Pizza Guy

The first thing I learned in college was that if I copy pasted from Wikiepedia, I would be disrespecting the honor code. NEVER DISRESPECT THE HONOR CODE! I also learned that you need to trust your online sources. The reason I’m crushing on the Pizza Guy  from the Rochester NY Pizza Blog is because above all else, I trust him. ROCrush nuked up some pizza rolls and e-chatted with the most anonymous pizza blogger in Rochester.

Hometown: Grew up in the Southern Tier, now I live in the ‘burbs.
Profession: Classified
Hobbies: Baking, reading, doing crosswords, hiking, playing softball
Favorite Pick up line: I am so not a pickup artist. My wife can verify that.

ROCrush: PG, What got you started reviewing pizzas in Rochester?

PG: After doing this for nearly three years now it’s actually a little hard to remember exactly how it started. I think the goal of trying every pizzeria around Rochester had been in the back of my mind for quite a while, but it wasn’t until the idea of blogging about it dawned on me that I really got serious about it. That gave me a focus and a drive to keep going, especially once I realized that people were actually reading my posts.

ROCrush: What are you going to do this winter to keep from going crazy?

PG: That’s a good way to put it because I really don’t like winter. But frigid Sunday afternoons are a great time to make homemade pizza. Nothing like a 550 degree oven to take the chill off, and I get to try out new recipes on my family. And in spite of my aversion to cold and snow, I love the outdoors, even in winter, and when I really need a mental health break I’ll go hiking or snowshoeing.

ROCrush: Who’s are your ROCrushes?

PG: That’s easy. My wife is my one and only crush.

But in terms of general likes and dislikes regarding Rochester, I’m
probably like a lot of locals in that I don’t always appreciate living
here as much as I should. Rochester’s an easy place to take for
granted, I think. But I’ve traveled around the country enough to be
thankful that I’m here. I never thought about it this way before, but
Rochester pizza is a good metaphor for life in Rochester in general.
We’re not going to make anybody’s Top 10 list as a pizza destination,
but if you’ve ever tried to find decent pizza in certain other regions
of the U.S., you’ll realize how good we’ve got it here.

Justine Paige

When I found out that Rochester had a Roller Derby League I couldn’t wait to see these rowdy, funny, sexy, ladies do their thing (‘their thing’  = third-wave feminist aesthetics). I walked out of my first match with a few crushes…24 players, 8 refs, 6 coaches, 1 Four Loko vendor, and definitely Justine Paige (PF Bangs, if you’re nasty).

Hometown: Quantico, VA, but home is where Hallmark sends you cards.

Profession: Creative Services and playing on the radio waves on 92.5 WBEE

Hobbies: Playing Roller Derby with Roc City Roller Derby, moustaches, finding new music, and just generally laughing at everything life has to offer. (I wish I had more hobbies now that I look at it.)

Favorite pick up line: A wink, pointed finger guns, and slyly saying “…Ladies”.

ROCrush: JP, What is Roller Derby and why do I have a crush on all the ladies in RCRD?

JP: You wouldn’t believe the people who find themselves enamored with a girl wearing fishnets, skating around in hot pants, and knocking other girls down. But Roller Derby is more than just fishnets and tight shorts. It’s an actual sport that demands physical respect and prowess. 5 skaters from each team skate on a oval shaped track, trying to stop the other team from scoring points and allowing their skaters to score points. The Rochester league, duly dubbed Roc City Roller Derby, is filled with fearsome and amazing women, who help with everything from running the league to helping gain recognition in the Rochester Community. Plus, it’s a hell of a lot of fun to do. I’ve been involved for over a year, and have loved everything it has brought for me in my life. There’s never an easy answer to this question, but if you’ve never been to a bout…put it in your calendar now. Come for the fishnets, stay for the sport.

ROCrush: What are you going to do this winter to keep from going crazy?

JP: I really dig being a polar bear in times like this. Hanging out in my comfy bed with my fuzzy purple blanket. But when I do venture out, I have a signature red wool hat that I like to wear in the cold weather, which keeps my spirits bright and my head warm. But in my off time, I’m really anxious to get back to training and back on skates. (It’s obvious I have an obsession.) I like to burn candles that smell like pine trees. That’s truly the winter season. Oh, and hang out with my cat. Yeah…I’m that lady.

ROCrush: Who’s are your ROCrushes?

JP: Oh goodness. Who don’t I have a crush on in this city. Let’s see…almost every single beautiful bartender at Lovin Cup and Tap & Mallet (my most frequent haunts). And let’s not forget the people in RCRD. If you met these people, you would understand why.  Other than that, I’m pretty much enamored with all the people who are cooler than me in this city.

Dewey Lovett

Dewey Lovett is like an Edibles Arrangement – sweet, complex, and makes a party worth attending. I caught up with this dame at The Space, where she’s been known to tell a joke or two.

Hometown: Bergen, NY
Profession: Blue Collar Chick. I work in a factory assembling sump and sewage pumps. I will be heading back to school when I save up, majoring in Education.
Favorite Pick up line: Once, while eating toast, a colleague said to me, “I’m want to leave my wife and run away with you to Toast Town.” Less specifically I have a serious appreciation for the classic, “Is that a __________ in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” The more cleverly you fill in the blank, the happier I am to see you.
Hobbies:
-Being an old lady: I make quilts, scrapbook, bake cookies, and make and send greeting cards
-Being a dog: I need to play outside, I want to go for a run with you, and most importantly, I am so hungry.
-Being a 29-year-old-hipster-Mac-using-white-boy-in-a-coffee-shop: I love writing, and holding on to that dream that it’ll take me somewhere some day.

ROCrush: Dewey! You’re the self proclaimed Spokeswoman for Ditzy Girls. What’s the latest from the Gal Pal’s these days?

DL: We don’t really know what’s going on, how we got here, or where we’re going, but we’re happy and that what really matters.

ROCrush: How would you describe your sense of humor?
DL: I’m so goofy in real life, a little annoying and a bit of a doofus, even. Perhaps too often, in improv I try to shake the goofy off and play Normal Girl, but it’s like trying to convince the audience that I don’t have a cold. They can just feel it in my voice. Overall I would say that I try to keep my humor clean but surprising, so if anything edgy or dirty works its way out of me, I love going for subtleties. I like to be downright sneaky about it, playing innocent and making the audience wonder, “Does she realize what she’s saying?”

ROCrush: What are you going to do this winter to keep from going crazy?
DL: I will be a writing machine wrapped in an adorable oversized sweater. When I realize that writing actually perpetuates insanity, I will go sledding on Water Tower Hill. (The hill in Bergen that used to have a water tower on it, you know?) Most excitingly, I will be eating everything I see.

ROCrush: Who are your ROCrushes?
DL: -Scott Costanza, the crack head who frequents Monroe Ave and introduces himself and tells you he needs money for a cab to get to his daughter at Strong Memorial Hospital. Having encountered him multiple times makes me feel like a true Rochestarian.
-Funny women Abby DeVuyst and Megan Mack—okay, every woman in comedy is seriously a hero of mine. Err, a heroine.
-Photographer, entrepreneur, fashion blogger, and BFF Caitlin McGrath of Calista Miakoda.
-Brothers McClug, the praise band from Northgate Church, who are working themselves into the big leagues.
-Micheal Klock, the guy from the band Something Else, who sings like anybody he wants to sing like. I don’t know if most people have favorite cover bands, but that one is mine.
-Champagne Brown: Singing/Seamstress extraordinaire. You can find her at The Lovin’ Cup pretty frequently.
-I know I have a lot of ROCrushes, but all I can do is blame Rochester.

Rachel Pikus

Remember that 5k you signed up for in the spring after your girl left you for her kettle bell instructor? Remember when there was a cute little lady there that ran past you with a smile on her face? That girl was Rachel Pikus. Who doesn’t like great calves and a great attitude? No one. ROCrush chats with Rachel…      

Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Profession: Web Specialist at Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester

Pick up line: “I’ve got the Tennis Channel in HD”

Hobbies: Tennis, animals, running, biking.

ROCrush: Rachel, you’re everywhere. What are your favorite ROC hang outs?                                                      Rachel:Salena’s, Eastman House, Starbucks

ROCrush: What do you do at Lollypop Farm are do you really have little kitten interns?
Rachel: Currently, I am developing their new website. In the future I will continue to maintain and improve the site and online tools to make helping people and pets in the Rochester community as easy as possible. We want all of our animals to find loving homes and to promote the positive bond between people and their animals. And I frequently have kittens walking across my keyboard. I am the luckiest kid in the world.

ROCrush: What are you going to do this winter to keep from going crazy?
Rachel: Paddle Tennis and skiing!

Angela Prodrick

With Rochester’s Indian Summer, we’ve all been a bit delayed in finding our winter snuggle buddy. Have no fear. I found a buddy that’s prime for snuggling and snarkery. ROCrush sit down with heart-throb Angela Prodrick…

Hometown: Williamson, NY
Profession: Personal Assistant
Hobbies: Acting, Writing, Being A Jerk, Gardening, Reading, Dog Watching, Useless Old Crap Collecting, Walkabouts, Film Watching, History Learning

ROCrush: Ang, what’s the definition of MoJo?

Angela: Mojo is that certain something which draws you to an individual. It’s that glow that makes you take a second look. It’s that spark that makes your thoughts linger. It’s self actualization. It’s confidence. It’s magnetism. It’s self acceptance.

ROCrush: Do you have mojo?

Angela: Of course! Everyone has mojo. It takes a certain level of awareness and comfortableness with yourself to harness it’s powers. Like all things, its an ebb and flow. Some moments it’s subtle. Some moments it’s screaming from your pores…but it’s always there. All it takes is a simple surrender to let your true individuality surge forth. I got. You got. We all got it!

ROCrush: What are some of your favorite Rochester spots?

Angela: Rochester is filled with unsuspecting charm. However, I feel I should devote this question to the hands down best place in Rochester, Mount Hope Cemetery! “A cemetery?” You may say. “What is wrong with that lady?” you may then think…but I could sing it’s glories til the end of days. I tend to gravitate towards trees and historic buildings, so Mt. Hope happens to be perfect for me. Inspiration is everywhere. You can seek solace under rustling leaves, take in the stone masterpieces, see a name and let yourself imagine who this once living being actually was, watch chipmunks go bonkers, admire the overlooked symbolism, think on Rochester during a time when these people walked where you walked, or smile at a passerby, knowing that both of you understand the secret wonder of this place. It exudes an indefinable energy. Do yourself a favor. Go. Roam. Discover.

ROCrush: What are you going to do this winter to keep from going crazy?

Angela: I will be a record playing, tea sipping, mukluk wearing, book reading, snowflake eating, soup cooking, bread baking, scarf donning, movie watching, fort making fiend!

ROCrush: Who’s your ROCrush?

Angela: The pizza guy at East Ave Wegmans, the cashier with great t-shirts at the mobile on the corner of Winton and Atlantic, all participants of tweed ride, Alexander Pena, the man who while we were stopped at a red light proposed a trade of one cigarette for one joke, Kirk Stevens, that lone wolf at boulder, Ollie Listman, and the guy who walks past my apartment every night at about 6:00 while listening to his ipod.