A Week Away, Did I Miss Anything?

The wife and I took a vacation to Napa Valley and just got back to town yesterday. It was a needed vacation from all those things that get can you down: jobs, bills, housework, your local MLB team. Earlier in the season, I figured that I might bring my laptop with me so I could watch games using my mlb.tv account, and maybe even blog once or twice. My wife probably would not have appreciated that too much, so it was a card that I wasn't going to play unless necessary. The way that things have shaped up in 2011, though, I decided that this might be a good respite from the Twins.

I won't say that I went cold-turkey. I saw some highlights on SportsCenter relating to Swarczak's no-hit bid, and I read box scores in the local paper, but that was about it. No blog-checking, no Star Tribune coverage. And I have to say, it felt good. It would be one thing if the team was winning, but there's really no reason right now to hang on to every word from the Twins regarding injuries, or to opine who the Twins might deal as July nears. Not to say that those things don't interest me, only that there's not much more you can be down about on the Twins, and to take some time away felt nice.

But I'm back now. I'm kind of tired of writing wholly negative pieces on the likes of Delmon Young, Drew Butera, Michael Cuddyer and Bill Smith. Now don't get me wrong, these guys are still killing me one way or the other, but how much can you say on any given topic?I've said a lot, and many other bloggers and newspaper scribes have certainly said their pieces, as well. I'm excited by the possible returns of Nishioka and Joe Mauer, even if the season is already lost. I'm somewhat excited by the draft this year, perhaps because there's not much else to be excited about.

Also, I will be attending my only Target Field game of the year next weekend against the Rangers, and will be heading to Justin Morneau's Casino Night to benefit juvenile arthritis. Those are two pretty great things. I have been to Target Field only once, so it still retains that "new car" smell to me. I also think it will be cool to play blackjack at the same table as Jim Thome, provided that such activity does not further strain his left quadriceps muscle.