BuzzFeed, for this quiz, is like, “Um. Bread? I just munch on bread.” 

 

Sasheer [00:38:43] “I like bread as an appetizer. I like bread as a side.”

 

Nicole [00:38:44] Did Oprah do this? Did Oprah make this quiz? Oprah loves bread. 

 

Sasheer [00:38:49] “Green means.” 

 

Nicole [00:38:51] “Mac and cheese.” Not this one! That mac and cheese looks nasty. 

 

Sasheer [00:38:56] That looks like Kraft–just, like, out of the box.

 

Nicole [00:38:58] I’m choosing mac and cheese but not that one. I make such a good mac and cheese. 

 

Sasheer [00:39:03] You really do. 

 

Nicole [00:39:05] Thank you. 

 

Sasheer [00:39:07] I will pick mac and cheese as well. 

 

Nicole [00:39:11] When it’s good, it’s good. 

 

Sasheer [00:39:16] “Pick a sauce.” 

 

Nicole [00:39:17] Ew. “Cranberry sauce.” I don’t understand how this is sauce. 

 

Sasheer [00:39:21] That’s a really good question because it’s– 

 

Nicole [00:39:24] Gelatin. 

 

Sasheer [00:39:24] Yeah. It’s gelatinous. “Gravy.” 

 

Nicole [00:39:29] My grandpa loves cranberry sauce. He buys cans and cans every Thanksgiving. “Hot sauce.”

 

Sasheer [00:39:37] “Ketchup.”

 

Nicole [00:39:38] Is not a sauce. Ketchup is a condiment. 

 

Sasheer [00:39:42] Yeah, I guess I wouldn’t call that a sauce. 

 

Nicole [00:39:44] No. I do love a good gravy. Gravy. 

 

Sasheer [00:39:50] I’m gonna pick cranberry sauce. 

 

Nicole [00:39:52] You like cranberry sauce?

 

Sasheer [00:39:53] I do like cranberry sauce. 

 

Nicole [00:39:55] You love Thanksgiving. 

 

Sasheer [00:39:57] Oh, I love Thanksgiving. 

 

Nicole [00:40:00] That’s so funny. Of course, you do. It’s a food holiday. 

 

Sasheer [00:40:03] Yes. I love to eat. And I guess cranberry sauce is nice to have on the plate because it’s so sweet and it’s, like, a nice sweet to go with the savory. 

 

Nicole [00:40:15] Yeah, I think for me, I don’t really love… No, I do like sweet and savory together. Maybe I don’t like cranberries. They’re not for me. 

 

Sasheer [00:40:26] Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:40:27] And the texture really gets me good. 

 

Sasheer [00:40:31] I guess I don’t understand why it’s that texture because it probably doesn’t have to be. Right? 

 

Nicole [00:40:36] No, I’ve seen homemade cranberry sauce, and it’s, like, lumpy and bumpy. Kimmie, can you look up homemade cranberry sauce? Please? See? Look. 

 

Sasheer [00:40:48] Yeah, it’s lumpy and bumpy. 

 

Nicole [00:40:50] Yeah, I guess when you get it in that can, it gets wild. 

 

Sasheer [00:40:56] Curious. “Pick a palate cleanser.”

 

Nicole [00:41:01] “Fries?”  

 

Sasheer [00:41:05] What? I don’t quite understand the concept of a palate cleanser in this situation either. 

 

Nicole [00:41:10] You know, your grandma comes and goes, “Okay, babies. We had our dinner. Before dessert, have some french fries or Caprese salad.” 

 

Sasheer [00:41:21] Like a palate cleanser seems like a– What is it called? 

 

Nicole [00:41:25] Or an amuse-bouche. 

 

Sasheer [00:41:26] Well, that’s pre– That’s like an appetizer. 

 

Nicole [00:41:29] Oh, I see.

 

Sasheer [00:41:30] But yeah, something small that literally cleanses the palate–that’s, like, a digestive. 

 

Nicole [00:41:38] Yes. It’s not french fries. 

 

Sasheer [00:41:40] French fries or a Caprese salad. “Rice” seems like more of a meal. 

 

Nicole [00:41:47] Or “soda?” Yeah, this is weird. Oprah, what’s going on? I guess I don’t want more food as a palate cleanser, but I don’t want any soda. 

 

Sasheer [00:41:58] I definitely don’t want salad. I guess I’ll say a Caprese salad because there’s tomato? 

 

Nicole [00:42:06] I guess I’ll say rice because I’ve been trying to eat more of it. It’s allegedly healthy. The brown one. 

 

Sasheer [00:42:12] Nice. “Pick a pie.” 

 

Nicole [00:42:15] “Apple pie.”

 

Sasheer [00:42:16] “Pumpkin pie.” 

 

Nicole [00:42:18] “Pecan pie.” 

 

Sasheer [00:42:19] “Chocolate pie.” 

 

Nicole [00:42:21] I don’t know about chocolate pie. 

 

Sasheer [00:42:24] Yeah, I don’t know if I’ve had chocolate pie. Is that a cake? 

 

Nicole [00:42:26] No, it’s the same texture as pumpkin pie but chocolatey… and confusing. 

 

Sasheer [00:42:36] Sounds like it. 

 

Nicole [00:42:37] Yeah, I don’t really like it. I’m going to say apple pie. I love a good fucking apple pie. 

 

Sasheer [00:42:43] Do you do it with ice cream? 

 

Nicole [00:42:44] Bitch, yes. You can’t have no apple pie dry. 

 

Sasheer [00:42:50] That’s true. I’m gonna do a pumpkin pie. I prefer a sweet potato pie, but pumpkin is closest. 

 

Nicole [00:42:57] Maybe I’ll try to make a sweet potato pie this year. I fucking love them. 

 

Sasheer [00:43:01] Same. 

 

Nicole [00:43:02] Okay. “Pick one more dessert.” 

 

Sasheer [00:43:05] “Ice cream sundae.” 

 

Nicole [00:43:07] “Cake.” 

 

Sasheer [00:43:08] “Cookies!” 

 

Nicole [00:43:09] Ew. “Peppermint bark.” Wrong holiday. Peppermint is for fucking Christmas. 

 

Sasheer [00:43:16] That’s right around the corner! 

 

Nicole [00:43:17] It is. It is very quick, and it creeps up on you. Hmm. I do love cakes, cookies, and sundaes. Sundae.

 

Sasheer [00:43:32] Nice. You love ice cream. 

 

Nicole [00:43:33] I do love ice cream. And I was devastated. I was told yesterday that there was going to be soft serve ice cream. I said, “Let me get a Lactaid. Let me get ready. I didn’t eat all my full steak. I was saving room for my ice cream.” The ice cream truck comes. There’s no soft serve. Yesterday was really a roller coaster for me. The highest of highs. The lowest of lows. Mostly all food related. 

 

Sasheer [00:44:06] I’ll go pick cake. I do like cake. 

 

Kimmie [00:44:10] This is Sasheer! 

 

Sasheer [00:44:11] Okay. To remind ourselves, the quiz was “Eat a Thanksgiving Feast to Discover the Absolute Best Thing About You.” And my best thing is “You’re a good friend. You would do anything for your friends and are always there for them when they need you.” 

 

Nicole [00:44:27] I agree. 

 

Sasheer [00:44:28] Oh, thank you.  

 

Nicole [00:44:30] I think you’re a great friend–more than “good.” 

 

Sasheer [00:44:33] Ooh, I love that. You, too. 

 

Kimmie [00:44:35] And this is Nicole. 

 

Nicole [00:44:37] “I’m highly intuitive?”

 

Sasheer [00:44:39] You are. 

 

Nicole [00:44:40] “You can read people like a book?” 

 

Sasheer [00:44:42] You can. 

 

Nicole [00:44:43] I can? 

 

Sasheer [00:44:44] Yeah. Instincts. 

 

Nicole [00:44:47] You’re right. I do have good instincts. 

 

Sasheer [00:44:49] Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:44:51] Okay, BuzzFeed. 

 

Sasheer [00:44:54] Okay, BuzzFeed. 

 

Nicole [00:45:05] Should we help the children, who are our future? Let them live and let them lead the way? Show them all the beauty that is inside? Show them a special place? I don’t remember much of the song.

 

Sasheer [00:45:32] I see. 

 

Katrina [00:45:33] Hi, Nicole. Hi, Sasheer. My name is Katrina. I am a huge fan of both of yours. My friends asked me to recommend podcasts all the time to them because I listen to about 4 million. And whenever I recommend this podcast, I do always say that this is the only podcast to make me laugh actually out loud. So, I just want to let you know that. But what I’m calling about is a friend question or rather a friend/coworker question type of deal. So, I work in an office, and I’m a queer person. And I am the only queer person in the office, but generally we have a lot of queer coworkers here. We’re, like, a generally diverse workspace, but we just got a new hire and they’re cool. They are also queer–they’re nonbinary–and I like them a lot, like, as a person. They’re neat. But within the first week of them being hired, they learn that I am also queer, and they’re very, very happy to have another queer friend to work with. And it’s really hard to talk to them at work because all they want to talk about is queer things. And generally queer things, queer memes, queer jokes–I get it, that can come up in a random conversation. But they really force it on me. And then sometimes it gets really, really personal. I know so much about, like, the hormones they’re on, like, their drug plans, and they’re bra shopping and hair removal–all that kind of stuff. And these are things that I don’t personally want to be talking about at work. If. we’re hanging out outside of work, I get it. This is a conversation that is valuable, and we–as queer people and a community–should be having these conversations. But when I’m at work, I do not want to talk about this. I had to actually cross my arms–because I’m a dramatic person–and say, “Hey, I don’t want to talk about bras at work. Thanks.” That got us off that conversation, but I don’t know how to say that for some of the more sensitive things, like what hormones they’re on and things like that. So, I’m kind of asking two questions here. The first question is: How do I keep this person as, like, a queer friend in my office that I like to talk to–but also set boundaries without them being like, “Oh, well, you don’t want to talk about the thing that’s super important to me.” It’s a rough situation–especially with coworkers–but I’m very excited to hear what you have to say about it. I love you both. Bye! 

 

Nicole [00:48:19] Okay. I fucking got it. 

 

Sasheer [00:48:23] Okay. 

 

Nicole [00:48:23] Invite them out to happy hour or tapas because some people don’t drink, but everybody got to eat. So, invite them out, and then bring up some stuff that you didn’t feel super comfortable talking about at work, and then be like, “I’m so glad that we have this time to gab about personal stuff outside of work.” And, I think, if they bring up the stuff that you want to talk about at work again after that gab sesh, be like, “Ooh, I don’t want to, like, stifle you or whatever, but put a cork in it, and let’s get tapas or drinks again. And we’ll talk about it again then.” 

 

Sasheer [00:49:04] I really like that. 

 

Nicole [00:49:06] Thank you! I’m really proud that I thought of it. 

 

Sasheer [00:49:09] That’s great. Yeah. It can be like their shared, little, like, “Ooh. Let’s save this for our happy hour.” You know, like, “Let’s save this for our little us time because then they’ll be excited for that, too.” I like that. 

 

Nicole [00:49:24] Yeah, I think it’s also, like, a fun little treat. It’s just like, “Ooh. On Thursdays, we gab.” And then you get to know the bartender or a server. And then you become regulars. And then it’s a place where everybody knows your name. 

 

Sasheer [00:49:42] And it becomes Cheers! 

 

Nicole [00:49:44] And then there’s Sam and Diane! And then you get free stuff. 

 

Sasheer [00:49:51] Yeah. Yeah, I think that’s great. I have nothing to add. I like that idea a lot. 

 

Nicole [00:49:58] Thanks. Oh, I can’t really express how proud I am that I thought of it. 

 

Sasheer [00:50:05] Yeah. Really, really good idea. And you get to keep them as a friend. But then, like, separate it. 

 

Nicole [00:50:15] And you can mix and mingle friends if you’re into that. Sometimes, one of my favorite things is mixing and mingling friends. Like we’ve gone on vacation with my friend Tessie, and now Tess is your friend. And I really like that. 

 

Sasheer [00:50:27] Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:50:27] She’s the best. 

 

Sasheer [00:50:28] She’s the best. Yeah. You know, maybe invite other queer friends that you have, and that work friend can also meet other queer friends because it seems like clearly this person wants to talk about this stuff maybe needs to. Like, maybe they don’t have a bunch of other people in their life they can express themselves about this stuff–especially when it’s, like, hormones. This is a process that is very involved, and there’s a lot going on. Yeah. They wouldn’t feel comfortable saying this to someone who doesn’t understand the journey. So, I think I think, yes, you are a valuable person to this person’s daily life. But yeah, there’s definitely ways you can do that outside of work. 

 

Nicole [00:51:15] Yeah. This also made me think, “Oh, my God. I’m the inappropriate person at work.” And I have been my whole life now. 

 

Sasheer [00:51:28] Well, our work is real loose. 

 

Nicole [00:51:32] It is loose. But when I worked at, like, a clothing store, I’m just remembering things I’ve said that I was like, “I don’t know if anyone wanted to hear that.” But yesterday when I was talking about that ice cream truck coming, I was like, “I want ice cream, but I’m lactose intolerant,” which is so much more information than anybody needs. And then I tacked that at the end of it, and then people laughed. Whatever. Have we come to the end, Kimmie? 

 

Sasheer [00:52:00] I think we’ve come to the end. Yeah. 

 

Nicole [00:52:02] Okay. We have an email address. Is everyone ready? Pick up your pen and paper. Please open a drawer, get that pad of paper, and get yourself a pen. It is nicoleandsasheer@gmail.com. And then the number–if you would like to call or leave us a voice memo or text message–is 424-645-700– How did I break at the end of three? 

 

Sasheer [00:52:46] Were you gonna say “free?” “700-free.” 

 

Nicole [00:52:50] Yes. 

 

Sasheer [00:52:53] We also have merch–that’s not free–at podswag.com/bestfriends. 

 

Nicole [00:52:58] Lastly–okay, write this down–do not forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Okay, that is the easiest way to support this show. 

 

Sasheer [00:53:07] Yes! 

 

Nicole [00:53:07] That’s it. Bye-bye!