Rapp Strategies Rundown – July

HERE’S WHAT WE DID, READ, WATCHED AND THOUGHT ABOUT THIS MONTH

Todd Rapp

Todd R.: Might as well not hide the headline — 11 fabulous days in France. I’ve never spenttime on the European mainland, and this was a great place to start.  Highlights — every meal was great, no matter how small the town or how humble the cafe.  Moving around Paris was easy. Seeing Normandy was breathtaking. Staying at a farmhouse in Givenchy before visiting Monet’s garden was romantic. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph are more spectacular than I ever imagined. Watching our friends Cris and Cathy marry in a French ceremony at a country Chateau was just joyful.  Lowlight — Come on France, enter the 21st Century and figure out air conditioning.  In other news, we started watching Presumed Innocent (the series) on the plane and finished it at home. Can anyone watch Jake Gyllenhaal anymore without having the lyrics of All Too Well run through their minds?   Also on the plane, I read The Skies Belong to Us, a great look back at the run of hijackings that seems to dominate the news of the 1960 and 70’s. And Ted Lasso is back, which brings me back to the times during COVID when a few television programs caught the perfect mood that a self-isolated country was looking for, led by Ted Lasso.  

Rich Forschler

Rich: Rich will join us again next month.

Todd Stone

Todd S.: I don't know many people who haven't already seen The Odyssey, but I'm hoping to have my review for next month's rundown. In the meantime, thumbs up to the latest Spider-Man movie. You wouldn't think the fourth time would be the charm, but the slightly somber, more emotional tone worked. I have two teen-age boys who will back me up.

The real highlight of the month, though, was my first encounter with a mysterious place called the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. What a time capsule. We were there to see Shabby Road, a Beatles tribute band that delivers quality vocals, strong musicianship and a reminder of just how satisfying and exhilarating Beatles music can be when performed live.

The band played the entire Let It Be album before launching into a second set that breezed through a wide range of Beatles hits. The highlight for me was While My Guitar Gently Weeps. My only regret was not ordering the "Chanhattan" at the bar.

Sean Oyaas

Sean: Once again, July feels like it hit the fast forward button on us. Got back from an incredible family vacation and just let the good times keep rolling with events every weekend and a seemingly endless visits from out of town friends. Cabin, concerts and a family reunion defined the month.

Worth a shout out here to the coverage Futsal Society and Fawkes Alley received in the Star Tribune (Gift Link). We were fortunate to get the post-world cup coverage spotlight for the work we’re doing provided free and accessible soccer opportunities and jobs to young people in the Twin Cities. As always, if you’re interested in supporting this type of work, please reach out. 

I continue to be overwhelmed with the pace of life. My boys are too big and there’s not enough time in every day to truly appreciate the little men I’m raising. James is sounding out words and Henry is damn near rolling over. We’re preparing for Rosie’s return to work this month, so we're doing our best to squeeze the last few days out of parental leave. 

Cali Torell

Cali: This month, I focused on spending as much time on and around the water as possible: lakes, pools, waterparks, splash pads and even my own COVID-era inflatable pool in the backyard. And for good reason: July was the 6th hottest month on record for the Twin Cities. A non-aquatic highlight was the Moose Lake Fourth of July parade. We were spoiled with candy and Italian ice. At the end of the month, I celebrated a close friend's wedding shower on the hottest day ever in the Twin Cities (not technically, that was July 14, 1936). It amped up my excitement for the big celebration this fall in hopefully cooler temps. 

Indoors: I winced and laughed my way through Alice and Steve, imagining how I would react in Alice's shoes. It's a charming and heartwarming story about growing up, even in midlife. 

Meredith Mitts

Meredith: July seemed to be the never-ending month, and I am not complaining. We started the month out with a trip to my parent's house in Florida where Tasha decided she hates the sand at the beach but loves the pool. She also discovered that she "no like big boom," so fireworks were a bust this year. Since getting back from the trip, we have been busy with cookouts, weddings, and hosting friends. My college roommate came to visit for a few days, and Tasha immediately decided that they were best friends.

Outside of hanging with Tasha, I joined a friend at a mothing event for her birthday. Basically, we walked around a nature center at night trying to find moths and not run into the giant spider webs. I honestly thought we would be the only people attending the event, but there were hundreds of people. Who knew people like moths so much! 

Julia Schafer

Julia: I would have bet my 401(k) that it was mid-June, at the latest, rather than the beginning of August. Give the time back! But July was spent sweetly, with evening swims across Lake Nokomis, wanders through farmers' markets, and meals with friends (we have been loving Eat Street Crossing lately). My uncle and I visited the Minnesota Museum of American Art, which is in a gorgeous historic building downtown St. Paul. I got to see former RSI staffer Anna Shay and her lovely sons for a sunny picnic. I took care of my friend's little doodle named Maggie, and we wandered the Kingfield neighborhood together.

My book club read Demon Copperhead by Barabra Kingsolver, a grim but gripping adaptation of David Copperfield set in Appalachia. I saw The Odyssey in IMAX (worth it!), Toy Story 5 (it holds up!), and The Invite, which was the funniest and most refreshing movie I had seen in a while. No new TV this month, which can sometimes be a positive sign of life. There are so many movies in theaters right now that I am dying to see. We'll see if I can fit them all in this August! 

Alida Mitau

Alida: July was busy! It started with a lovely weekend at my family's cabin near Spooner, Wisconsin over the Fourth of July. Mid-month, I celebrated a best friend's 30th birthday at her family's cabin near Taylors Falls, where I got to reunite with dear friends from high school who now live elsewhere. Toward the end of the month, I took about a week of PTO to spend time with college friends on the East Coast over two consecutive weekends. First, I celebrated my former roommate's bachelorette in Rangeley, Maine — a beautiful, charming town on a big lake. The following week, I crashed with a friend in New York City before heading to Windham, New York for my friend's wedding — a stunning two-day event with Hindu ceremonies, a Christian ceremony and lots of joy. There, I got to see several friends for the first time in about 8 years, including some who live across an ocean. July was a lot of fun, but I'm looking forward to a more restful August.

Marisa Morris

Marisa: I played Twin Cities tour guide twice this month, which is always a delight. My mom and I were dazzled by Wicked at the Orpheum, a show that impressed me even more than the movie version. We paddled around on the swan boats at Centennial Falls, and I took her to Dario and Diane’s Place, both of which now top my favorites list. When Brandon’s family came to town, we admired the view from the top of the Foshay Tower, wandered the Loring Park art fair, and caught a Twins win. That ballpark hotdog was a major highlight of my summer.

We also visited small town South Dakota for the craziest homegrown 4th of July parade I’ve ever seen. They set off a string of firecrackers a block long! It was a light month for media as I spent most of my weekends outside, but the World Cup was awesome – I caught a game at Black Hart and one at the North Loop Green.

Jorrun Kuehn

Jorrun: July continues to hold the top spot in my ranking of the months, and I tried to make the most of it with a couple cabin weekends, reading outside, and rollerblading around the lakes.

We dodged the poor air quality but not a heat wave on our trip up to Lutsen this year to visit my grandparents. Every year we have to make a stop at the Angry Trout – the best restaurant in Grand Marais – and find a new hiking trail. This year we did the Devil’s Kettle trail in Judge C. R. Magney State Park and discovered some beautiful waterfalls. My brother and I also swam across the lake (not Superior) and finally got around to watching Weapons, a year late.

My mom and I went to the recording of the Hadestown original cast production that was briefly in theatres. I was so sad to miss it when it was touring here last year, and the recording did not disappoint! Such incredible voices and compelling storytellers.

Mya Temanson

Mya: July was jam-packed with weekend fun. I celebrated the 4th with friends who hail from all corners of the world. The following weekend, Hussein and I went to our first adult book fair, which yielded many books and new friends. More bookish activities the next weekend with the celebratory reopening of the Hamline-Midway public library. That evening, Hussein and I enjoyed dinner with my aunt in our favorite neighborhood, St. Anthony Park. Lanna Thai is *chef's kiss*. The last couple of weeks involved two writing workshops at the Loft Literary Center, where I met my hero, Courtney Maum, and got my manuscript pitch torn to pieces (in a good way) by a literary agent I really admire. 

In between all those activities was a little reading (Uprooted by Naomi Novik — where has this book been all my life??), a little writing, two visits to Acorn Bookshop, and time with family. I'm hoping to keep things a little more low-key for the month of August, but I already have a surprise birthday party planned for the first weekend, so we'll see what happens!