124: Kelly Rizzo Got Arrested Growing Up Near Wrigley Field | The Wayback with Ryan Sickler #124

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Wayback with Ryan Sickler

Episode 124: Kelly Rizzo Got Arrested Growing Up Near Wrigley Field

Air Date: May 14, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively and nostalgic episode of The Wayback, host Ryan Sickler welcomes Kelly Rizzo (host of the "Comfort Food" podcast) for a deep dive into her Chicago childhood, high-rise living, rebellious teen years, and the quirks of growing up in an Italian-American family. From odd school lunches and family vacations to being arrested as a teen, the conversation is filled with humor, warm reflection, and memorable tales of the past.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. School Lunches & Childhood Food Memories

• Kelly’s Lunch Evolution: Started with lunchboxes (possibly Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake), then brown paper bags wrapped in tin foil.
• Jealousy of “Cool Lunches”: Kelly envied classmates who had “cool lunches” with cut-off crusts, plastic baggies, and parent notes.
• Dad’s Unique Sandwich: A classic story of her Sicilian dad making her a peanut butter, jelly, ham, and cheese sandwich by accident.
  • Notable Quote:

    "I get to school, I had a peanut butter, jelly, ham and cheese sandwich."
    — Kelly, 03:55

  • Her dad’s logic: "It all goes to the same place." (04:22)

2. Growing Up in Chicago: High-Rise Living

• Childhood Home:
  • Grew up at 4250 North Marine Drive, Chicago, on the 26th floor of a high-rise near Wrigley Field. (06:03)
  • Parents bought a neighboring studio to expand their condo as the family grew.
  • Described the perks: Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving board, ability to roam hallways freely.
  • Challenges: No place for bikes, which they kept at Nana’s house in the suburbs.

3. Family, Travel, and Heritage

• Travel Habits:
  • Family mostly vacationed in Florida and, later, Las Vegas—never drove for trips, always flew. (09:16)
  • Her Sicilian father (Santo) never revisited Italy after immigrating, while Kelly has visited multiple times.

    "He's never been back. He's like, I was there once. I'll remember it the way it was."
    — Kelly, 09:04

4. Chicago to the Suburbs

• Move to Suburbs: At age 12, moved to Glenview, IL—a major lifestyle shift. (14:10)
• Upgraded Life: Finally able to have a “real house,” own bikes, rollerblades, and experience traditional suburban life.

5. Teen Rebellion & Arrest Story

• High School Antics:

  • Self-professed “slacker,” yet managed excellent grades and was in National Honor Society.
  • Smoked cigarettes and weed by 15, often skipping class, hung out with the “burnout crew.”
  • Won “Biggest Slacker” award at Glenbrook South High School—ironically, after campaigning for it.

    "I won the Biggest Slacker award in high school... I actually campaigned really hard to win the Biggest Slacker Award."
    — Kelly, 12:54

• The Bloomingdale's Arrest (16:52):

  • At 16 or 17, caught as an accomplice after her friend shoplifted bras for both of them; taken to the station in handcuffs, though Kelly didn’t physically steal anything.

  • "They arrested both of us... took us to the station in handcuffs, and then I remember my dad was in a meeting downtown, and they called him"
    — Kelly, 17:58

• Sibling Dynamics: Sisters were more well-behaved; one became “famous” in high school for a fight still talked about decades later by Fallout Boy’s Patrick Stump.

  "You don't understand. People still talk about that all the time. It's famous."
  — Kelly on Patrick Stump recalling her sister's fight, 32:45

6. Parents: Sicilian Strength & Supermodel Mom

• Santo Rizzo (Dad):
  • Bodybuilder, strict disciplinarian; scared off all teen boys.
  • Notable discipline and support: "Is dad the disciplinarian? Mom's chill?" (19:55)
• Sharon Rizzo (Mom):
  • Former model, later real estate, generally softer but backed dad up on discipline.

7. Firsts & Formative Experiences

• First Job: Cashier at Bed Bath and Beyond at 16, then receptionist for her parents’ real estate company. (24:54)
• First Car: Inherited her mom’s white Oldsmobile 98—nicknamed “Big Bertha”—not the cool ride she dreamed of but spawned memorable stories. (23:35)
• First Boyfriend: Dated a junior named Nick during her senior year; he broke up with her during her first year of college, impacting her ego. (25:36)

8. Teen Vices: Drinking, Smoking, Ritalin

• Underage Drinking: Started at 13, stealing Bacardi from parents’ cabinet, mixing with Diet Coke, and drinking at the park. (26:51)
• Early Drug Use: Smoked cigarettes/weed young; described how Ritalin was crushed and snorted in school bathrooms using graphing calculator cases. (28:47)
• Parental Awareness:

  "When I think of kids nowadays... do you remember what we were doing at that age? And when they remember, it makes them very nervous."
  — Kelly, 27:47

9. School Supplies Nostalgia

• Trapper Keepers, Book Covers: Reminisced about the evolution of school supplies, the art of covering textbooks, and the cultural markers of childhood in the '80s and '90s. (20:41–22:40)

10. Podcast Promotion

• Kelly’s Podcast:
  • Comfort Food, “back for season two,” discusses grief, relationships, and childhood memories.

    "Season two's back wherever you get your podcast. So comfort food with Kelly Rizzo..."
    — Kelly, 01:17 & 33:10

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Her Dad’s Philosophy:

  "It all goes to the same place. Like, what does that matter?"
  — Kelly’s dad, Santo, on her wacky sandwich, 04:22

• On Campaigning for 'Biggest Slacker':

  "I worked really hard to get the Biggest Slacker Award."
  — Kelly, 12:59

• On Getting Arrested:

  "And I remember my dad was in a meeting downtown, and they called him, and he had to come pick me up from the police station."
  — Kelly, 17:58

• On Teenage Drinking:

  "I would take some Bacardi... bring it in a cup and, like, go to the park... and then be like, oh, we're drunk, you know, and then, like, walk home and we're 13."
  — Kelly, 27:31

• Sicilian Dad’s Logic (Sister's Fight):

  "Who started it?... It matters. Every. Like, that's what matters."
  — Kelly, 30:39

• On Her Sister’s Notoriety:

  "Oh, you don't understand. People still talk about that all the time. It's famous."
  — Patrick Stump to Kelly, 32:45

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• School lunches & food talk — 01:49–04:34
• Chicago high-rise childhood — 06:03–08:05
• Family trips & heritage — 08:33–09:29
• Move to suburbs — 14:10–14:51
• High school antics & slacker years — 12:54–13:49
• Arrest at Bloomingdale's — 16:52–18:29
• Sibling fight/Patrick Stump story — 30:15–32:58
• Teen vices (smoking, Ritalin, drinking) — 13:49, 26:51–29:19
• Trapper Keepers/book covers nostalgia — 20:41–22:40
• Podcast plugs & wrap-up — 33:10–33:27

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Tone & Style

The conversation is casual, candid, and full of self-deprecating humor. Kelly’s storytelling is honest and vivid, peppered with classic Chicago and Italian-American references, and Ryan’s laughter and shared memories create an inviting, relatable energy throughout the episode.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

You’ll leave this episode with a nostalgic grin—envisioning '90s school supplies, high-rise hallways, overstuffed lunch bags, wild high school tales, and tight-knit family dynamics. Kelly Rizzo’s storytelling, grounded in both comedic mischief and warm affection, perfectly encapsulates what it felt like to grow up in two worlds: urban Chicago and its leafy suburbs.

Transcript

[A]

Morning decisions. How about a creamy mocha frappuccino drink? Or sweet vanilla smooth caramel maybe? Or white chocolate mocha? Whichever you choose, delicious coffee awaits. Find Starbucks Frappuccino drinks wherever you buy your groceries.

[B]

Boston. I'm fired up to head back your way. I'll be there Friday, May 15th and Saturday, May 16th. Albuquerque, New Mexico. I've never done stand up in your beautiful city. I'll be there Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th. Tulsa, Oklahoma. I'll be there Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th. All tickets on my website@ryan sickler.com. hey, baby, we going to be here all day? We're going to be here all day, baby. I like that kind of party. Welcome back to the Way Back, everybody. Ryan Sickler here. Thank you guys for supporting this show. This one's so much fun to dive into people's lives, their childhoods. Go back, look at some photos, all that good stuff. I'm very excited to have this guest with us back here today. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Kelly Rizzo. Welcome to the Weight Back.

[A]

It's like that Michael Jordan intro.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

You're always welcome to be here before we do. Right there. Tell everybody about your podcast, please.

[A]

Comfort food is back for season two. I'm so excited about this next season. We just talk about everything from grief to relationships, everything in between, and season two's back wherever you get your podcast. So comfort food with Kelly Rizzo and then on Instagram at Kelly Rizzo.

[B]

All right. I love that you deal with comfort foods. As I was mentioning on our Honeydew episode, I have an unhealthy relationship with food. But go. I feel like childhood's where it all starts.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know what I mean? What. What are you guys having? Let's start with. We'll get to the seat in a second. What are your, like, lunches and stuff? You're. Are you a. Are you a brown bag lunch girl? Are you carrying a lunchbox? So you had money to buy lunch?

[A]

Kind of all of the above. I've definitely had a lunchbox. There was the longest stint, I think was the paper bag stint.

[B]

Do you remember your lunchbox?

[A]

Oh, gosh. Any of them probably like a rainbow bright or something like that one up,

[B]

Kirsten, let's look for a rainbow bright lunchbox. I love the rainbow bright.

[A]

I loved rainbow bright. I don't totally remember. It could have been like a strawberry shortcake thing, but I remember strawberry shortcake. I definitely had a metal one and then I had a Plastic one.

[B]

They.

[A]

I never had the cool lunch. You know, there were some kids that had, like, a cool lunch. Like, their parents would cut the crusts off and then they would, you know, have, I don't know, like, something cool in there. Like, maybe they'd write them a little note or something. I had, like, the white bread with grape jelly and peanut butter, and then my mom would wrap it in tin foil. Like, I always wanted the little plastic baggies, but I had the tin foil and then a banana that was three feet long sticking out of the top of the bag. And a can of Diet Coke. My mom would put as a child

[B]

soda in your life.

[A]

She would give me a can of Diet Coke. And it was warm by the time you get to lunch. And then we had lunchables. That was a big, big thing. But one time, I'll never forget as long as I live, my dad had to make us lunch because my mom was out of town for something. And my dad, you know, he's Sicilian. He grew up in the mountains in Sicily. They didn't have all this, like, fun food and stuff. And it was like, you eat what you get. And he asked me, he's like, what do you want for lunch? I was like, I don't know, like a sandwich. He's like, okay, well, what. I was like, I don't know, ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly. I get to school, I had a peanut butter, jelly, ham and cheese sandwich.

[B]

No, you did.

[A]

Yes, I did.

[B]

He did all the.

[A]

He put it all on one sandwich. There might have been much.

[B]

Anyone? Yeah, that's a good.

[A]

That's Santo. That's my dad. Santo.

[B]

Santo's not around.

[A]

Santo is not. We all wanted to. Yeah, we all wanted to shave, so he put shaving cream on all of us. But. Yeah, so Santo made me a peanut butter, jelly, ham and cheese sandwich, and I clearly couldn't eat it because it was disgusting.

[B]

That is disgusting.

[A]

And I remember I got home and I was like, why would you do that to me? And he's like, it all goes to the same place. Like, what does that matter? So anyway, that's my PTSD school lunch story.

[B]

So where did you grow up again?

[A]

In Chicago. So this was in the city, near Wrigley Field. I don't know how. How well you know Chicago.

[B]

But you.

[A]

Yeah, I grew up in Lakeview in

[B]

the city, and I.

[A]

In a high rise.

[B]

In a high rise. Okay, I want to talk about that in a second. This seat right here, you said you are old enough to remember, and you Actually have been in this seat before. Who in your world had this?

[A]

So a couple friends had station wagons. And I was always really jealous because I. I always wanted the station wagon. It was just so cool to have that back seat or the back facing seat and. But there was a teacher in my school who in my kindergarten and she. I think it was like the school owned a station wagon. And sometimes they would drive us home after class or even take us on little field trips during the day. And they would pile like eight kids, no seatbelts, sitting on the floor.

[B]

Just like a bus.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

No seatbelts.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And sitting on the floor of the station.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's highly dangerous.

[A]

We would. I remember being in this station wagon so many times. I don't always remember where, like what the point of it was, but I think they would drive us home sometimes. And it was. I remember it was all white and there was a back seat, like this back facing seat. So I do remember them well. But I do appreciate that you thought I wasn't old enough to know what they were.

[B]

I didn't at all. Hold on. High rise you grew up in. Do you remember the address?

[A]

Yeah, it's 4250 North Marine Drive in Chicago.

[B]

I don't know that anybody's grown up in a high rise on the pod yet, really. Apartments, but not high rise.

[A]

Yeah, it was a condo. We were on. Our apartment was 2616, so we were

[B]

on the 26th floor.

[A]

26th floor.

[B]

Holy, you're up.

[A]

And we had a two bedroom condo at first, but then when my sister was born, my dad bought the studio apartment next door and he like broke through the wall and. Yep, that's the building. We were the fourth from the top. Yep, right there. That was our unit. And we had a studio apartment for me and my sisters. So the three of us, we had like our own bathroom, a little kitchen, and then we had bunk beds and it was like we had our own apartment.

[B]

So he knocked the wall out. So you're all together.

[A]

Yeah. So we all had one kind of communal bedroom. My mom actually, you know, my parents are in real estate. My mom's real estate office was in the building. So she would just take the elevator to work and we would go down the elevator and go visit her during the day. It was so fun. And we had a huge Olympic sized swimming pool that was 12ft deep with a real diving board, like a really high diving board, like a springboard. And that's where I learned to swim and to dive. And there was. It was Just such a fun building. And it was a really cool location right on Lakeshore Drive in the city. And my parents loved it for us because, you know, we were little kids, but we had so much room to, like, run up and down the hallways and. And stuff like that. And they could kind of keep an eye on us. Like, they knew we couldn't go very far. But at the same time, we didn't have that ability to, like, have bikes and ride bikes. But my nana, my dad's mom, lived about 30 minutes west of us, and so every Sunday we would go there and we would have our bikes there.

[B]

Okay, so you're getting it then, still. All right. What about friends? You have friends in that building, too, or your other friends?

[A]

A couple. But I went to this school that was a magnet school, which in Chicago was kind of a big thing at the time, and it was right near Wrigley Field. And so all my friends were from school, but they lived because it was a magnet school. There were some in the neighborhood, but then they lived all around the city.

[B]

I see. So you have two younger sisters. So there's a family of five.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Are you guys taking vacations, and if so, are you a driving family or are you flying?

[A]

Definitely not a driving family. We. We're very limited in the vacation world. My parents are not super well traveled. Like, to this day. They, like, don't have passports.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. They are not.

[B]

Your dad's from Italy, right?

[A]

He's like.

[B]

He's never been back.

[A]

Never been back. I've been many times. I've been to his hometown in Sicily. It's called Shimina Shimina right here.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I've been many times in Cino. I have so much family there. He's never been back. He's like, I was there once. I'll remember it the way it was.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's. I don't get it. It's very strange to me, but.

[B]

So where are you guys going?

[A]

We would go to Florida. My mom's parents lived in Clearwater, Florida. And so twice a year we went to Florida. And then when I was 16, we started going to Vegas. My mom always loved Vegas, and so we would go to Florida once a year in Vegas.

[B]

Once a year as a family. That's your trip?

[A]

That was our. We would go for, like, 10 days.

[B]

Oh, that's so long. In Vegas.

[A]

Vegas for 10 days.

[B]

What are you doing as a family in Vegas?

[A]

We would go see shows and, you know, all the, like, impersonator shows. And then we would go just to. I Mean the pool. Oh God. That's my dad holding my mom is on his shoulders.

[B]

Yeah, your dad's not.

[A]

And he's. She's holding my sister Kimmy. And then he's holding me and my sister Chris in his arm. So he was literally carrying his entire

[B]

family real quick just to be on the safe side. This 2033, that's my.

[A]

No, so that's my nana's old house

[B]

in Elmwood park is where you go ride your bikes.

[A]

Yeah. So, okay. She was in that house until about 10 years ago before she passed and then. But that was. Yeah, that, that was a big memory for me, that house. I mean, have you ever seen a more 80s picture than that? I mean, look at his like tight white shirt.

[B]

I was about to say, can you imagine if we all had to wear shorts?

[A]

Like, oh man. But yeah, so that, that was a good memory. But oh yeah, there, there it is now.

[B]

Looking house. That's a great looking little house these days. Somebody would come buy that perfectly good house, bulldoze it, build a McMansion on the damn thing.

[A]

Yeah. So yeah, we just did Florida and Vegas and I think because my parents weren't really big in traveling, but I was so interested in it, that's why it just became something that I vowed to myself that I was going to do on my own. So I got really into trouble.

[B]

Tell me about high school. Were you athletic? Were you a good student? What are we doing in high school?

[A]

Very athletic, but not super big into organized sports. I was always playing sports, but. And I was on the volleyball team and basketball team. I went to Glenbrook South High School, played volleyball and basketball. But you know, my dad, growing up, my dad was, as you could see from some of those photos, he was. My dad was a bodybuilder.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so.

[B]

Oh, he was.

[A]

Yeah. So he would do things to me. Like we would go to a park and he would just hang me on a, on a, like a chin up bar. He'd just be like. Yeah, he would just be like. He loved caring, he loved carrying his whole family. Isn't that crazy?

[B]

So wait, I, I just thought he was a ripped, muscular dude. He actually was a competitive bodybuilder.

[A]

I mean, not super competitive, but he was, it was his whole, like. I mean, he was very, very, very into it and could do very ungodly things with his strength.

[B]

How's today he keep in shape?

[A]

Yeah, he goes in and out. He goes in and out. So he can get back into shape very easily. He's 77 now. But he's like, looks great for 77. But also we're like, all right. If you put in a little. Because that muscle memory, like, if you put in a little bit of effort, you could look insane.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But so, yeah, when I was little, he would just, like, hang me on a. So to this day, I'm like, most women can't do chin ups. And like, I can do chin ups because even today. Yeah, because my. My dad just made me do them from when I was little. And so, yeah, so I was athletic, but I didn't apply myself very much, if that makes sense. Like, I didn't work very hard at it. Kind of like everything in school. Like, I naturally got good grades, but I didn't work very hard. I won the Biggest Slacker award in high school.

[B]

You did?

[A]

Yeah. But the irony is that I actually campaigned really hard to win the Biggest Slacker Award.

[B]

How do you do that? Because, like, you just. I golf because you know that.

[A]

Yeah. Like, I never went to class. I was always, like, out smoking cigarettes and smoking pot with my friends.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Oh, yeah. Never went to class, but yet I was still in the National Honor Society.

[B]

How the that happened?

[A]

I. I don't know.

[B]

You're still getting the grades?

[A]

Well, no, because I had somehow seven lunch periods and free periods throughout the day. I never went to class, and I was always blowing off school. And I got into a great college and went to, you know, was in the National Honor Society. So that's was irony that I wanted to win an award so bad. And I knew Biggest Slacker was the only thing I had a chance at. And so I, like, worked really hard to get the Biggest Slacker Award. Yeah, my parents were very proud of that.

[B]

What age are you when you start smoking weed?

[A]

Don't listen to this. Mom and dad. Probably 15.

[B]

Okay. High school friends and stuff.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. 15.

[B]

And then you're in a high rise, and then I'm out in the yard or something.

[A]

Oh, no, no, no. So we moved to. You can pull this up if you want. We moved to 2331 Indian Ridge Drive.

[B]

At what age?

[A]

In Glenview, Illinois. So this was when I was 12. So in seventh grade, we moved to the suburbs.

[B]

That's a nice home. Yeah.

[A]

So we moved from the city to here. And so this was like my. Our suburban home, which is when we finally were able to, you know, get. Have bikes and rollerblades and all that stuff.

[B]

Top left, window. Whose window?

[A]

So that's mine. Top left. Oh, my God. That's my bedroom.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And then my sister had the balcony in the middle, and I was really jealous of that.

[B]

Is that her window there too or both? Both windows. So she gets this window and the doors in the balcony.

[A]

She only had the doors.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I had those two windows to the left. My parents were the whole, like top right. And then my other sister was in the back of the house.

[B]

Okay. And do you ever sneak out of this house?

[A]

No. Because my. I told my dad's Sicilian, like, he was so scary and he would have. I. I don't even want to know. I mean, I did clearly got into trouble, but certain things, like stealing a car.

[B]

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[A]

I kind of maybe sneaked out a little, but never an overnight thing because I was just too scared of him. He was really scary.

[B]

What was it like to bring boys home to your dad?

[A]

They were all so scared.

[B]

I was going to say, if I'm coming over here.

[A]

Santo Rizzo. Yeah.

[B]

And he looks like that, too.

[A]

He looked like that with my whole

[B]

family on my shoulders. I'm like, I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be out of here.

[A]

At the time, he looked very much like that too. And. And now he's, you know, he's a little. He's a little sweeter and a little bit softer, but, like, you still don't want to mess with him. But back then he was very Scary. And all my guy friends were just terrified.

[B]

I'll bet. I asked you before we started recording, you've ever been arrested? And you're like, yeah. And so, Cash, what. What did you.

[A]

So I was 16 or 17, and my.1 of my best friends and I, we went to Bloomingdale's, and the plan was to steal, like, a bra or two, like, some underwear. And I just didn't happen to take anything. But she stole, like, a couple bras and, like, I guess like, layered them on and, like, put them on under her clothes. And then when we were walking out, we got caught. And I didn't. I didn't take anything. But because she took one that, like, she was a lot bigger than I was, and she took one for me. And they're like, what's your bra size? What's your bra size? And I was like, a. And they're like, she took this for you, so you're an accomplice. So they arrested. Both of us.

[B]

Got arrested. For real?

[A]

Yeah. But, I mean, we were underage.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So they didn't do anything. They took us to the station in handcuffs.

[B]

Oh, they did all that, though.

[A]

Took us to the station. And then I remember my dad was in a meeting downtown, and they called him, and he had to come pick me up from the police station.

[B]

Scared of you, not happy.

[A]

Yeah. Because he had to leave an important meeting. And. But I was like, but I didn't take anything. And that was my saving grace. Like, I actually truly didn't take anything. But just. Just. He was not happy that I was in that situation at all. And he said she was a bad influence in that. And she was also the one I always blamed the cigarettes on.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That was just smoking around every time.

[A]

I was like, they're not mine. They're not mine. They're in your car. They're in your purse. They're in your pocket. They're not mine.

[B]

What about some high school parties? You go to any epic parties? Did you ever throw anyone your parents left?

[A]

I did once, and they came home early.

[B]

Did they know? Did they have an idea?

[A]

I had a buddy of mine, I had so many people over in this house. We just saw in that house, and one of. One of my buddies was making a pizza in my oven. It's all about food for you. My parents were coming in the house, and he somehow. Even though my dad was walking in, he somehow managed to take the pizza out of the oven and then run out my back door and start hopping fences with pizza.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And Then I think my dad came in and there were beer caps everywhere and beer bottles and everything. And I remember my dad was so pissed and I was like, oh. He's like, they were drinking. I was like, no. My friend's older brother came over and he brought his bottle cap collection.

[B]

And I mean, he taps pants his dad. They're on the bottom of his shit. It's a terrible. Exactly.

[A]

Yeah. But that was, that was the lie I came up with. And he's like, I saw them running out with my own eyes. I was like, was me.

[B]

Is dad the disciplinarian? Mom's. Oh yeah, Mom's chill. Or Mom's like backs dad up.

[A]

She backs him up. But she was much more of a pushover. She's like, oh, well, honey. But they're so. Yeah. So that's my mom.

[B]

This is mom.

[A]

Yeah, that's Sharon.

[B]

Oh, this is mom. So Sharon was over there modeling Cadillac.

[A]

Yeah. So my mom was. My mom was a model forever. And then obviously was, you know, has been in real estate ever since I was born pretty much.

[B]

But they're a good looking couple.

[A]

They are. Thank you. And yeah, by the time I was one, I still didn't have any hair, so my mom had to tape a bow on my head. So that's about the time when I was one. Yeah. So my mom was and still is, like, she was always the one that would like when we'd need something or want something. We're like, last mom. And she'll. She'll make it happen.

[B]

We are also talking about. Let me pull this guy out here. Trapper keepers.

[A]

I cannot believe you have that.

[B]

Yes. We got this guy, this Trapper Keeper right here. I don't know if you all know what this is, but I put the speedy sticker on it. But this is. My daughter took the folders out. But they had colored folders like four. Blue, red, green, whatever.

[A]

But I think I had that exact one. I'm not kidding. Or mine might have been a little bit more like splatter painty. But.

[B]

But we had before this. This flap wasn't there and it was just a binder that was like denim and your would just fall out of it and you'd be all messed up. This one's got a nice pocket over here to put stuff in.

[A]

When they came out with that flap, this thing. And it changed everything.

[B]

Everything. Yeah, right. And we were talking about covering our books too, because we used to have to cover our books.

[A]

I was just never good at covering my books.

[B]

You remember? It was an art to it. We had to take. We had to go to the mine always looked like, get a brown bag, save it, and then cover it. We would do that. And then I was telling you, like, maybe. I feel like it was fifth grade or maybe even it was middle school. They had finally got book covers and it was all local businesses. Here you go, right here.

[A]

See, this is what.

[B]

Look at this. This is the art of it right here. This is exactly what you had to do. It was like almost wrapping a gift and you had to cut it to the proper size.

[A]

But then some people had, like, really cool ones.

[B]

Yeah, they would be good. There's the process of it right there. Look, paper. Buy the instructions for two bucks, guys.

[A]

What? Yeah, that's crazy.

[B]

And then people get all fancy with them.

[A]

Yeah, you would, like, design them.

[B]

Put your favorite band. That's how I learned to write that s. Yes. That's how I learned to write that ass on my book.

[A]

What was that thing?

[B]

My daughter did it too. A couple years ago. I was like, yeah, we all learned that damn ass. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. So people would get very exact about it. Mine always looks like covering books.

[B]

Yeah, mine too. Mine look like. And then I get the.

[A]

Yeah, that was one of those things.

[B]

My parents were fall right out. Just slide right out of it. Yeah, yeah. Honor roll. Were you an honor roll girl?

[A]

I was when I was like second, third, fourth, fifth grade type of thing. And then I think I was. Yeah, still good. Solid honor roll through seventh grade. And then in high school, I still got really good grades, even though I was such a burnout.

[B]

But you were with the burnout crew, huh? You were, huh? We saw them heads.

[A]

Oh, like a Deadhead?

[B]

No, just heads. They were calling them heads. I don't know why. If they smoked and did drugs.

[A]

Oh, yeah, that's all innocent. Little Kelly loved her weed.

[B]

This little girl love weed?

[A]

Yeah, that was. I was wearing a plaid flannel because I knew I was listening to Pearl Jam like the whole way home.

[B]

And how old are you here?

[A]

That's my junior year.

[B]

Oh, my God. I thought you'd be like 12 here.

[A]

No, I was like 16, 17.

[B]

You're driving there, huh? What's your first car?

[A]

I had an white Oldsmobile 98. A 1992 Oldsmobile 98.

[B]

You got an old 98?

[A]

Yeah. And it was. We called her Big Bertha.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Oh, man, I remember my mom. It was my mom's car.

[B]

I was going to say this is.

[A]

And then she gave it to me. And I was so devastated, cuz I Wanted a Jeep Wrangler so bad and all my friends had like blazers or Pathfinders and I had that. And I remember it had like white wall tires and it was just. But oh God, I burned so many cigarette holes in that thing.

[B]

And your friend did all. Yeah, your friend did.

[A]

I mean they were, they were in the back seat too. So I.

[B]

White walls right there. That one you were just on.

[A]

Oh my God.

[B]

Back over, up, over one. Yep. See the white walls right there? The white, little white wall.

[A]

Why can't I even have normal tires anymore?

[B]

That's your ride, huh?

[A]

It was rear wheel drive. I. In the snow one time I hit a tree. But yeah, it was Big Bertha because you know, everyone had the cool. Not everyone, but you know, even my friends who had like a Honda Accord. I wanted that. I just didn't want this big white grandma boat.

[B]

What's your first job? Actual paying job? Not that your parents allowance, but something you.

[A]

Actually, I was a cashier at Bed Bath and Beyond.

[B]

Were you?

[A]

When I was 16. So at that age I was going

[B]

to say can you be that young? You can be 16 to work in Chicago. I didn't know that.

[A]

Well, this was tech. This was technically in the suburbs. I think that would have been Will met. I guess 16.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. So I had. It was my summer job. And then every summer after that I started working for my parents like as a receptionist at the real estate company. So I only did that briefly. I had a summer job at Bed Bath and Beyond. I was. It was called the front end when you're like work the cashier area. But I got other friends jobs there who worked in like the housewares department and the bedding department.

[B]

Okay, how about first boyfriend?

[A]

First boyfriend. His name was Nick and I was a senior and he was a junior. Oh, younger boy. Yeah, we dated on and off for like five years. It was like a year and a half and then a break and then a year and a half. But I remember I was still dating him my freshman year of college when I went away to University of Iowa and he was still in high school and then he broke up with me.

[B]

What?

[A]

He broke up with me in college.

[B]

Oh, he went to college and then broke.

[A]

Still in high school and I was in college and he broke up with me and I was that is that.

[B]

No.

[A]

I know.

[B]

Girl in college, some high school kids break it up with you.

[A]

I know. I did not. It did not help the ego. But to be fair, two of my other best friends who I went to Iowa with also they Were also dating his friends. Like, so it was three friend. Three girlfriends dating three guy friends, and they were all seniors in high school, and they all broke up with all of us.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Well, guys. Yeah. So it wasn't just me. Those guys, I think they were like, we don't need these old broads anymore, these cougs First.

[B]

Did you smoke weed before you drank? What was first?

[A]

No, drinking was first. Drinking was a little bit. Even in junior high.

[B]

How'd that come your way?

[A]

I would steal, like, my parents Bacardi from their liquor cabinet.

[B]

Where you, like, are other friends telling you.

[A]

Yeah. Like, we would all be like, oh, let's sneak it. And then. Because I don't. My parents would drink, like, Bacardi and Coke or Bacardian. Diet Coke. Diet Coke again. And then. So that's what I would do. I would take some Bacardi because, you know, I don't know of any other liquor except what's in the liquor cabinet. I think they had Midori in Bacardi.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so. And because my parents weren't big drinkers and my mom loved making, like, tequila sunrises, if they. We would have company. And so those are the only.

[B]

Or anything. You get caught doing that.

[A]

I think I would just, you know, we would sneak a little bit and, like, bring it in a cup and, like, go to the park, then, like, drink it at the park and then be like, oh, we're drunk, you know, and then, like, walk home and we're 13.

[B]

That. Isn't it crazy? 13?

[A]

When I think of kids nowadays, you know, like, for instance, I'll have. I have so many girlfriends who have kids who are 13, 14, or way older. And I'm like, do you remember what we were doing at that age? And then when they remember, it makes them very nervous.

[B]

Yeah. Like how. I genuinely. If you hold your daughter, she's 11, about to be 12 this year.

[A]

Okay. But I mean, a little bit of

[B]

time, you think there she's already. She hangs out.

[A]

I was drinking at 13, you know,

[B]

she's pretty scared of that stuff right now, which is good. But I'm good. I preach, preach, preach. No pills. No pills.

[A]

Yeah. As long.

[B]

Don't even take an Advil from somebody. Just deal with the headache.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

No pills these days. None. One.

[A]

It's a whole different world. Pills weren't even a thing, really.

[B]

No.

[A]

I mean, not the bad part of it wasn't. Definitely wasn't a thing. But people weren't into pills in general. Except I remember Ritalin, started Adderall yeah,

[B]

that was before my time.

[A]

But not even Adderall. It was Ritalin was big in high school and.

[B]

Are they snorting it? What were they.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, we.

[B]

We

[A]

on the back of, like, our calculator. Like, we would take calculator case. We would go in the bathroom at school, take, like the graphing calculator. Yeah. So we would take.

[B]

Damn thing. Texas Instruments.

[A]

Yeah. We would take the back. Like the COVID off.

[B]

Oh, the battery stuff. Oh, yeah, yeah. Slides in. Yeah.

[A]

And we would crush up Ritalin.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

In the school bathroom.

[B]

Yeah. You can't smell that. Like, cigarettes.

[A]

Sorry. Glenbrook South. No, we. We would smoke cigarettes in the. We would find a. Like a remote bathroom that was near the. They called it the autos courtyard where it was near the auto shop where all the kids who did. You know, like the mechanics classes where they were always smoking in there too, in the boys room. But my friends and I, we would go smoke in the girls room over there because nobody was ever over there.

[B]

That's smart.

[A]

I am divulging so much.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I was so naughty.

[B]

What about your sisters? Were they more well behaved? Or did you guys.

[A]

In terms of drugs and alcohol, yes, but I think we all got in trouble in some ways. I have a funny story of my youngest sister. She got in a fight in high school and, like, beat the. Out of this girl. Because my dad always taught us, like, how to fight when we were. When we were little. And he always said, never start it. But if somebody starts it with.

[B]

You must be an Italian family.

[A]

Right? It was just the mentality, you know, you can say it's wrong, just whatever. But that's how we grew up and. But I was always such a wimp, so I never. I never did any of that. But my sister, this girl shoved her and so she started beating the. Out of her and, like, really beat her up bad where like, the girl had to go to the hospital.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

And now. And now they're best friends, which is funny. Thirty years later, they're best friends. But she told. Or my sister got sent to the dean's office and the dean called my dad. And once again, the guy's in a meeting and he's like, Mr. Rizzo, I just want you to know your daughter just got in a fight and, like, sent the girl to the hospital. And my dad's like, okay, well, who started it? And he goes, what does that matter? He goes, it matters. Every. Like, that's what matters. He's like, well, the other girl started it. He's like, well, then I support what my daughter did. Thank you. Goodbye. And my parents were not the people who, like, believed their kids over teachers. But then fast forward to three years ago. I'm at this party with the lead singer of Fallout Boy happens to be there. Who went to my high school.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Yeah. So Patrick Stump. He's there, and we start chatting, and I didn't.

[B]

Sorry. Did you know each other then?

[A]

He's. No, he was. He was younger than I was, but I knew that Patrick Stump went to my high school, but I didn't totally place him, and he didn't really place me. And then we just started chatting, and he said, he's like, oh, well, I'm something about Glenview. I was like, I'm from Glenview. And he's like, wait, where'd you go to high school? I said, glenbrook South. He's like, I went to Glenbrook South. I was like, wait a second. I was like, oh, my God. Wait, you're Patrick. Like, oh. Then I put two and two together because he said his name was Patrick. And then finally it dawned on me, and then I said, wait, you probably knew my sisters. I said, because they were more your age. And I said, you know, like my sister Kimmy. And he goes, you're Kimmy Rizzo's sister? And I was like, yeah. He goes, I watched her kick the out of this girl in high school. I was like, you saw that. He goes, oh, you don't understand. People still talk about that all the time. It's famous.

[B]

That's awesome.

[A]

Yeah. Because I knew it was kind of famous in my family, but I certainly didn't know that 30 years later, 25

[B]

years later, and who he is and everything. That's awesome. Awesome.

[A]

Isn't that hilarious?

[B]

That is so good.

[A]

So anyway, my sister is a legend.

[B]

Well, you are, too. Thank you for doing this. This is a fun, quick one.

[A]

This was so fun.

[B]

Before we wrap up again, right there, talking about your podcast. Please.

[A]

Yep. So comfort food with Kelly Rizzo anywhere you get your podcast. Season two is out now. Got some amazing episodes out, and it's just been such a joy to do. And then. Yeah. At Kelly Rizzo on Instagram.

[B]

Thank you so much. For real, this is a pleasure.

[A]

Thank you, Ryan. This was so special.

[B]

As always, Ryan Sickler on all your social media. We'll talk to you all next week.