Rapp Strategies Rundown – December
What we did, read, watched and thought about this month.
Todd R.: Christmas music has filled the house for the last several weeks, but we have taken time out for other activities. I am working my way through The Gatekeepers, a look at how White House Chiefs of Staff shape presidencies. I’m also juggling Grisham’s latest, Boys from Biloxi, on cold winter nights. Our trek through The Americans is reaching the end of Season 3, while also keeping an eye on Yellowstone and 1923. Glass Onion was an excellent sequel to Knives Out (although there was some debate about that around the Christmas table). And while Tim was the winner of the 4th annual Rapp Jeopardy quiz at Christmas, his reward was to join me the next day for tree clearing after the big East Central blizzard blocked access to our cabin. The one in the picture will be taken care of in the spring.
December began in the afterglow of the fabulous wedding of Zach Forschler and Ava Ramberg. As the family gathered for Christmas, we were again surrounded by so many friends of the family, young and old. As Christmas passed to New Year, we were overwhelmed by the impressions made, particularly by the generation our kids belong to. They are smart, fun, funny, informed, thoughtful, motivated, empathetic and generous. We ended December confident that the next generation will be better at improving the world than we have been. Happy New Year!
Todd S.: We had a great holiday season during December — homemade cookies, visiting friends, a bowling outing and some holiday movies when it was REALLY cold outside. And, of course, there’s our traditional holiday photos with the dudes and our pets — no animals were harmed during the photo session.
Sean: What an incredible end of the year it was for the Oyaas family. Between four different Christmas celebrations, the incoming baby has already received more presents than I have in my entire life. While I’m not complaining, it was a stark realization that it may be time to start clearing out some closet space. We closed out the year by spending time with family and some of our best friends, which included a weekend snowboarding trip in Lutsen. I came back with both knees intact and only a bit of a sore back. Maybe I’m not that old after all.
While my dear Timberwolves continue to get off to a rocky start, the Vikings’ continued fortune in close games have satisfied this sports fan. On the pop culture end, Rosie and I couldn’t have enjoyed the most recent season of White Lotus more. Reading for pleasure seems to be officially out the window as parenting books (and podcasts) have dominated my free time. Looking forward to everything 2023 has in store and feeling incredibly grateful for all the love I’ve got in my life. Wishing a Happy New Year to you and yours!
Anna: Anna is ringing in the first months of 2023 with her new baby boy, Owen. We wish the Shay family the very best!
Cullen: 2023 went out with a bang! Holiday festivities included the annual tree hunt, an incredible ‘Christmas in Christ Chapel’ performance at Gustavus Adolphus College, a trip up to Two Harbors, and five Christmas parties in a 14-day stretch. Needless to say, I plan to ring in the New Year with a nap.
Between plans, Lauren and I continued to chip away at our must-visit restaurant list with stops at Eno Vino and Nattspil. I also managed to finish Catch and Kill and The Postman Always Rings Twice. Next up is The Anthropocene Reviewed.
Kaylee: As the New Year approaches, I anticipated this month to be quieter and more reflective. Instead, I’m left asking myself where December and all of 2022 went. Birthday parties, going away parties, visiting family and the holidays edged out reading or my usual podcast-listening. I am thankful to have kicked off the snow season with a couple of rounds of cross-country skiing. A close friend also picked up a pair of skis this year, so it’s been a blast to have some laughter and solidarity accompany my habitual falling.
Will: My family has little appetite for snow and cold around Christmastime and we were able to get away for a cruise in the Bahamas the week before the holiday. Before that trip, I was able to get to a Wild game with my roommates, my girlfriend Kate and a friend of hers. We also found what has the potential to become my new favorite haunt – Copperwing Distillery. While I didn’t get much reading or watching done this month, I did find time to listen to a few episodes of Steven Rinella’s Meat Eater podcast, like this episode about Arctic exploration.
