Shows / Stories from the Center of the Universe
Episodes
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 212: George Dunston
George Dunston and Paul were in the same class at St. Christopher’s and met at StC to record this episode. George is a lawyer, lives in New Jersey and works in…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 211: Colin Noyes
Colin is from the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. Paul and Colin served in the National Guard together, mostly out of Fredericksburg. Colin talked about growing up…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 210: Tom Baker
Tom Baker says he was born a “Gator Born, Wahoo Bred”. Born in Florida, his family moved to Richmond, Va. when he was young. He attended St. Christopher’s and…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 209: Jocelyn Russell
Renowned artist Jocelyn Russell joins Paul and Rob because she was in Ashland to take her latest sculpture on a tour. This sculpture is of what many people…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 208: Tommy Dew
Tommy Dew is from Richmond, Va. and went to the College of Charleston and he never left. Paul and Tommy talked about his experience at CofC and his music…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 207: Vern Inge
Vern Inge spent a lot of time growing up in Ashland, Virginia. He attended the University of Richmond and then UVA for law school. He also told Paul and Rob…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 206: BBQ Competition in Urbanna
BBQ Gives Back KCBS master and backyard contests were held in Urbanna, VA at the Bethpage Camp Resort March 24th-26th. We were fortunate enough to chat with…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 205: Helen Emerson
Helen Emerson is the co-owner of Rosie Connolly’s Pub in Richmond, Virginia. Born in England, Helen moved to the United States when she was 8 years old. She…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 204: Lily Cameron
Lily Cameron was born in Iran, but moved to the U.S. when she was very young. Paul and Lily talked about her family’s emergency exit from Iran during some…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 203: Bill Jones
Bill Jones, aka BBQ Bill, joins Paul and Kevin on the podcast and they covered a variety of subjects. Bill grew up on a farm in Shortpump “before it was…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 202: Virgil Gray
Virgil Gray and Paul served together in the Virginia Army National Guard. They talked about how Virgil grew up in two very different places, various…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 201: T Bell
Theron Potter Bell IV, aka T Bell, and Paul have known each other since 8th grade when Paul started at St. Christopher’s. They talked a lot about baseball and…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 200: Mary Crutchfield
Mary Crutchfield has led a “varied” life. Mary is from Trenton, New Jersey, but from about age eight until twenty-one, she was living all over the world. Her…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 199: Margie Howell
The podcast went on the road (with a special guest) to Charlottesville, Va. this week to talk to Margie Howell. Margie grew up on a dairy and beef farm in…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 198: Rob Owens
Rob Owens has known the occasional cohost Kevin Flippen for 30 years and also knows Paul from working together. Rob and Kevin met playing pick up basketball…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 197: Skyler Allen
Skyler Allen joins the podcast via a connection with Kenny Wingle (Episode 79). Skyler grew up in Hanover County and said his Mom’s side of the family has deep…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 196: George and James Monroe
Paul and Kevin welcome back George Monroe to the podcast. George (Episode 170) joined the first time to tell his story and returns to tell the story of his…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 195: Tim Lilly
Tim Lilly is a veteran, has a strong faith, loves his family and is in the first phase of retirement. Tim grew up in rural southern West Virginia and then…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 194: Al Lester
This is Al Lester’s second time on the podcast. He was on Episode #32 with his friend and the Occasional Co-Host, Kevin Flippen. Al was born in Miami and grew…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 193: Robin Dreeke
U.S. Marine, Author, FBI Agent, Podcaster and Father … a few of the roles Robin Dreeke has had in his life. Robin grew up as an only child in Carmel, NY. He…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 192: Matt Green
Matt Green has done a little bit of walking in his life … Matt Green grew up just outside Ashland, VA and had fun growing up exploring, collecting baseball…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 191: Erik Kleinsmith
Erik Kleinsmith is a former U.S. Army Intelligence Officer and private contractor who has testified in front of Congress. Erik knows Pete A. Turner (Episode…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 190: Guy Crittenden
Guy Crittenden is a nationally known artist and professional photographer who lives in Richmond, Virginia. Guy grew up in Gloucester, VA on the Ware River…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 189: Ken Harvey
Former NFL player and Washington Commanders Ring of Fame member, Ken Harvey, joins the podcast. Ken Harvey comes to the podcast via a connection with Jock…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 188: Rob Dull (aka Silent Rob)
Rob Dull, aka “Silent Rob” & “the Scribe” is on the other side of the microphone for an entire episode. Rob usually helps Paul with the Stories podcast, but he…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 187: Greg Burton
Greg Burton comes to the podcast via a connection with Ross Luck (Episode #172). Greg grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and said his life was pretty much within…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 186: Sue Watson
Sue Watson, a Center of the Universe icon, joins the podcast to talk to Paul and Rob. Sue was born and grew up in Wilson, N.C and has great memories of her…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 185: Pete A Turner
Pete A. Turner joins Paul via a connection with Jeff Bloch, aka Speedy Cop (Episode 173). Pete is from and lives in California. He told Paul about his adoptive…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 184: Audra Becker
Audra Becker and Paul used to work together and she admitted that for a while, she was 50/50 on doing the podcast and telling her story. She joins us from…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 183: Stacie Straus and Acie Wyatt
Stacie Straus and Acie Wyatt are the first twins to be on the podcast. They are from Ashland and Stacie is still in the area. Acie lives in Charlotte, NC. Paul…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 182: Nikhil Brahmbhatt
Nikhil Brahmbhatt and Paul know each other from working at the same company in the past and they talked about how they first met. Nikhil was born in Kalol…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 181: Zach Gilman Turns 21
This episode is a celebration of Paul’s son Zach turning 21! Paul, his wife Lisa and their daughters, Lindsay and Melissa went to Blacksburg, Va. to visit Zach…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 180: Mac’s Service Center - Mac McManus
Downtown Ashland Association Series … Mac McManus was born in Fredericksburg, raised in Woodbridge and later moved south to the greater Richmond area for work…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 179: William Flippen
William Perkins Flippen joins the podcast via William Kevin Flippen, the occasional co-host and his son. William was born in Buckingham County, but grew up in…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 178: MH Studios - Michelle Hollender
Michelle Hollander joins the podcast as part of the Downtown Ashland Association Series. Michelle is from Ashland and she and Paul reminisced about sledding on…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 177: Dave Klisz
Dave Klisz met Silent Rob about twenty-five years ago and joins Paul and Rob on the podcast. Dave was born in California, but moved around quite a bit early on…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 176: Red Vein Escape - Kitty Barnes
Red Vein is the latest addition to the Downtown Ashland Association Series on the podcast. Kitty Barnes is a co-owner of Red Vein and moved to the Richmond…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 175: Donnie Morris and Jock Jones
On this episode, we have two repeat guests who are here together, know each other well, but haven’t seen each other in about twenty years. Donnie Morris…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 174: Your Path Counseling Center - Eddie Martinez-Cunion
Eddie Martinez-Cunion joins the podcast via the Ashland Downtown Association to talk about her business, Your Path Counseling Center. Eddie says she is a…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 173: SpeedyCop
Jeff Bloch, aka SpeedyCop, comes to the podcast via a connection with John Watts (Episode #50). Jeff grew up in New Jersey and New York and was the 2nd of nine…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 172: Ross Luck
Paul, Rob and Ross Luck have been friends since childhood. Ross grew up just outside the Ashland limits and growing up, he spent time going to Kings Dominion…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 171: Kevin Mills, Part 2
Kevin Mills is back for Part 2. Paul and Kevin finished the story about Kevin being diagnosed with a tumor. Kevin went into detail about finding out about the…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 170: George Monroe
George Monroe knows Paul and Kevin from when they worked at the Bakery. George lives in Hanover, but grew up in Albemarle and Charlottesville. While in…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 169: The Boogie Woogie Man
Jimmy “The Boogie Woogie Man” Valiant joins Paul and Kevin on the podcast and he started off with a bang! Jimmy was born in Tullahoma, TN and just turned 80…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 168: Daninelle Derricott
Dani Derricott is from Ashland, went to Patrick Henry and told Paul and Kevin the story about “the trail” as an alternate way to get to school. As a younger…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 167: Kevin Mills, Part 1
Kevin Mills and Paul know each other from their time in the National Guard together. Kevin grew up in Ashland (Paul did know his older brother) and he told…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 166: Tony Tran
Tony Tran comes to the podcast through Mike DiMaggio who he went to school with and Paul knows Mike via a family connection. Tony and Paul talked about many…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 165: Buck Sessoms, Part 2
In Part 2 of the podcast with Buck Sessoms, Paul and and Buck talked about his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Buck told Paul the differences between…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 164: Buck Sessoms, Part 1
Buck Sessoms and Paul graduated from St. Christopher’s together and share a common bond in that they both served in the United States Military. In Part 1 of…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 163: Dr. David Jones
Dr. David Jones and Paul haven’t talked in quite some time, but they went to St. Christopher’s together and graduated in 1987. David, who Paul said is one of…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 162: 3rd 50 Lookback
Paul and Silent Rob discuss episodes 101-150.
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 161: Cherud Wilkerson
Cherud Wilkerson comes to the podcast courtesy of knowing occasional co-host Kevin. Cherud is from Long Island and he grew up going to different schools. He…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 160: Rob Stiles
Rob Stiles, possibly the first guest with three first names, joins Paul and Silent (?) Rob on the podcast. Paul and the two Rob’s all grew up in Ashland and…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 159: Edouard Asmar
Edouard “Edy” Asmar works with Paul and this episode took two tries due to a bad storm which cut out communications the first time they tried to chat. Edy was…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 158: Magnus Nordenman
Magnus Nordenman joins the podcast courtesy of former guest, John Watts (Episode #50). Magnus is from Sweden and lived there until he was 18 when he came to…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 157: Dave Tribble
Dave Tribble knows Paul’s dad Larry (Ep. #9) and he joins Paul on the podcast. Dave is from the Richmond area and after his U.S. Army service was completed, he…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 156: David Chappell
David Chappell knows Paul’s parents Brenda (Ep. #46) and Larry (Ep. #9) and he joins Paul for this episode. David moved around a bit due to his Dad’s job as a…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 155: Buzz Anthony
National Champion and National Player of the Year Buzz Anthony joins Paul on the podcast. Paul first told Buzz a story about when he attended the NCAA Elite 8…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 154: Josh Merkel
Josh Merkel is the head coach of the Men’s RMC Basketball team who are the current Division III National Champions. We connected with Josh through Pedro Arruza…
Stories from the Center of the UniverseEpisode 153: Ellen Zavian
Ellen Zavian joins the podcast because she knows and works with Andrew Ting (Episode 40). Ellen is from Maywood, NJ and spent her summers at the Jersey Shore…