[00:00:03] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Chris Rodell, and welcome to season two of use all the Crayons, the podcast that tells you and the world how we're always keeping it colorful. Right here in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, birthplace of Arnold Palmer, Fred Rogers, and Nashville singer songwriter Irene Kelly, the homegrown talent behind the 2002 Alan Jackson hit I'm a little bluer than that. We'll hear more from Irene in just a bit of but first, this is Quinn Fallon and the lost gravediggers, friends of ours from out of Columbus, Ohio. Never heard of Quinn. Allow me to make this quintroduction.
[00:01:02] Speaker B: Sure. I've got a couple regrets. Just give me a minute or two.
If I can't come up with something, just wait until the night is through.
If I came to a fucking road I just assumed I was too kiddo I'll be here after all the smoke cause there they be no miss, I'm not standing in if you stumble around on it might be the last man standing maybe I can even tell if I fly just to keep from trying maybe I'll temper the count don't be too quick to count me out I gotta live forever I can die I cannot live forever.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: Is this thing on? Are we recording right now?
You can't? All right, hang on.
I apologize in advance for all the sloppy transitions, the dead air and the burps, the farts, the sneezes, and those mysterious moans you're about to hear. I'm now doing this podcast all by myself. What have I learned during this voyage of technological discovery? Well, I really miss my old buddy Brandon. Brandon, please come back. Please.
[00:03:23] Speaker C: I'm your go ahead and. Oh, you don't. You don't video yet.
[00:03:27] Speaker D: No.
[00:03:27] Speaker C: Oh, all audio. Oh, I see. I'm Buck Pulaski, owner of Tin Lizzie here in Youngstown, Va. I put up with Chris Rodill every day. Three points of colorful living. Colorful living. Point out the medical irony. Anytime doctors diagnose bald men with hairline fractures. Number two, see a movie solo. It feels very liberating. And the third thing? Predict the next drink sensation will be bottled gravy.
[00:03:57] Speaker A: When's the tin Lizzie gonna start serving bottled gravy?
[00:03:59] Speaker C: Probably never, though, Rodriguez. Probably never. We serve everything.
[00:04:03] Speaker A: But thank you. I'll let you know when it's on.
[00:04:14] Speaker D: Good job, Buckley.
[00:04:27] Speaker A: I left those footsteps on so you'll be able to hear that I have a burglar alarm in the tinlizzy. I can tell anytime somebody's approaching. A lot of people come out from off the street and want to meet me because they've enjoyed some one of my books, and they come up and they always say the same things. They're very sheepish. They knock on the door and they say, we don't want to disturb you. I say, hell, I've been disturbed since 1992. Come on in.
[00:05:04] Speaker E: Colorful living tip from number 50 yeah, hi, I'm Carol Caustic. I'm from Latrobe, and this is your colorful living tip number 50.
Ask a six year old what God looks like. Then ask if God rides a bike.
[00:05:40] Speaker A: Today we're going to be talking about me being, namely, trobe's favorite author, me appearing on WDve for the first time in 24 years, me becoming the podcast despot, and how you can help. Well, me.
Thank you, Latrobe bulletin readers, for selecting me as your favorite local authorization. Here's the letter to the editor I wrote acknowledging the honor.
I must confess, when my wife to be and I moved into La Trobe in 1992, it wasn't because of the schools, the recreational opportunities, the history, or the character of the people, which I've come to regard as the most stellar on the planet.
No, I moved here because of the looming threat of the y two K pandemonium. Remember that panic, a numeric computer glitch, was going to confuse all our critical machines into believing it was really the year 1900.
That was three years before the Wright brothers first flight.
Top experts warned the scenario would so befuddle modern aircraft that the airplanes would drop, forget how to fly, and begin to drop out of the sky. Banks would fail. Electricity would cease. Our vehicles would roll to a stop. I read all this and thought, hmm, where in the world could I find a good local brewery that was insure? Local residents never go lacking in quenching american lager. Hello, la trobe. I look back and in hindsight, am amazed that a man so shallow minded as me in every other aspect, could have such a deep capacity for cold beer.
I jest, but Latrobe did have a unique set of intangibles, appealing to a young writer eager to differentiate himself from the hordes of talented but indistinguishable freelancers working in New York City.
It had Arnold Palmer, Fred Rogers Steeler training camp, rolling rock beer, banana splits, and a host of other notables that made great icebreakers for Manhattan editors who were happy to take a look at stories included in the gift bags from the La Trobe guy. In Manhattan. I was that Latrobe guy. In Latrobe, I was just another guy.
But I grew to cherish the designation because I became pals with other laitrobe guys, and some of them were giants. I had regular lunches with men like Vince Quattrini Sr. Ned Nakos Sr. Dennis Rafferty, Mike and Terry Ferguson wed line up the bar at Baldonaries, the conversation often directed by Holly Baldonary herself. Now many small towns can boast an austere lineup of bright, leading citizens. I contend what makes La Trobe unique is the quality of our goofballs and misfits. They are profane, witty, profound, and capable of brilliant outbursts of confounding intellect that add volatile color to every conversation. They can be rude, crass, belligerent, and leave you wondering how the same town that raised Fred Rogers could have produced these jackasses. It's why some visitor or new resident eager to make a flattering impression will mistakenly gush that, oh, everyone here in Latrobe is just so nice.
If you think that about everyone in Las Trobe, I say ominously, than you haven't met everyone in La Trobe. It's why I'm bracing myself for the ribbing I'm bound to endure when word gets around that Laitrobe bulletin readers voted me Latrobe's favorite local author. Friends will wonder if there's even a runner up, if I voted for myself, and if the tally was me, one and other, nothing, etcetera. That's not fair to the many, many talented writers who struggle with priorities and yearn like I still do, for a commercial or critical breakthrough that would justify all their dreams.
Joke all you want, but I couldn't be more pleased by the declaration. You know, at one time, Arnold Palmer was likely the bulletin readers favorite local golfer. The vote count isn't what makes it special. The title is all it needs. So I say this with all due humility. I'm Ahim special.
But only because you're special.
Two of my most popular books are offbeat bios on local legends. Take a wild guess. Arnold Palmer and Fred Rogers. You have no idea how lucky. Purely as a writer, that makes me. I got to spend more than two years inside the heads of Fred and Arnold, two of the most monumental men in history. Men who, coincidentally, happened to be perfect gentlemen, both lively, creative, fun, and wise.
Many of you helped put me in there. My stories are your stories. I only knew them mostly through you.
Try and imagine how different I would be if I lived in, say, a small long island town where the local writers, seeking to capitalize on notoriety, had to choose between Bernie Madoff and Joey Bottafuoco or Jeffrey Dahmer. I'd be coarser, darker, more cynical. A beautiful day in the neighborhood. More like a sinister one. Check out the places that sell my books and God bless em. Youngstown Grill eclectique pats hair and nail Place Latrobe Arts Center, Greater La Trobe Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce, 512 coffee and ice cream tin Lizzie honorable mention goes to neighbors in Ligonier and Greensburg. Second chapter books deviate coffee and barnes and noble.
What do these places have in common? They're happy places where convivial folks like to go and enjoy things that nourish the soul. And they welcome my books at these places. So thank you, Latrobe bulletin readers, for making me your favorite local author. And thank you, Latrobe, for making me the kind of writer worthy of the honor.
[00:11:11] Speaker F: Hello, crayons podcast listeners. This is Irene Kelly, also known as Renee di Maria.
I am a Latrobe high school graduate, class of 1978, but I've lived in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1984, where I write country and bluegrass music, make records, and tour the world.
I sure do miss my little hometown. And I want to give a big shout out to everybody at the Dairy Queen on Terry Way, where I worked when I was 15 years old.
Shu loved making those banana splits and the hot fudge sundae brownie delights. The mains owned the store at the time. I think they have new owners now.
Also. Want to say howdy to the folks at Joey O's Pizza.
You just can't beat Joyo's pizza. I've tried to find it here in the south and it does not exist.
That recipe is about the best there is. The crust is almost a pie crust flaky recipe. I try to get it from them, but it's top secret, so I had no luck. So only when I visit am I able to get some of that delicious pizza.
I've told a lot of folks about it. Nobody believes me, but it's true. It is the best pizza there is. Also, shout out to my sister Joanie, who lives in Wimmerton, and big shout out to everybody in Lawson Heights, Joe's candy store in Lawson Heights, where I used to ride my bike. I think it's a new owner now, but miss that. I miss going in there and spending about fifteen cents and coming out with a big bag of candy.
All right, Latrobe, I hope you're doing well and I'm proud of you. I'm proud that you've got folks like Chris Riddell and Arne Palmer and Mister Rogers.
[00:13:23] Speaker A: I told her to say it in that order.
[00:13:26] Speaker F: You can say, hey, they're from here. Pretty cool place.
This is Irene signing off.
[00:13:44] Speaker G: St. Vincent College in Latrobe. Is it Latrobe or Latrobe? But we thought, why not call Chris Rodell, the guy who knows everything about Latrobe. Author Podcasters new podcast, use all the crayons. Has a whole lot to say about the beautiful city there, nestled not too far away from Pittsburgh. And Chris Rodell joins us now on DBE. Chris, it has been a long time. How are you, man?
[00:14:08] Speaker D: It's been 24 years. Rampanty. How are you?
[00:14:10] Speaker G: Has it really been 24 years since you've been on the show?
[00:14:13] Speaker D: You know what? I've done it those 24 years.
[00:14:17] Speaker G: Tell me.
[00:14:18] Speaker D: I've conceived and raised two whole human beings.
[00:14:21] Speaker G: Holy cow.
[00:14:24] Speaker D: 24 years. There have been people who've got faith and they become born again christians. 24 years.
[00:14:37] Speaker G: You're breaking up there, I think. You know what? We're gonna. We're gonna call you back. We got a digital glitch on our phone, so we're gonna call you back. And I bet his voice sounds a lot different when we have him back. But Chris, pointing out something I hadn't realized, I thought it was around 20 years. 24 years is a lot. When I first started, he was a fairly regular guest with Paulson and Crenn. And when Scott left and I joined the show, we still had Chris on for a little while, and then I think he kind of bounced out and did something else. But he was children, raised a family. Sounds like that was part of the deal there. But he was a writer for the National Enquirer. He always had, like, funny slants on stories, and he was kind of like a serious writer for the National Enquirer, which sounds sort of like a contradiction. Yeah, but he was.
So hopefully his phone's up and running here shortly, but a good time to remind you that if you want to go out to Steelers training camp, you can be like Mike. Our own Mike Prasuta. We're giving away an opportunity to be on the sidelines for a Steelers practice, and $100 gift card to the Steelers pro shop will give you a hotel stay in latrobe, or laitrobe, whatever Chris tells us to call it. You get two tickets to the Steelers Texans preseason game August 9. To enter, go to the be like Mike contest
[email protected]. deadline to enter is Wednesday. Okay, we have Chris on now. Chris, are you there now?
[00:16:00] Speaker D: Yeah. Can you hear me all right?
[00:16:01] Speaker G: Yes. We've got you on a much better signal. How are you, buddy?
[00:16:04] Speaker D: I'm good. How are you doing?
[00:16:06] Speaker G: Good. 24 years, that seems impossible to me, but nonetheless, here we are. It's good to talk with you again. And I thought, no one better to talk to about this than you. How are we supposed to pronounce la trobe? Laitrobe, as I always thought it was because I thought you told me that a long time ago. Or Latrobe. What is the etymology?
[00:16:28] Speaker D: Well, if you ask the man who was founded after a man named Benjamin La Trobe. And I talked to his great great great grandson, and I tried to confirm that he was using it not to pick up women, that he was the great great grandson, but he said that it was letro, but he said, I'm friends. I'm fans of Arnold Palmer. He's never been to the town. And I said, well, what do you think it is? They said it's electro, but everybody here says it's Laitro, because the school fight song, everyone says, give me an l, give me an a, give me an h. What does it spell? It doesn't spell law. It spells Laitro.
[00:17:04] Speaker G: So that's why they say Laitro.
[00:17:06] Speaker D: Yeah, everybody around here calls it Laitro, so.
[00:17:10] Speaker G: Hmm. The correct name of the person that it's named after is La Trobe, which makes sense to me. Okay, but you guys have just changed the name of it, so Pittsburghers should always call it Latrobe, correct?
[00:17:23] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:17:24] Speaker G: Boy, I'll tell you, I've been mispronouncing it my entire life.
Or you've been pronouncing it correctly your entire life, so there's no clear cut answer. There is a right way and a right way.
[00:17:39] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.
[00:17:39] Speaker G: There's no penalty to doing it the.
[00:17:41] Speaker D: Wrong way, but there's no real wrong way.
[00:17:43] Speaker G: We love coming up there for camp every year, and it is such a unique little town, but it spawns a couple of our most revered icons from western Pennsylvania and Fred Rogers and Arnold Palmer.
[00:17:59] Speaker D: That's correct. Both good guys. I knew Arnold Palmer pretty well the first time I went in to interview him, I said, mister Palmer, I want you to know how excited I am your inside matters. He said, I want you to know how excited I am to have you come in here blowing so much sweet smoke up my ass.
[00:18:17] Speaker G: Arnie. Arnie did all right with the ladies. Loved Arnie. He was like a sex symbol.
[00:18:23] Speaker D: Yeah, he was a popular man. I had a lot of people that said that I was. I didn't really feel. I interviewed him about 100 times over 20 years. And we have to be pretty good friends. People would say that I knew him pretty well. I used to brag that I was friends with Arnold Palmer. Then I realized Arnold Palmer was friends with everybody.
[00:18:40] Speaker G: Yeah, we use all the crayons as your latest podcast. And what's the derivation of that name?
[00:18:48] Speaker D: Well, it's just about having more colorful in life. Like, one of the tips is tell friends you're gonna open an art gallery, invite them to a room with nothing on the walls, and be greeted by 30 guys to say nothing but, hi, I'm arthem.
What does that make those of us who revere the book? Moby Dick.
[00:19:14] Speaker G: Well, how often are you pumping out podcasts these days?
[00:19:17] Speaker D: I'm starting up season two in about a month. Season one is put a cap on it.
[00:19:21] Speaker G: Well, what should Pittsburghers know about their trip to Mecca to see the Steelers practice this summer? Laitrobe, what are some do's and don'ts? And what are some shoulds and shouldn'ts?
[00:19:34] Speaker D: Just bring all your money and spend here. Buy a lot of books. My office is in the King Lizzie, and it's the top floor of the king Lizzie. People say it makes me just like Ernest Hemingway. I say, yeah, if you take away all his accolades, all his best sellers, all his money, and all his six toed cats would be indistinguishable.
[00:20:03] Speaker G: But I do like how, like, first of all, there's a lot of great restaurants and bars, and it's like a perfect destination for something like Steelers training camp. And that's been going on a long time out there. Do you know what year it started, Chris?
[00:20:16] Speaker D: I do not. I think it's going 50 years or so, hasn't it? At least 50.
[00:20:21] Speaker G: Mike, every year we try to figure this out. We never remember what year they started going there. Do you remember pursued it?
[00:20:27] Speaker D: No, I don't. They had a 50th anniversary.
[00:20:31] Speaker G: It's so many, it's forever.
[00:20:33] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:20:53] Speaker A: I'm not saying our volunteers join for purely social reasons. I'm sure it's just coincidence that every 04:00 on Friday afternoon, the local whorehouse catches on fire.
This is from our summer vacation. Day one. I handed a spray bottle to a younger man and advised him to apply it before he went out in the elements. Oh, you don't need to tell me, he said, I know all about sunscreen. I told him to check the label. It wasn't sunscreen, it was shark repellent. I told him I'd been applying two blasts to my testicles seven days a week. For months now, and my balls remain intact. He burst out laughing. I asked if he was mocking my common sense precautions. No, sir, he said. But we're in Tennessee, and one day Tennessee is going to thank me.
[00:21:46] Speaker H: Well, tonight, if you turn your radio on and you hear a sad, sad song about someone who lost everything they.
[00:21:59] Speaker A: Had.
[00:22:02] Speaker H: It may sound like me, but I'm a little bluer than that.
When you look out in the morning, you might see light thrown by love, memories, and a big old sky above you.
[00:22:22] Speaker F: Looking back.
[00:22:26] Speaker H: You may think of me. I'm a little bluer than red.
Where do we go wrong? I wish I knew. It haunts me all the time now. Wherever I go, whatever I do, you're always on my mind.
[00:22:52] Speaker A: Thanks, Irene. You're making Latrobe proud.
Do you have a son or daughter that would like to come on the use all the Crayons podcast and just do a little two minute howdy? About why they miss Laitrobe. They live somewhere else now, but they always come back to laitrobe. Get in touch with me at 724-961-2558 or storytellerrisroadell.com or just stop by the tin Lizzie. I'm usually there. We'd love to hear from you. Thank you. Have a great week.
[00:23:24] Speaker I: John Jamison, retired sheep farmer, Crabtree, Pennsylvania.
My colorful living tip of the day is learn the fine art of knowing precisely when to quit.
[00:23:43] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:23:43] Speaker I: Yes, it took me a while. Can you edit that out?
[00:23:49] Speaker A: Yeah, they edit it really good.
[00:23:51] Speaker I: Is that okay?
[00:23:53] Speaker A: No, it's very good.
