Rapp Strategies Rundown – March
Here’s what we did, read, watched and thought about this month.
Todd R.: With grandchildren comes a change in how we spend our free time. So, a significant portion of my month was spent with Miss Rachel and Bluey, complimented with long walks and “chase me” games. We did have opportunities to finish Slow Horses, which proved once again that Gary Oldman is one of the best actors of my lifetime. Yep, I said it and I mean it (Sid and Nancy? JFK? Darkest Hour? The Contender? Romeo is Bleeding? About 20 other great performances?). On the BBQ front, my smoker cooked a beef brisket, a corned beef brisket (not the same) and some pulled pork. And if you travel to the Aitkin area, consider the 40 Club, one of many great small town Minnesota grills that are half good food, half great atmosphere.
Rich: March started with a celebration of our Granddaughter’s first birthday. She turned one on Feb. 28 and the family celebrated with her that weekend. It’s amazing to watch a baby grow and develop in their first year. We are officially doting grandparents, and I am officially certified as a solo babysitter.
Others news: I have joined a community choir. We will have performances in May. It has been very enjoyable with a very fun group. For me, it’s returning to choir for the first time in 54 years. I am quickly getting familiar with the material and four-part harmony. I’ve also made the complete transition from tenor to baritone to bass. Stay tuned (bad pun).
Todd S.: March ended on a high note with a family road trip to Chicago, where we stayed near Millennium Park and hit all the classic spots — from The Bean and the Shedd Aquarium to the Field Museum and Adler Planetarium. Yes, we got a deep-dish pizza fix — this time, pivoting from the classic downtown staples such as Geno’s East and giving Pequod’s on Clybourn Avenue a shot. Definitely worth the effort as Pequod’s felt like a more authentic Chicago experience and the pizza was grand. In the end, perhaps the highlight was getting above it all at the 360 Chicago observation deck. I love a good view.
Jodi: March felt like it dragged on this year, probably due to cabin fever. I spent most of the month decluttering and donating. Thrift stores are fun, but I’ve started a new rule: for every item that comes into the house, one has to leave. Breakfast food was my go-to choice for dining out. Visits to Al’s Breakfast (a Dinkytown classic) for their always excellent blueberry pancakes and the breakfast bowls at The Copperfield did not disappoint. My morning routine also featured regular stops at Spyhouse for their ginger-tumeric lattes to go alongside savory croissants from La Boulangerie Marguerite. My morning routine in April will now shift to working out. The competitive and evenly-matched Rummikub battles at home continue, broken up by episodes of Ludwig, a new British series that’s filling the gap until Slow Horses returns.
Sean: March Madness is an apt description for the last few weeks. I kept myself so busy that I neglected to fill out a tourney bracket for the first time since 5th grade. While I probably saved myself some money, it marked a break in a tradition that gives me fond memories spending too much time watching college basketball in my teens… money can’t buy nostalgia.
March marked two years with James, whose light seems to shine brighter with each day that passes. We rented out a gymnastics studio for his birthday, inviting his friends (or rather, our friends’ kids). This worked to not only celebrate the little man but also to knock him out for a deep nap afterward, so that mom and dad could get a much-needed breather.
We said goodbye to more loved ones this month, though their passing brought together friends and family not just to mourn, but to celebrate and appreciate what we have now. I think my “we have to stop meeting like this” greeting/joke for all my cousins wore it’s welcome quickly (didn’t stop me though, mama didn’t raise a quitter).
Too much good TV on to report on all the shows we’re exploring in the minimal free time we have, but worth giving a shout out to Shoresy season 3, which marked yet another near-perfect run for the Canadian show about a men’s league hockey team that somehow explores deep emotional and existential questions in between inappropriate jokes. Started reading Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, which offers some tough critiques of liberal governance. It makes me curious, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hit a little too close to home right now.
I’m hoping to slow down a bit in the months ahead. After going non-stop since what feels like Thanksgiving, James’ growth helps remind me that indeed time is fleeting and it’s important to take in every moment rather than rush to the next task.
Anna: This month has held much delight for us and Owen, including both sunny, warm park visits and tromps through the snow. Spring, we welcome you with open arms! My mom, sister and I discovered Sweet Paris, a creperie and café in Woodbury that helped satisfy the ever-present longing to visit France again. I highly recommend a cappuccino and a ham-gruyere crepe. When it comes to shows, I’ve enjoyed re-discovering VeggieTales with Owen, and when it comes to books, Owen has dominated my reading time with Dr. Suess and a variety of vehicle books (he is still teaching me the differences between a skid-steer and a front loader). I did sneak in a listen to a podcast by Collective 54 per Todd Rapp’s recommendation, where the hosts delved into the topic of AI – a fascinating subject for our profession.
Meredith: March has been a relatively quiet month at the Mitts household. We have been prioritizing rest and slowly getting everything deep cleaned again. Between holidays, sickness, a new baby, and normal obligations, I feel like the house has been in a state of disarray since October. Now that Tasha has a more consistent bedtime, Cory and I have been able to stay more on top of cleaning, actually cook decent meals and meal prep, and work out again. My newest workouts include rock climbing at Vertical Endeavors with a few friends every other Monday, yoga at home with the kitties, and working on my balance on my new Giboard! Overall, we are still exhausted and out of shape, and the house is still a mess, but at least we took down the outdoor Christmas lights and decorations and my indoor winter decorations before April arrived….
Cullen: The big news of March was learning that Lauren has been approved to defend her doctoral thesis! As a result, we are now simultaneously planning a graduation celebration, wedding, honeymoon, and relocation to another state. It’s exhausting, but so much fun.
Knowing we’ll be leaving Madison in a couple months is encouraging us to get out and knock the remaining activities from our bucket list. We enjoyed Cocktails in the Conservatory at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens, and a hilarious stand-up show from Robby Hoffman at Comedy On State. We also hit a few old favorites, including Ahan and Lola’s. I also intend to maximize my use of Madison’s bike trail system before we leave to prepare for Minneapolis’s Grand Rounds.
I’ve seen hardly any new movies or shows recently, but I am thoroughly enjoying Frank Herbert’s Dune after completing The Three Body Problem. As a guy in his twenties, Villeneuve’s movies were admittedly my first introduction to Dune, but the book is quickly teaching me why the story has enjoyed such staying power and influence on other science fiction. I can’t wait to finish it.
Julia: I kicked off the month of March with a trip to San Diego alongside my parents and two sisters. This is our fourth year escaping winter together out west, and my parents are really settling into the snowbird lifestyle. If I had a dollar for every time my dad said “what if we bought a place here…”
San Diego isn’t as warm as other winter escapes, but we really love the laid-back surfer culture, the delicious food scene, and the accessible coastlines and beaches. We also make it a tradition to watch Top Gun: Maverick as part of this annual pilgrimage.
As I write this, I‘m just returning from some less exotic but equally exciting travel to Rochester, Minnesota. Todd Stone and I spent the week there working with city staff and soaking in the energy of such a rapidly growing and transforming city. We also had two delicious meals at Thai Pop and BEBAP. If you haven’t been to Rochester in a while, head on down--it’s a fun city.
On the culture front, I leaned into things that helped me relax. Thank goodness for Bob’s Burgers, Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out podcast, and Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson.
Alida: The highlight of my March was visiting my parents in Boca Grande, Florida where they are snowbirds. Jacob and I spent a long weekend down there, hanging out in the sun, walking the beach, playing tennis and observing the wildlife (we even spotted a shark and a gopher turtle!). Another highlight was seeing one of my new favorite artists, Debbii Dawson at the Filmore. Aside from that, we've been preparing to move into our new place in the Standish neighborhood next month, which I've enjoyed exploring more.
Jorrun: With my brother home for spring break, we spent a lot of quality time together as a family. Some of the highlights included playing pickleball, trying amazing food at The Market at Malcolm Yards, and visiting the flower show at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Another standout was eating at Raag, which I highly recommend for Indian food in Edina. At the end of the month, I drove down to St. Peter to hear the Gustavus Choir perform with the Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble Voces8. Both groups were fantastic and hearing them made me miss my time in the choir.
For media this month, we watched Flow which won Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Oscars. We all loved it. The vivid animation, loveable characters and powerful storytelling were made more impressive by the lack of dialogue (the story follows a cat navigating a flooded world without humans). And with only a minor genre shift, I also started watching Severance. I will not attempt to explain it here, but it’s definitely worth the watch!
