2AM Reckonings

Amrutha’s in San Diego for a conference and enjoying the serenity of NOT staying at the conference hotel. More time for diversions, such as a jaunt to La Jolla where Sheila caught this sunset a couple weeks ago: Private planes vs. Frontier Airlines. Is it just us, or does travel feel like The Hunger Games ? The amount of information we’ve uploaded to the cloud is staggering … and what if it all ca...

We debate the ordeal of going out for lunch vs. crushing a sad desk salad. Dishwasher unloading habits, and what they say about us. Sheila went to the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe and found that its bar is nothing like what its cozy cottages would lead you to believe. Amrutha’s getting her first curly girl haircut. We unpack the two glasses of wine that “ruined” Steven Bartlett and wonder whether the im...

Sweating after the post-workout shower. Dips in a bracingly cold sea. Beaches you can drive onto, with your dogs! Walking book clubs. Why is there never enough space on airplanes? When the TV version is better than the book. Is sleep the ultimate luxury product ? We’re trying to unlock our way to the next level of restfulness, and here’s what we’re using: Moonjuice Magnesi-Om Hatch alarm clock Bea...

Sheila traveled 24 hours to reach Mali Lošinj, the Croatian “island of vitality” that more than lives up to its moniker. She’s teaching at the Adriatic Writers Conference and hopes her class is up to snuff. Amrutha went to an adult slumber party with a blessedly simple dress code. We’ve got many, many thoughts about The Crash , the polarizing Netflix documentary. How much of what’s on your phone c...

A.I. photoshop, we need to talk. The youths are really, really good at makeup and we can learn a lot from them. Today’s high school graduations are DIFFERENT. Sheila’s at war with protein and kind of okay with it. Ahead of the Adriatic Writers Conference and summer travel, we’re thinking about what we have to have in our bags, besides chargers and passports and all that jazz. A beach cover up that...

How to celebrate an anniversary? Osteria Mozza is never a bad call. (Try for corner seats at the Mozzarella Bar, the best in the house.) Sometimes a movie’s entertaining, and that’s enough. Is a screen version of the Wall Street lawsuit in the works? Because that one’s WILD, and thank goodness one of us is a lawyer who can shed light. Is every election destined to have a reality TV contestant ? Sh...

We can’t find our lip gloss. Oh wait, we can, and it melted! Use the good stuff before it’s too late. Sheila went to Sushi Samba LA and teleported back to Sex and the City (the original). On the other end of the sushi spectrum, she dropped in on Morihiro . Amrutha went to Jerome Bailey Jr.’s show and would like more weeknight art gallery happenings, please and thanks. Whenever possible, we’re slee...

We’re back! Sheila did a top to bottom tour of India and discovered that traveling there for work is a whole other animal. Key to combatting jet lag: a padded eye mask. Doesn’t have to be fancy. Amrutha’s into “The Pitt,” even if she has to watch it through her hands. Are sound baths the key to true relaxation? What if the person next to you is snoring? What if YOU’RE snoring? Maybe we have to emb...

Sheila celebrated the launch of her third novel, Incidentals , in New York and L.A. and we’re not going to get into the weeds about it here because there’s another post coming about all of that! Why does our social battery seem to drain faster these days? Do we need a software upgrade? Speaking of technology — at what age do you start taking calls on speaker by default? Amrutha spent a week with h...

Sheila rediscovered Mexico City — The food! The art! The parks! — and is soaking up the humidity of the Yucatán, where birds abound, you might hear some in the background. She’s newly into sueros, which is like an IV without the IV. Amrutha hosted a 50th anniversary dinner for her parents and made a chandelier collage. She’s also really into Yasso’s frozen Greek yogurt bars . Related: is Tasti D-L...

Amrutha went to the Houston rodeo and witnessed the greatness of Kelly Clarkson as well as children and adults BUCKING the laws of common sense in the name of a good time. Sheila went to a real estate presentation at a $134 million mansion in Bel Air with its own spa, nightclub, and several swimming pools. She’s smitten with her new ergonomic phone case by Bailey Hikawa . Amrutha swears by the clo...

Please excuse the sacrilege but we have questions about Hindu superstitions and the Internet does not have adequate answers. Why can’t you practice Bharatanatyam after dark? Did the moon really fat shame Ganesh? Sheila co-hosted Ojai Food & Wine and lived to tell the tale. (Should we pod from there next year? Manifesting!) Amrutha is really into the NYT word games but NOT Spelling Bee. Sheila read...

Sheila used to submit papers in Wingdings. We believe in the power of the deadline. Amrutha went to New Orleans and stayed at the Hyatt Centric . Had cocktails at Jewel of the South . And dinner at Brennan’s . “Pro tip go there and celebrate something bc their cotton candy bday dessert is amazing.” She also had a three course brunch over live jazz at Commander’s Palace (DREAM). Sheila went to Verm...

Sometimes you’ve just gotta embrace the snow day and bless the customer service rep. Sheila spent an unwise amount on a sweater for Nikhil at a Mykonos beach club . ( Same brand, better colors .) Amrutha and Juan hung up art that flies in the face of the millennial beige aesthetic. Sheila saw TAKASHI Murakami’s exhibit at Perrotin L.A. (but also loves Haruki). Did you know you can go into a lot of...

Amrutha went to Gymkhana in all white — the audacity . The Backstreet Boys are killing it at the Sphere. Sheila went to Costa Rica and ate two Greek salads. She spent her birthday eating outdoors and looking at the stars. Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo knows what people want. Is it actually more work to wear your curly hair “natural” than to straighten it? Amrutha swears by Virtue’s 6-in-1 vitami...

Is this thing on? The bots have come for Taco Bell and Amrutha figured out a veggie Mexican pizza hack. Sheila can’t get enough labneh. Especially if it’s from Ari’s Natural Food at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market , spread on a Maury’s Jordanian bagel and topped with tomato, dill, salt, pepper, lemon, and a drizzle of Brightland . Amrutha rallied 5,000 people on one night’s notice . Sheila saw The M...

Dressing dogs like Lola the Boston/Frenchie and Pablo the Dachshund sparks joy. ALSO joy sparking: candles. Using the nice ones. Trimming the wicks . Bar Etoile and why we love restaurants as vibes. Book Club Plus is SO. BACK. A good primer on the Beckham family drama . An ‘Indian Auntie’s’ advice to Victoria . What IS the ideal relationship to have with the parents of your significant other? We’r...

We. got. into. IT! Sheila’s neighborhood restaurant . Amrutha’s skincare masks . Incidentals . SmartFlyer . Sheila’s story about Zarna Garg . The myth of the monolith . The Privilege of Mediocrity . Thanks for joining us, stay tuned for our next date! Get full access to Your Friend on the Ground at yourfriendontheground.substack.com/subscribe

Does hot water with lemon do anything? We’re not sure, but we’re getting religious with it. Plus: what’s in a name, a cinema renaissance, long road trips and unsung museums, vision boarding as an annual ritual, can we divorce ourselves from Google Calendar, going analog is like being a 4th grader with a 20-pound backpack, and more. The planner Sheila ordered . Amrutha’s vision board: Here for your...

I Substacked my bestie Amrutha to talk about going out, Las Vegas, breaking up with working out, and more. We’re aiming to do this weekly in 2026. Join us! Get full access to Your Friend on the Ground at yourfriendontheground.substack.com/subscribe