Rapp Strategies Rundown – February
What we did, read, watched and thought about this month.
Todd R.: The first two seasons of Ted Lasso are completed and we can’t wait for Season 3 to launch in March. Other March highlights were a better-than-advertised Season 2 of Your Honor and Mayor of Kingstown, though my in-home critic says: “It’s bleak”.
Also knocked off Boys from Biloxi from John Grisham, which is one of his better efforts. But the hottest entertainment in town is hockey: Red-hot Gophers men’s and women’s teams, the Kirill Kaprizov-led Minnesota Wild, and a potential sweep of 2023 Class A high school titles from Warroad’s teams.
Rich: February began with a week-long family vacation in Palm Springs. All five of our kids, their spouses and significant others (except Sarah’s S.O. Aaron), and Kari’s sister Heidi joined us for a week of sun and fun. We had a great house with a pool and hot tub where we spent most of our time. Mixed in was some golf, shopping and a few dinners at restaurants. Numerous books were read, funny stories shared, old stories retold (my specialty) and dreams revealed.
Upon our return, Kari and I began a series of training sessions with Cam at Lifetime Fitness. Having a tour guide on the road to strength and fitness has been a great experience. We’ve even noticed how much better we feel. Here’s hoping it pays dividends on the golf course!
Todd S.: February was read-athon month at my fourth-grader’s school. We watched him log more than 3,000 minutes of reading, often with our cat sticking close by. Beyond that, we managed to catch the new Ant-Man movie (Meh — but Paul Rudd is still cool). My wife and I are keeping up with the TV series Shrinking (Uneven — but Harrison Ford is perfectly cast). But really, my life is on hold until Season 3 of Ted Lasso returns later in March. I never knew I needed Ted Lasso — until there was Ted Lasso.
Jodi: Is February the least favorite month for Minnesotans? It feels so close to the start of spring, yet a winter snowstorm that always seems to arrive around state high school tournament season pulls us back to reality. A family outing to watch the Wild beat the New Jersey Devils in a shoot-out was a highlight this month, as was discovering Frank’s Levee Tavern for a quick meal before the game. I am now caught up on The Great British Baking Show and binged the first few episodes of Shrinking. How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell was a timely, thoughtful, and provocative read. My husband and I closed out the month on our annual trip to Puerto Vallarta, but only after a quick run to the lake and a snowshoe hike to get to our cabin to grab the snorkels for our trip.
Sean: February being the shortest month is only fitting, because it feels like time is zooming by as Rosie and I expect our first child in mid-March. Anxiety is high, but the excitement vastly outweighs the sense of unpreparedness that looms over me every day. Stepped the exercise routine up this month, helped by the fact that I finally discovered the gym in SPS Tower, which has become a key part of my lunch routine.
HBO’s The Last of Us and Rosie rewatching Gilmore Girls on Netflix keeps us busy in between building furniture for the nursery, which we finally finished painting a few days ago. I’ve never considered myself a “handy-man”, in fact, just the opposite, but boy am I now an expert on following Ikea instructions. Looking forward to a life-changing month ahead!
Anna: Anna is ringing in the first months of 2023 with her new baby boy, Owen. We can’t wait to welcome her back in March!
Cullen: The big snowfall was fun, but only heightened my anticipation of Spring. Thankfully, the warmer weather down in Madison has kept streets and sidewalks relatively ice free, which has been a huge help as I train for a half-marathon at the end of April.
February highlights included an exceptional Valentines Day meal at Amara, followed by a fun night of Harry Potter in Concert at the Overture Center. With the football season officially over, I’ve spent most of my Sunday afternoons blowing through the first two books of the Mistborn Saga, which has already proven to be an all-time favorite fantasy read. Highly recommended.
Kaylee: There’s not much more to do during a cold February other than eat good food, so that’s what I did. Kicking off the month, I headed to Stillwater for the snow carving contest and capped off the day at the Velveteen. The rest of the month didn’t disappoint with a trip to Earl Giles Distillery and a dinner at Tilia for Minneapolis’ Winter Restaurant Week. I’ve been itching for spring more than in past months, but I still welcomed the better cross-country ski conditions provided by the recent snowfall.
Will: February always contains a busy stretch for me, between Valentine’s Day and Kate’s birthday the next week. We celebrated Valentine’s Day at Granite City Food and Brewery and her birthday at Copperwing Distillery. Most of my free time has been consumed by Full Swing on Netflix, a fascinating look into the world of professional golf, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Speaking of golf, I finished off the month with my first trip to Top Golf for my roommate’s birthday. Like Rich, I’m hoping to see some benefits on the course this summer.
