Here’s what we did, read, watched and thought about this month.

Todd R.: Granddaughters visiting us was the highlight of the month, and a full crew of Rapps participated in the effort to prepare the cabin for winter. Then again, our weekend taking care of Koen was just as much fun, as he got a full cabin experience. On the travel front, I visited Staples, Duluth, Philadelphia and I write this from Fort Worth, TX. On the culture front, we really liked Nobody Wants This and we are about to launch into Season 2 of The Diplomat. The Wild have started the season red hot and the Vikings and Gophers (football and volleyball) are also winning, so it appears my struggling fantasy football team is the outlier in local sports. A rare note from the sadness front: Deb Pelowski passed away last week – one of the nicest people we have ever had the privilege of calling our friend.

Rich: Our October was highlighted by a trip to France with our friends, Joe and Kris Coyne. We spent time in Nice, St. Remy en Provence and Paris.  Like most Americans visiting France, we ate great food, drank great wine, toured historic locations and saw amazing art. We also learned a lot of French history. Our first night in Paris, we had dinner with our son, David and his spouse, Olive, who were on a honeymoon trip to Paris and London. I am not sure Kari and I would have fully enjoyed seeing our parents on our honeymoon, but they seemed genuinely excited.

We found that French citizens are very informed about our election. Most of them were supporters of Kamala Harris, but we did cross paths with Trump supporters too. Several of the Harris supporters indicated the American presidential election was more important to them than the French elections. That opinion seemed driven by the concern for the future of NATO and the threat posed by Russia and Russian allies.

Much to our surprise, our Oct. 30 flight home from Paris was cancelled, so we ended up taking the train (by Chunnel) from Paris to London and flying home from London. We did a little sightseeing in London; enough to know we want to return.

Bottom line: get out and travel to other countries. It will improve your life and increase your connection to people who live differently than we do.

Todd S.: We survived another crazy Halloween, with the wintry weather knocking over displays and forcing some last-minute adjustments. We are “that house” on the block when it comes to Halloween. One passerby who was about 5 years old called us, “the inappropriate house,” because we used the word “hell” on a sign. Oh well, you can’t please everybody, but after giving out about 900 pieces of candy, I think we did OK. And, of course, not only did we get another Big Foot sighting, but he also joined us for festivities and at the office. Now comes the hard part - taking all decorations down and packing them away until next year.

Jodi: October flew by so fast! It was great to hit the road and experience the fall colors both north and south. After spending some time walking around the woods, a friend recommended I learn about Forest Bathing. Interesting practice. I have been unable to completely tune everything out and connect with nature, but I hear New Zealand is a great place to forest bathe, so I’ll keep working on it. We squeezed in a few final pontoon rides and the last bit of grilling for the season. Learning a new game, Hues and Cues, working through Slow Horses, and finishing Tom Lake by Ann Patchett filled out the month. Soup season has officially arrived, and these two are on steady rotation: Winter Minestrone and Zuppa Toscana.

Sean: October always delivers. The start of the Timberwolves season, the predictable decline of the Vikings, scary movies and family birthdays – we love spooky szn at the Oyaas house.

This October was particularly fun now that James is learning to speak. Didn’t realize the vocabulary boost that would come from Halloween decorations (“punkin”, “spida”). Despite his refusal to keep a costume on for more than 2 minutes, he enjoyed the festivities as much as we could’ve hoped for.

Rosie and I hosted friends for our annual pumpkin carving party, which now has to accommodate new faces with all of the babies born in our friend group. We also managed to escape for a few days over her birthday for a trip to Colorado to go hiking, see family and hang out with friends. Last but not least, my men’s league brought home the championship, proving that the old guys still got it. Couldn’t have asked for more.

Anna: October started off strong as I took my first ride on a Black Hawk helicopter! I joined other army spouses for a 30-minute ride with brilliant views of the fall foliage. I gained even more respect for Minnesota's talented army aviators – especially my husband, the coolest guy I know. To continue the aviation theme, Ike and I braved the wind for a wonderful patio date at Holman's Table, where I had their Old Fashioned (the best one I've ever had!). We also finished the most recent season of The Rings of Power – now begins the too-long wait until next season. Owen, my sister and I visited Pinehaven Farm for the first time, which far exceeded our expectations. From a giant corn pit and playground to an apple blaster, food trucks and a tractor ride through a field of friendly Highland cows, we had an absolute blast and can't wait to go back next year.

Meredith: This month has been one of transition for the Mitts household, going from two to three. In early October, Cory and I welcomed our daughter, Natasha, to the world and have been learning how to be parents ever since. So far that means ridiculous amounts of diapers changed, very little sleep, and never-ending cuddles and baby squeaks. 

Cullen: I spent my October pinballing between Madison and Minneapolis, which meant lots of great time at the new office getting settled and catching up with the team. I missed out on celebrating Halloween, but did have a blast celebrating my best friend’s birthday, a wedding and my sister’s engagement, so I can’t complain. Speaking of engagements, Lauren and I got our engagement photos taken, which means the clock is officially ticking to send out save-the-dates and invitations!

Back home, I put lots of miles on the bike thanks to the incredible weather. But now that the weather has officially turned and post-work daylight is no more, I’m into racquetball season. Lauren and I are behind on our Madison restaurants list, but we did manage to enjoy soup dumplings at FEAST and Sober October mocktails at Public Parking. We’re currently taking recommendations for where to celebrate the end of election season. Just one week to go…

Julia: Climate change really did a number on October, didn’t it? While it’s been tricky figuring out how to dress each morning, it’s been nice to squeeze in a few extra patio days and long walks. And what a month it was! The nice weather made a friend’s wedding in Sandstone, Minnesota absolutely stunning. My friends and I joined the Minneapolis Halloween 5k, where we saw some pretty spectacular costumes, and my family and I were able to grab a drink outside before two terrific comedy shows, Mike Birbiglia’s Please Stop the Ride and Ben Schwartz & Friends.

The highlight of my month, thought, was the 2024 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. As a former AmeriCorps service member and former staff member at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, it was truly a dream come true to be a part of what’s known as the “Habitat Superbowl”. Thousands of Habitat staff and supporters from around the world gathered in St. Paul for a week to build 35 new units of affordable housing. I was lucky enough to be asked to help lead crews of volunteers through constructing one of the site’s many duplexes. I met so many terrific people and am so proud of the amazing work we accomplished together that week.

November promises a bit more downtime, with some travel, the Turkey Trot 10k, and holiday time with family to look forward to.

Alida: I started off the month with a fun weekend trip to D.C., where I visited one of my closest friends from growing up who has been living out there for the past few years with her very cool Bengal cat (a hypoallergenic breed that is closely related to leopards!). Another highlight this month was getting to meet Meri's baby Natasha when she visited the office and overwhelmed everyone with her cuteness. For Halloween, my roommates and I got creative with what we already own and went as Death, Taxes, and Job Loss (really scary stuff!!). I can't believe we're already moving into November! 

Carlos: October was a great month filled with autumn adventures and cherished moments! I celebrated my girlfriend’s birthday with a memorable horseback riding experience on a perfect fall Saturday, surrounded by the vibrant colors of the season. We also visited the Minnesota Zoo for their Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, which was an awesome highlight.

Sports, as always, have kept me busy this month, especially during this thrilling sports equinox, where baseball, football, basketball, and hockey all overlap. I’m not a big hockey fan—unless we’re talking about Duluth Bulldog hockey! I've been watching plenty of baseball—my dad is a Dodgers fan—and now diving into the excitement of the NBA basketball season. Meanwhile the Vikings faced a couple of tough losses, but I’m hopeful that these close losses will ultimately strengthen the team as the season progresses.

As the weather continues to plummet and we experience our first snowfall of the year, it’s a reminder of the importance of enjoying the present—nothing is guaranteed. I'm looking forward to the upcoming winter, filled with new work and creating lasting memories with friends, family, and of course, my colleagues. Here’s to making the most of every moment!