What we did, read, watched and thought about this month.

Todd R.: On watch for three upcoming blessed events this Spring: Two more grandchildren and the release of the new Fall Guy movie. In the meantime, we are watching March Madness (UConn, Iowa State and Creighton on the men’s side, Iowa on the women’s), the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Shield. Over the last month, I’ve left the comfort of the office to visit Duluth, Hibbing, Rochester, Northfield, Pequot Lakes, Nevis, Frazee, Detroit Lakes, Alexandria, Osakis, Big Lake and Montgomery County, PA – all for work!  I am most of the way through the book The Church of Baseball, Ron Shelton’s great look at what he went through to bring Bull Durham to life nearly 40 years ago. Rapp Strategies recommends that everyone attend the Twin Cities Auto Show running through April 7. We picked up a new company van there.

Rich: March has been an incredible month for us. It actually started on Feb. 28 when Elin Ann Forschler was born! She’s the daughter of our son Zach and his wife, Ava. She’s our first grandchild! Of course we could not be more excited, or proud, of our new family member.

Elin’s family lives close by to us, so there will be many more stories and photos coming in future updates. Being a grandparent is a fabulous experience.

Todd S.: My head is still spinning after binging the Netflix series, 3 Body Problem. It’s a trippy sci-fi spectacle from the showrunners of Game of Thrones. The physics won’t make much sense, but the concepts are fun to explore. The best part of the show is the commitment to build and sustain meaningful relationships as the mysteries of first contact start to unfold. Not sure if it will be renewed for a second season, which would be a bummer because of its massive cliffhanger. Meanwhile, I welcome the start of another season of baseball even though it’s hard to picture with snow still on the ground. I’m looking forward to a few visits to CHS Field over the summer.

Jodi: I have two traditions in March. I pick my March Madness bracket based on some inane theory (colleges I wished I went to, cities I’ve been to, best mascot, school uniforms), and I buckle up for the annual snowstorm that signals the end of winter. I cheered for Tennessee as the snow and ice accumulated out my window. I spent most of the month identifying some DIY home improvement projects. When you’re limited in mobility due to a broken ankle, you start to see things around the house differently. I watched a great BBC miniseries, Press, and rewatched a classic, Freaks and Geeks. We booked a trip to NYC to visit our youngest and her husband, who recently moved there. I can’t wait to return to one of my favorite cities and explore the Chelsea neighborhood and everything that Manhattan has to offer! Great food find this month -- burger and beverage special on Tuesday nights at Burger Dive.

Sean: I spent 90% of the month taking advantage of the warm weather, so it’s hard to complain about the last bit of snow. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little bitter digging the shovel out of the garage one last time this year.

The month of March is now James’ month and we’ve officially got a one-year-old on our hands. We hosted a birthday party that was initially scheduled to just include family and eventually ballooned into over 40 people at our house. Clean up wasn’t easy, but we’re incredibly grateful to be raising a son who has so much love in his life and such a fun cast of crazy characters who will take part in shaping him. As my grandmother would say, he has become a “thinking man’s baby”, increasingly perceptive and close to his first words – a gambling man would bet big on “ball.” He also took his first steps this month, which stopped me and my wife in our tracks.

Feeling like we’ve turned the corner on the winter months and looking forward to warmer weather and travel with the family this Spring and Summer.

Anna: I enjoyed false spring while it lasted! Among the highlights was visiting Forgotten Star brewing company with Owen in tow to relish the 60-degree weather, where Ike and I sampled the beers and Owen was entertained by the trains rumbling past. I’ve tried a few good recipes this month, including meatloaf that was full of flavor and a one-pan salmon recipe with asparagus and garlic butter – but none can beat the strawberry ice cream I whipped up with an ice cream maker from the thrift store for $7. Owen has several more teeth coming in and I fear all of them are sweet teeth.

Meredith: March was a very busy month in my household. My parents were kind enough to drive up a load of furniture from my late grandmother’s house for us, but it meant there was lots of shifting layouts in my rooms and selling items we no longer needed. They also tore out my upstairs bathroom – pink tile walls, an off-white toilet, and pink and yellow vanity that was falling apart – and modernized it for us with light-green painted drywall, a new toilet and vanity, and acrylic shower walls that will be much easier to clean. The amazing part is they did all of this in under a week AND we took a weekend trip to Iowa to visit my dad’s siblings and throw a wedding shower for my cousin. If anyone has ever wondered why I have the usually faulty confidence that I can do anything, its because of my parents who have proven many times that it can all be done. While I am still hoping my bracket beats Sean’s (Iowa State all the way!), bathroom renovations and furniture overhauls are my kind of March madness.

Cullen: I managed to get out on my bike for the first time this month before the rain and snow returned. I’m tiding myself over with racquetball and soccer until true spring arrives. My parents visited us in Madison for a fun weekend of food and exploring, including cozy soup and sandwiches at Seven Acre Dairy Company and delicious seafood stew at Tempest Oyster Bar. Visits to Lucille, Gates and Brovi, Lola’s and Osteria Papavero rounded out an amazing food-filled month.

I also spent a wonderful week back in Minnesota where I caught my uncle’s Irish band perform at Charlie’s in Stillwater for St. Patrick’s Day and had a great time reconnecting with fellow CSB/SJU alumni at the annual Johnnie/Bennie Day at the Minnesota State Capitol. As I write this, I am getting demolished in our office’s March Madness pool, but I still have faith that Purdue will carry me to victory.

On the book front, my fantasy era continues: All of Us Villains was fine, but King of Scars was a great sequel to the Shadow and Bone trilogy. I also read The Boys in the Boat ahead of the upcoming film, which I have enjoyed discussing with my former crewmates. Dune: Part Two is worth the hype, and I highly recommend Daisy Jones & the Six if you’re looking for one last series to binge while the weather is cold.

Julia: March was all about starting a new job! I had such a warm welcome from everyone here at Rapp Strategies, and I’m glad I took some time to recharge in February with a trip to San Diego with my family before diving into this work. As a newly-minted Light Rail commuter, I have been listening to the audiobook of Nothing to See Here and the podcast Search Engine. At home, I’m making my way through the Fargo anthology series and loving every minute (season one is probably my favorite). Before bed, I’m reading Slaughterhouse-Five. Some nice, light reading to wrap up the day!

Alida: It has been wonderful getting to know everyone at Rapp Strategies this month as I settle into my role here. Outside of work, I caught up with a few friends and tried a couple of new(ish) restaurants, including Kim’s by prominent local Chef Ann Kim, which I would highly recommend. I also spent a lovely weekend in Cable, Wisconsin celebrating my friend’s birthday. Cable is such a charming town boasting great shops and restaurants, including a fun bar called The Portage, where we heard some live music, ate, drank and celebrated. Luckily, we made it back to the cities before this month’s big blizzard nearly snowed us in (though that might not have been the worst thing!).  

Colette: March was a relaxing month for me, where I enjoyed taking things slower and enjoying some of my favorite activities. This month I was inspired to explore new antique shops, one of my favorite shopping hobbies. I spent a Saturday exploring Clarabel, Loft Antiques and A Rare Bird, three wonderfully curated antique shops near Lake Harriet. My best find was a set of miniature brass swans that I discovered also function as a ring holder.

The day wrapped up with a stop at the Edina Cooks Bellecour bakery, where I indulged in a delicious slice of crepe cake accompanied by a latte, the perfect treat to end the day.

Madison: Between trying to juggle grad school and a social life after work, this month flew by! For St. Patrick's Day weekend, some friends and I decided to spend Saturday in the heart of the Twin Cities' Irish community -- St. Paul. It was a fun day filled with too much green beer and lots of live music. This month I also binge watched the documentary series, Quiet on Set, that exposes Nickelodeon for the mistreatment of child actors. I'd highly recommend adding this to your list if you haven't seen it yet - truly a disheartening but important watch. Looking forward to the warmer months ahead!

Alex: I kicked off March by travelling to sunny San Diego with a few of my close friends. Seeing just about every animal possible at the San Diego Zoo was quite the experience. Molly and I also had a housewarming party to kick off living in a new home together in style.

My family and I traveled to Cornucopia, WI to have a relaxing weekend at my aunt’s cabin on Lake Superior as we remembered my late mother on her 5th anniversary of her passing. It was the perfect getaway at a much-needed time.

And finally, the end of March signifies that my internship with RSI has come to a close and I am off to the next stage of my career. Although bittersweet to leave such a wonderful company, I thank all my wicked smart coworkers for allowing me to walk away with a sharper skillset than when I first began. Though, I’ll see you all again soon when I inevitably come into the office to claim and boast about my March Madness winnings.