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

Todd R.: I went back in time and started binging Designated Survivor this month, which is surprisingly good! We also continued with our goal to watch all Academy Award Best Picture winners but took a detour to enjoy Nocturnal Animals – a little dark but quite good. I hope everyone enjoyed Bruce Springsteen’s birthday – this week you can celebrate by picking up E-Street guitarist Miami Steve’s memoir at your favorite bookseller. And lastly, my Traeger and I made our first beef brisket, which was terrific.

Alyssa: In between being a roadie for my daughter’s high school marching band, I’ve been reading Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi and the Battle for the 21st Century by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin. I’ve also been catching up on past seasons of Yellowstone and watching old Saturday Night Live clips of Norm MacDonald, RIP.

Rich: September was highlighted by beautiful weather and lots of golf, including a three day trip to the Sand Valley Golf Resort in Central Wisconsin. 

But the best part of September was continuing to celebrate the marriage of our daughter, Katie, to her husband Nick Walsh. After receiving a call from them to announce that they got married in Las Vegas in late August, we learned they were married at the Little Church of the West. This is the church featured in the Elvis Presley movie, “Viva Las Vegas.” 

Life brings amazing surprises and this was one of them. Katie and Nick had a blast in Las Vegas and are happily back in South Minneapolis. 

Todd S.: In September, I celebrated another trip around the sun with my family. As you might guess by the picture, my sons, eight and 11 years old, were allowed to pick the cake on their own. Fortunately, it didn’t taste like something from a Star Wars movie. Beyond that, we are deep into fall soccer season and preparing our house for Oct. 31 – think Halloween with “Christmas Vacation” intensity.

Sarah: September slipped by quicker than I can comprehend. Harvest got an early start, so I’ve been cooking and baking like a mad-woman. Molly Yeh of food blog/TV show/cookbook/great Insta follow fame has been a go-to recipe source for field meals and comfort food – smoky bacon mac and cheese, Lindsey Lohan cookies and fried cheesy pickles were all hits. I’ve also found myself with copious amounts of time to complete house projects and watch TV shows my husband wouldn’t care for. I’ve caught up on Bachelor in Paradise, the second season of Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever, The White Lotus, the new series of The Great British Bake-off and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Anna: September was packed with fun, with the highlight being a visit to Minnesota to see my colleagues – and meet several of them for the first time in person! Back in Sweet Home Alabama, Isaac and I took advantage of our proximity to Krispy Kreme and tried (in vain) to balance our diet with healthy favorites like southwest quinoa. We also laughed and choked up through the film Minari, a captivating story of a Korean family who moves to Arkansas in search of the American dream.

Cullen: I finally understand the constant sympathy I received when mentioning the remote start to my job – being in the office is wonderful! I’ve enjoyed getting to know downtown, having a proper desk and of course meeting our awesome team in person.  

The other highlight of my month was the chance to return to my alma mater, Saint John’s University, for a half-reunion, half-graduation ceremony celebrating the class of 2020. Our original celebration was scrapped thanks to the onset of the pandemic, so it was a blast to celebrate with family, reconnect with classmates and earn some long overdue closure. It also gave me the chance to finally try Krewe, a restaurant in St. Joseph that I have been dying to try since it opened. If you’re a fan of Louisiana-style cuisine, it’s a must-visit. 

In my downtime I watched Squid Game, a mind-bending series that is sure to be Netflix’s next craze. It’s a diabolical mix of Saw, Hunger Games, and the prisoner’s dilemma - my roommate and I couldn’t stop watching.  

Jessica: I know I probably say this every month, but wow, September absolutely flew by. This month marked the grand return to the Rapp Strategies office. It’s been incredible to be back in downtown Minneapolis and see the team’s faces in person. We also had our summer get-together at Canterbury Park, where I’m happy to announce that I only lost $8 the whole night.  

The month started off with a bit of a hit as I was in a car accident that totaled my car. But, after two weeks of searching, I am now the proud owner of a 2015 Subaru Legacy. September also marked the grand return of concerts! The last time I attended a concert was November 2019, and this month I attended not one, but two shows. I saw Phoebe Bridgers at Surly Brewing in early September and was thoroughly impressed with how Surly was able to transform their space into an outdoor concert venue. Later in the month, I saw Harry Styles with fellow Rapp Strategies colleague Jayme Willis at Xcel Energy Center. I purchased these tickets two years ago, and the show was absolutely worth the wait.  

In my free time, I’ve been watching Bachelor in Paradise, season 1 and 2 of The Mole (if you’re in the mood for some old school Anderson Cooper, this series is a must watch) and season 3 of The Circle. During my commute to the office, I’ve been listening to Kacey Musgraves’s new album star-crossed and reading Sally Rooney’s newest novel Beautiful World, Where Are You.  

Jayme: September flew by! Unpacking and getting somewhat familiar with the metro transit system were the reoccurring themes this month, but we snuck in fun activities too. This month, I saw Phoebe Bridgers at Surly Brewing and Harry Styles at Xcel – it was so nice to enjoy live music again - I didn’t realize how much I missed it.  

Being officially back in the office has given me ample opportunity to explore downtown Minneapolis and the skyway system. I am determined to figure it out someday without getting lost, just you wait! I also spent some time exploring Saint Paul and Minneapolis – took a trip to Minnehaha Falls, picked up donuts at Bogart’s, and made stops at Next Chapter Books and Magers & Quinn to get my book fix. I attended the Rapp Strategies work outing at Canterbury Park and won a whole ten dollars, so now I’m thinking of buying a horse with my earnings. I spent the final weekend of September in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, bidding adieu to my childhood home since my parents will be moving to Appleton, Wisconsin at the end of this month. It was bittersweet, but as always, it was nice to spend time with my family.  

Time spent at home involved watching Only Murders In The Building, Ted Lasso and reading plenty of great books. My most highlighted read this month was Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney. I fangirled over this long-awaited work (along with every other Rooney fan) and was inevitably blown away. I found it to be Rooney’s best novel yet. September = Success!