Rapp Strategies Rundown – May
What we did, read, watched and thought about this month.
Todd R.: Ted Lasso, Succession and Barry all end in the same week? Inconceivable! I may need to start Band of Brothers to fill the gap. On the reading list is The World, A Brief Introduction by Richard Haas and the new Don Winslow novel City of Dreams. Lots of work travel in the last few months, so shoutout to The Black Cat in Thief River Falls, the Spot Café in Staples and Sir Benedict’s in Duluth for being among the great stops we made. And if you are heading for Duluth on I-35, make sure to stop at Doc’s at exit 210.
Rich: Spring and Summer both arrived in May this year (very Minnesotan). Like many others, we got outside and enjoyed the weather; playing golf, walking around the Lake, hosting a neighborhood party, birthday party and Memorial Day cookout. We attended a housewarming party for Zach and Ava who now live about ten blocks from us, and celebrated Mother’s Day as a family. Lots of fun, most of it outside.
I also spent some time connecting with my former colleagues and friends from Faegre. We had a lunch for retired partners where we shared many stories from the “good, old days” and marveled at the firm’s growth and success since we retired (perhaps some correlation there). I attended a birthday dinner for Bill Busch who just retired from Faegre and we caught up on Bill and Laurie’s activities and adventures.
Kari and I are getting serious about travel plans and will have a second meeting soon with our travel planner and good friend, Steve Salmen of Remarkable Journeys. Stay tuned for tall tales from our travels.
Todd S.: We celebrated my wife’s birthday by attending the Minnesota United soccer match against Real Salt Lake. My wife is a huge fan. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, though it was a spirited contest throughout. Meanwhile, I finally caught up with the fourth John Wick sequel – completely ridiculous, but still fun if you’re hooked on the franchise. We also caught the series finale of Ted Lasso, which offered some great moments, per usual, but perhaps a few too many storylines were left unsettled.
Jodi: As we bypassed spring and moved into summer, I have been enjoying walks and bike rides around the neighborhood and more time on the patio. I am in the final season of Ted Lasso. Not as good as the first two seasons, but still a good watch. My last binge of the season will be Somebody Somewhere before I spend less time on the couch and more time working on my golf swing, swimming in the lake, and attempting to learn the difference between a weed and a flower in our nature garden. Plans are also coming together nicely for a relaxing long weekend in the Willamette Valley with friends in June.
Sean: We’ve got smiles! James finally started giving us something other than cries, sleep and confused looks this month, which is an absolute game changer on the home front. Of course, the month of May also came with an inconsistent sleep schedule that has kept us on our toes.
Outside of parenthood (which admittedly hasn’t left too much time for other personal activities), Rosie and I have been steeped in the final season of Succession on the network formerly known as HBO. I highly recommend for anyone who loves dark humor. In addition, I’ve been squeezing in fitness when possible and doing my best to avoid going full dad-bod Oyaas. This is helped in large part by my weekly soccer league, though beers with the team after games may offset any gains made.
Anna: Owen and I spent as much time as we could outside this month! Walks around the neighborhood, visits to the park and swinging in the backyard have become popular pastimes. I finished Death Comes to Pemberley, which was worth watching even though I read the book and knew whodunnit. I also read Code Name Edelweiss, a fascinating novel based on the true story of how the Nazis tried and failed to infiltrate Hollywood on the cusp of World War II, thanks to a group of brave spies. Isaac and I relished chicken shawarma with pita and tzatziki, which has enough cayenne pepper and other spices to make your eyes sting while it’s cooking – making it all the more delicious, of course.
Cullen: After such a long, snowy winter, this May was everything I could have asked for. I took advantage of the perfect weather to get out and play lots of pickleball, basketball and ultimate frisbee, and hit the patios of some new (to me) restaurants including The Coopers Tavern for Madison Burger Week and Jardin. Speaking of tasty food, Lauren and I haven’t stopped talking about this recipe from our favorite cookbook, which is guaranteed to become a summer staple.
By far the biggest highlight of the month was a long weekend on the North Shore packed with amazing hiking, beer and ample time to unwind and enjoy views of the lake. Other highlights included catching the first fish of the season over Memorial Day weekend, hosting a baby shower for our good friends, and taking a trip up to the Iron Range to celebrate breaking ground on a new school with a client. Bring on summer!
Kaylee: As much as I enjoy Minnesota, I appreciated getting out of state for a string of trips. The first stop was Atlanta — complete with a Braves game, great food and company — and a lovely road trip to North Carolina for some camping and hiking. My second adventure was visiting Washington D.C. for the first time ever in support of a client. This quickly became a highlight for me both personally and professionally. Needless to say, it’s been a month of skimping on grocery shopping but full of laughs and memorable moments.
