Rapp Strategies Rundown – JANUARY

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

Todd Rapp

Todd R.: A BEST OF LIST for January.  Best meal on the road: A.T. The Black & White in Little Falls — what a great menu. Best place to spend a lazy early evening: Smoking Oyster Brewery, Fort Myers. Best new streaming choice: The Beast in Me, with Matthew Rhys and Claire Danes in starring roles, but the clincher here is the great Jonathan Banks.  Best return streaming choice: Shrinking, can Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams can get any better?  Best trade: Have you watched Quinn Hughes with a hockey puck on his stick?  Best Place to Buy Eyewear: Spectacle Shoppe in New Brighton, where I have gone for 50 years. Best podcast discussions of Page One Issues: Local edition - Bumper to Bumper rebroadcasts, National edition - The Ezra Klein Show.

Rich Forschler

Rich: January was a month for resting up and reflecting on a joyous December. Our Grandson, Charlie, was baptized on January 11, the same date his Mother, Katie, was baptized. It was another wonderful family celebration which seemed to extend the family fun over the Holidays.
Of course, the entire month was dominated by the tumultuous Federal immigration operation. Our entire State has been shocked and traumatized. I am so proud of how our communities and leaders have stood up for civility and humanity.
We leave tomorrow for a week in Florida. My next report will include some details.

Todd Stone

Todd S.: I’ve been stunned by the number of friends and relatives who have reached out to me since federal immigration enforcement intensified across the Twin Cities. People are worried and unsettled. I continue to believe you can enforce immigration laws without tearing apart communities or spreading fear among families who are simply trying to live their lives.

In the search for pleasant distractions, I’ve been counting down the days until the return of the second season of The Pitt — and it has not disappointed. It’s an interesting storytelling experiment: one 15-hour shift for an entire season only gives you so much runway, yet somehow the writers and actors manage to show how these characters have evolved since we last saw them. It’s subtle. It works. And I’m in.

The return of Shrinking has been pure joy. Smart, sharp, heartfelt — it’s one of those rare shows that makes you laugh and then quietly hits you in the chest a few minutes later.

As for blessings and inspiration, I was honored to attend Crescent Cove’s annual fundraising gala. Based in Brooklyn Center, Crescent Cove provides respite and hospice care for children with life-limiting conditions — walking alongside families with compassion and grace during unimaginably difficult times. It is a wondrous place, filled with extraordinary people (Kudos to our own Rich Forschler, who serves as board chair for the organization). Being in that room was a powerful reminder of what service and community truly look like.

A meaningful way to close out January.

Sean Oyaas

Sean: Let’s see, what types of activities did we get up to this month?

 *   Potty training
 *   Binged Heated Rivalry and started A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
 *   Started a parent school patrol for our toddlers daycare to ensure that teachers and students alike felt safe
 *   Attended Timberwolves games
 *   Organized multiple resource drives for friends and their families that are under a very real and direct threat
 *   Started toddler swimming lessons
Anything in that list stand out to you? Can’t say this was a quiet start to the year… though it has offered us a moment of deep reflection on our values and a reminder to hold our loved ones close.

Lisa Boyd

Lisa: At a time when the metro’s community needs are impossible to ignore, I’ve been deeply inspired by the countless ways Minnesotans are showing up for one another. I feel so grateful to have moved to this state earlier in my career. At the beginning of the month, a different sense of collective responsibility was on my mind when I presented “Impact in an Evolving Era” to a group of local and national corporate citizenship leaders, a sharp group where the most valuable moments were the candid conversations about navigating reputational tripwires with creativity and pragmatism.

Outside the office, I continue to defy winter reality by insisting on cross‑country skiing — technically skijoring — with my dog, fully convinced there must be something other than ice under the scant “top cover,” despite the predictable toll on my skis (and elbows).

Meredith Mitts

Meredith: My family lives in multiple states (IA, FL, MN, AZ), and with our chosen occupations its hard to get time off around the holidays to all be together. To solve this problem, we have decided on virtual Christmas to open presents, then to all get together for at least four days for 'Holiday de Terpstra' every year. The plan for most years is to occur on a non-holiday week/weekend in the summer so kids are already off school, work is less rushed, and airfare is cheaper. This year, though, we moved our family holiday up to January to bridge my mom's 60th birthday, and because of where we are at in the travel location, we got to spend week in Mesa, AZ at my sister's house. It was GLORIOUS. We wore shorts, hung out outside, and even needed to put on sunscreen! Tasha, the only person under the age of 20 in attendance, was obviously the star of the show with my family as well as my brother-in-law's. We went to the zoo, a hot air balloon festival, and to Biosphere 2 where we learned about the controlled environments for scientific experiments. We were also able to catch up with one of my best friends from college and go to a local farmer's market and brunch while the rest of the family went hiking. I officially understand why Minnesotans snowbird in Arizona. I wanted to stay so bad that I actually looked into changing our flights so we would miss the -30 weather, but alas, responsibilities called us so we returned home to the frozen north where Tasha was excited to see our kitties and the "snuw" until she realized she can't just go outside with no shoes and a t-shirt in this weather and promptly threw a tantrum.

Julia Schafer

Julia: January was hard! Cold, cold weather, a full week home sick with the flu, and adjusting to life post-holidays. I am grateful to have heating, warm clothes, and colleagues who make it fun to be at work. I'm also grateful for my Minneapolis community and the ways we know how to be good neighbors to each other.

TV and movies provided a nice escape. Shoutout to Slow Horses on HBO and the catharsis of collective crying while seeing Hamnet in theaters

Alida Mitau

Alida: January was a turbulent month in Minneapolis, marked by a noticeable heaviness and real heartbreak. At the same time, seeing neighbors continue to show up for and protect one another has brought a lot of warmth, solidarity and deep gratitude for the city I grew up in and continue to call home.

I found comfort this month spending quality time with friends and family, including a surprise visit from one of my best friends from college. I also started the TV show Ponies, which I'm really enjoying, and made some major strides in the seemingly never-ending process of decorating our home. At the end of the month, I celebrated my birthday at Gia, an Italian restaurant in South Minneapolis that I'd highly recommend. 

Onward from January.

Jorrun Kuehn

Jorrun: The highlight from January was escaping the cold on a trip to South Padre Island, Texas with friends. On our first day, we watched 300+ rescued sea turtles be released into the ocean and enjoyed an 80-degree beach day. The rest of the trip was colder and windier but still much nicer than Minnesota January. We collected seashells, visited the Birding and Alligator Center, and Sea Turtle, Inc. My favorite restaurant was Viva, with a great view of the sunset over the water and fresh seafood.

Marisa Morris

Marisa: This month has been all about enduring this icy climate and finding pockets of joy. My top goal this year is to learn to ski, a skill I’m already building with trips to Buck Hill and Welch Village. After just two days, I can pizza my way down the meanest blue runs! Other MN winter firsts this month included seeing the Wild play at Grand Casino Arena, checking out the Minnesota History Center, grabbing a beer at the historic Yoerg Brewing, going to a local show at 7th St. Entry, and enjoying happy hour at Hewing Hotel’s Polar Bar. I would also highly recommend Union Rooftop (but NOT on a subzero evening!) and Public Domain for incredible food and creative drinks.

My favorite event this month was the World Snow Sculpting Competition in Stillwater. It was incredibly impressive to see the art these talented sculptors made with such a difficult medium. I got to hear the stories of the teams at a panel hosted by MIA, which made it feel even more special to see the final products of their hard work.