47 thoughts on “July 4, 2017: HBD, USA”

  1. so, like a good, efficient American, I submitted all of my Flexible Spending Account receipts and forms for the 2016 plan year on June 29 (last day to submit was June 30, so, yea?). Hey, I spent down my account to within less than $5. w00t.

    and like usual, my company (Asiflex) sent me a message indicating that they were rejecting several claims, which were co-payments to see doctors. What. The. Actual. Efff.???

    American health care rules suck.

    1. Yeah, at risk of going to far into the forbidden zone, I can't agree with you more.

    2. Yup. I've been fighting the insurance companies to provide me proof of spent money to get reimbursed from my FSA. These bastards.

    1. I know Vargas hasn't been hitting a lot lately, but I don't understand why you'd rather have a utility infielder, especially when you already have Escobar.

        1. But Park has been batting well lately, and Matt Hague can play first base. Plus, for whatever reason, Vargas' numbers in Rochester aren't all that good.

      1. Adrianza was on a rehab assignment. Is he out of options? They also consider him an "outfielder" which is needed for when Grossman or one of the other outfielders are DH-ing.

  2. Happy 4th Nation. I'll be hanging out at Elm Creek today with the extended family. It's been a few years, but man, that's a nice park.

      1. We did the swimming area from around 11:30 - 3. It was busy, but reasonable. Nice to be swimming at that time.

        We were at the playground from 3:00 until poop:30, when potty training conditions necessitated our departure. The playground was the least busy I've ever seen it at that time, though the area around the park - all the shelters, grills, picnic tables, volleyball courts, green spaces, etc. - were packed. Must just have been the right timing. Minus the potty training thing, of course.

  3. heading out to the local firehouse in about 45 minutes for the annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser. Always a good time. Increasingly one of my favorite parts of the 4th. What could be more 'murican than pancakes and sausage slathered in syrup?

    1. What could be more 'murican than pancakes and sausage slathered in syrup?

      I submit to you the half mile walk from the parking lot to the playground at Elm Creek park, wherein we passed large groups of people speaking a half dozen different languages, grilling all sorts of amazing foods from various cultural backgrounds, everyone celebrating with family and friends and enjoying a beautiful day in a wide open space.

  4. Relaxing breakfast followed by an hour at the Y, a shower and a relaxing morning, then lunch at PF Chang's and a relaxing afternoon. A relaxing evening with the Twins broadcast and fireworks on TV. Should be relaxing.

  5. Spurred on partly by the fact Mike Trout may be playing, we are heading to see the Inland Empire 66ers tonight, with fireworks to follow.

    We're also having brunch with a friend, and need to finish getting ready to go, since we head out on a month-long trip to MN tomorrow. Busy busy.

    1. Game was fun, fireworks were nice. Plus, we got an extra show when one of the ballpark's neighbors launched some fireworks the wrong direction and set their palm trees on fire.

  6. No. 1 pick Royce Lewis is batting .360/.429/.640 in 28 PAs for the GCL Twins. He's struck out just once. For comparison, Buxton hit .216/.324/.466 in the GCL at age 18 and struck out 26 times in 102 PAs. Carlos Correa at age 17 batted .232/.270/.355 and struck out 36 times in 163 PAs (Lewis is only 3.5 months older than Correa was when he played in the GCL). Joe Mauer skipped the GCL and started immediately at Elizabethton in the Appalachian League, where he batted .400/.492/.491 with 10 Ks in 130 PAs at age 18.

    1. And after today Lewis is batting .310/.394/.552 in 32 PAs. I'm hopeful about him, but it's a little early to start making comparisons.

          1. Interesting:

            No one is really sure about the origin of "logy," but experts speculate that it comes from the Dutch word log, meaning "heavy." Its first recorded use in English, from an 1847 London newspaper, refers to a "loggy stroke" in rowing.

  7. Joey Chestnut with his 10th Mustard Belt victory, and another record. 72! One short of Barry Bonds!

  8. Made Choucroute Garni today (basically sauerkraut cooked in wine with smoked ham and sausages, an Alsatian dish).

    My version: In the red Le Creuset dutch oven, sauteed sliced Kielbasa (Polski style) until brown over med-high heat, adding small chunks of smoked ham shanks, then chopped onion, then chopped apple. No need to add salt as there is plenty in the ham shanks. Added a large handful of sauerkraut, and some spices (bay leaves, whole peppercorns, whole cloves), and covered with Pinot Gris.

    I let it simmer for about an hour on low, then served it with dark bread, with mustard and horseradish (after picking out the spices/bay leaf).

    1. You must not have had a Riesling or Gewurztraminer on hand to pair with it? That does sound like a tasty dish!

          1. Any Mosel River Riesling rings my bell. The St. Charles County vinyards feature German wines, so we're sitting pretty here. I prefer mine a little drier than Mrs Runner does

        1. OK just read your post and like the homeaid approach (of course). I still think that apples and cooking the kraut in wine gives it a scoche more.

  9. George Hill and Z-Bo sign with the Kings.

    So much for a youth movement. I think Hill still has a lot in the tank. Z-Bo is maybe a 20-25 minute guy at this stage of his career.

    I guess this means that the Rudy Gay Experience is over.

  10. Report from Iowa earlier today: an impressive number of t-shirts sporting USA, the US flag, and the like.

    Also: yesterday the jalapeño really wanted to watch baseball on tv (he's obsessed with it lately), and we found a game with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Fun stuff.

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