January 2016 - The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

1977 Topps Baseball – Belloir, Kucek and Lindblad

Posted on January 31, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball .

I’ve mentioned previously that I am attempting to build a complete set of 1977 Topps baseball cards. I’m looking to do it through purchasing small lots of cards on eBay (just purchased 55 more for $3.50). I’m obsessed with the ’77 Topps set out of nostalgia and if I’m honest with myself, I’m probably regressing back to my 7 year old self as an escape from reality.

At first, there was a lot of laughing at the cards; strange photo angles, airbrushed hats, horrific uniforms, embarrassing poses and questionable athleticism. It is also fun finding the cards I distinctly remember from my childhood; players I loved (George Brett, Pete Rose) or even uniforms I thought were the coolest (Padres, Expos).

But what I’m most intrigued by now are the fringe players. Those who only had a small cup of coffee in the bigs and then were never heard from again. Their cards captured a moment in time when they realized their dream, when they “made it”. Looking at these cards now, I swear you can see it in their collective faces. Add in the fact that it is so easy to research what they have done since their careers ended, and you have the recipe for fascinating human interest stories.

Here are three of those stories:

Only 36 hits in 81 career games
12 errors in those 36 games
Debuted in ’75 and had 6 hits in a two game span. This article from ’75 sums up the excitement of getting to the MLB and just appreciating the opportunity.
Missed the ’71 season due to military service
Out of the majors by ’78
While I appreciate any type of humor, I find this type of negative blog post to be unnecessary. Dude made it to the majors, that is like winning the lottery.
I found his Facebook profile and it seems too understated. Photo should scream, I played in the frickin MLB. I’m still contemplating sending him a friend request and asking for an interview.

7 career wins over 7 MLB seasons
Career 5.12 ERA
2nd round draft pick in ’74
That grin tells me he appreciated being able to put on that killer Sox hat.
In 2008, he invented the Strike Out Strippz, a pitching glove that helps pitchers evaluate their pitching motion after each simulated pitch. A great sales pitch here: “Strike Out Strippz Pitching Glove will do for pitchers what the batting tee did for hitters.”
Here’s an example of Roger Clemens pimping it.
After digging around some more, my best guess is that he sold it as it is promoted current day through this site without his name prominently attached.
I located his LinkedIn profile as well. I am fascinated how typical it looks until you scroll down his page and see “Former Major League Pitcher”. What? Put that shit up top dude, you are one in a million with that.

I can’t shake this one. Shame on me for not remembering him and more importantly, not knowing his tragic story. More on that in a bit.
A lefty middle reliever who made 655 career appearances in the MLB.
Was the winner of game 3 of the ’73 World Series against my beloved Mets.
He has the distinction of being the last pitcher to face Willie Mays.
Participated in 3 World Series with the A’s and was part of the 1978 Yankees World Series team.
He died in 2006, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Take a look at this fascinating article from ’97 that talks about the disease in great detail.
He started showing signs of early onset Alzheimer’s in his late 40’s. It has been determined that his children have a 50/50 chance of getting Alzheimer’s as well.
Research shows that he was a descendant of one of a few German families that migrated to Russia in the 18th century and were linked to familial Alzheimer’s.

Panicum Rotstrahlbusch

Posted on January 29, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Ornamental grass .

The very first ornamental grass I ever planted was a Panicum Rotstrahlbusch.

I ordered these through an on-line catalog and they were about six inches high at that time. However, it didn’t take long for them to reach their mature size (about two years). And what beauties they are. Some quick facts:

It is a “warm season” grass so new growth doesn’t emerge until the weather warms up in Spring.
Survives winters as far north as zone 3.
Mature size is about five feet tall by three feet wide.
Prefers full sun and a consistently moist soil.
Should be cut down in early spring right before the new growth emerges (definitely use a hedge trimmer).
Pink wispy blooms emerge in July (will show you some shots of the blooms in a bit) and last until the middle of autumn.
Has tremendous burgundy color in the autumn (although the burgundy color starts to emerge as early as July).

Years ago, I successfully divided this grass by simply digging out three sections with a sharp spade; I never removed the grass from the ground. From there, one mature Panicum Rotstrahlbusch turned into three new grasses as seen in the photo below.

And only a few years later they looked like this.

The Panicum Rotstrahlbusch blooms are fantastic come mid summer.

And I have found that this grass mixes well with other shrubs and perennials in your typical mixed border. I have them located all over my garden and they work everywhere.

These grasses are typically not found at your garden center but can be purchased online at a number of ornamental grass vendors. Trust me, even if you purchase them small you will see almost immediate results within that first year.

Or, if you are nice enough, I may send you a cutting through the mail because as you know, I am a man of the people.

Top ten ornamental grasses

Posted on January 28, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Ornamental grass .

My garden is dominated by ornamental grasses. It started out of necessity as they could handle the poor draining clay soil, all day sun, harsh wintry conditions and were completely ignored by the deer. But is has since evolved into me simply loving the hell out of them as witnessed by my numerous posts on the topic. They are the backbone of my garden.

A friend recently asked me “Which grasses should I plant this spring?” and I told him I’ll do you one better, I’ll dedicate an entire post to my personal favorites. A handy little guide for those who are just entering the OG world or are looking to add a few to their existing collection. My recommendations are solely based on grasses that have resided in my own garden as I’ve had the time to watch them mature and adapt over the years. There are definitely others I’ve seen in other gardens that I would recommend as well, but until I have a personal experience with them, I cannot comment.

I’ve dedicated posts to many of these individual grasses, so simply click on the name of the grass to read in greater detail. I’ve also included a few quick tidbits below about each grass.

Here are my top ten ornamental grasses (in no particular order):

Panicum ‘Northwind’

Grass remains completely upright all year long.
Reached full size (5′-6′) within three years after planting a tiny plug.
Underrated yellow fall color.

Panicum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’

First grass I ever planted.
My favorite fall “red”of all the Panicums
I’ve divided this grass numerous times with ease.

Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’

The biggest head turner in Fall with its foliage color of red/green/orange.
The silver blooms are a nice contrast.
Looks fantastic with fall perennials (Dwarf sneezeweed in the photo)

Sorghastrum ‘Sioux Blue’

This towering native grass (middle of pic) reaches 7 feet when in bloom.
Took 2-3 years to establish, but now upright and stays that way through winter.
Individual blooms are interesting when viewed up close.

Pennisetum ‘Desert Plains’

Only two years in with this one and it has already established itself well.
Great late summer/fall foliage color.
Tons of blooms starting in summer and they still look good into the winter.

Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’

Reliable performer year after year. 9 years in for me.
Doesn’t hold up as well in winter as the other grasses.
A bit weedy like most Miscanthus.

Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’

Yes, you can find them everywhere, but there is a reason for that. Care free and upright and buff blooms all summer and into fall.
I like to squeeze one in between perennials as a great contrast in texture and color.
I divide all the time with ease and nothing but success.

Schizachyrium (Little Bluestem) ‘Blue Heaven’

Great blue color in spring and then shades of pink and red in late summer.
Has handled early morning shade without issue.
Two years in with this one and I’m in love with it. Holds up all season including in winter.

Molinia ‘Skyracer’

A slow to establish cool season grass but worth the wait. This one is all about the blooms as they get 4′ to 5′ tall and look killer at the back of a border.
Does not hold up in winter as the blooms break off.
Just planted ‘Cordoba’ for the first time which is allegedly even better than ‘Skyracer’.

Andropogon ‘Red October’

Another newcomer for me as we’re three years in. About 3′ to 4′ in height but should reach 6′ to 7′.
The foliage color is off the charts already. Red hues even in spring and then dark red in fall.
Seems slower to establish but it will be worth the wait. Only a few blooms to date.

And a few bonus “non-recommendations”:

Calamagrostis ‘El Dorado’

The picture to the right is this cool season grass at its peak. Short lived though as it becomes nondescript the rest of the year.
Nowhere near as solid as ‘Karl Foerster’

Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’

Maybe TBD is a better description. Nothing bad, just not as exciting as other switch grasses to date.
I haven’t seen much of a blue hue so far, just a drab green.

Northern Sea Oats

Just read this and you’ll understand why I gave up on it.

1977 Topps baseball cards

Posted on January 24, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball .

I was an avid baseball card collector as a child and into my early teens. This spanned from 1978 up until 1990. During the early years it was all about trying to get a complete set or collecting my favorite players or beloved Mets.

And then the baseball card boom hit in the early 80’s and it became all about collecting and speculating on players’ rookie cards. I completely ignored the common/veteran player and just focused on those first year player cards. I was going to be rich with my 74 Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry rookie cards.

The baseball card market eventually crashed and all of those cards became worthless. This was in the early 90’s and I completely turned my back on the hobby and focused on other things like college and hanging with the girl that would become my wife years later.

Fast forward to current day and my son has taken card collecting to levels so way beyond anywhere I ever went with it. But now it is about collecting/finding rare inserts and autographed cards. One pack of cards was 30 cents back in my day yet they are now anywhere from $3 to $10 per pack. He has cards worth hundreds and actively sells and buys cards off of eBay. A burgeoning entrepreneur.

My son’s interest in the card collecting hobby has awakened a nostalgia in me that harkens back to a simpler time. The innocent era of collecting cards without any financial motives. Trying to complete the entire Minnesota Twins team set. Enjoying the players from back in the day who clearly never indulged in any performance enhancing drugs. Players that looked more like my weird uncle then a young and blossoming professional athlete.

Which brings me to 1977 Topps baseball cards. The set I worshipped as a child. The set I am now collecting again. The set that has inspired me to learn about each and every player in the set.

As a young dude, I always found the 1977 Topps baseball set to be the coolest. I loved the white border and bright colors.

The sets prior and subsequent to 1977 Topps baseball were drab and missing that 70’s funk. The players seemed to be photographed in cooler and stranger poses. I willingly traded many ’78, ’79 and ’80’s Topps cards for any 77’s anyone was offering up.

I’m now 43 years old and I still love these cards. I dug through my entire card collection recently to reunite with my favorite cardboard cutouts. As expected, they were in awful condition but just like I remember them. They made me smile and brought back a wave of great childhood memories.

But I didn’t have enough of them. I wanted more. I wanted the rush back.

So I followed my son’s lead and purchased a lot of 1977 Topps baseball cards on eBay. I didn’t want any superstars from the set. The more obscure the better. When they arrived, I found a quiet spot in the house and leafed through them slowly. They are still the best.

Here are some of the cards I received in the lot and why I love them so much. Some are based on the photos, some based on the uniforms and some are just freakin funny.

Going forward, I plan on doing one post per week featuring one of the players and an in depth review of their story.

My favorite hat of all time. That mustard color is phenomenal.
Quintessential 70’s mustache.
Traded to the Mets in ’79. Touted as the “savior”. Never liked playing in New York so I came to hate him.

Coolest cat around. That necklace alone made this card awesome. Claimed it was the “second baseman’s teeth”. This photo captures him even better.
Wore a helmet in the field at first base.
Died in 2013 in his hometown of Greenville, MS.

Killer perm.
Had his best season in ’76 and then signed a 10 year, 2 million dollar contract the first year the MLB had free agency.
He was never good again.

Even as an 8 year old, I knew this dude looked stoned.
Epic mustache.
Funny thing, he never pitched for the Expos.

Bake is the best baseball first name ever.
Always had a solid 70’s fro.
This video brings me back to Saturday afternoon games with Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola.

Interesting fact – combined with his brother for a shutout. Only time in MLB history.
Great article from 1985 article on what he was doing now.
Maybe the least intimidating pitcher of all time.

This is why I bought that lot of cards.
Phenomenal sideburns
More my weird uncle than an MLB player

Managed Mets for exactly 7 games in ’91.
Always thought if he could play, so could I.
Great old video of him thrown out of a game

That name.
Was hit in in the head in ’75 with a come backer, never the same
Coached a young Greg Maddux and credited with much of his success
Just read this about him and the legendary Pete LaCock

The air brushing of the hat is pretty awful. The Mariners had yet to play a game when their cards were added to the 1977 Topps set.
Probably the best Mariners hitter (27 HR and 90 RBI) in their inaugural season in ’77.
Was included with Nolan Ryan in the worst trade in Mets history.
Was beaten out by Bobby Bonds in ’77 and did little after that.

Top ten ugliest uniform contender.
Great action shot although I can’t figure out where the base is and why he is fielding the throw on the inside of first base.
Within 2 months had two 2HR/8RBI games.
Had no idea until now that he died of a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 55.

Impossibly hideous uniform
Scored 1,000,000 run in MLB history. Great party trivia question.

In the top ten worst uniforms list. The matching shirt and pants are classic.
Known as the “Bogalusa Bomber” which is simply awesome.

I loved these quad rookie cards. Such promise and potential for the card gaining value in years to come. These are the guys I paid close attention to.
Mike Champion only played 2 years with San Diego.
Juan Bernhardt hit the Mariners first home run but only played a total of 154 games in the MLB.

My favorite card in the set to this point based on the hair/uniform combo.
Cy Young award winner the year this card was created.
Credited with All Star save in ’75 and All Star win in ’76.
In his last start of ’76, he was injured and never the same again
Owned a catering company and hosted a baseball radio show.

Winter garden appreciation

Posted on January 21, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Winter interest .

I despise the cold weather and it is getting worse and worse as I get older.

I hate the snow and I do not find it to be the least bit “cozy”. It physically hurts my eyes to even glance at it.

I don’t ski and find sledding to be way overrated.

But even after having said all that, I have come to appreciate the winter garden. It is a reminder of what was, a chance to rest and recharge and at the same time, a promise of what is to come.

I recently put on my big boy pants and a warm jacket, and set out to capture just some of the plants in the winter garden. After reviewing all of the photos I had taken, I realized that I had similar shots of those same plants during the spring and summer. So as a means of contrast, I’ve included the most current pic and then one from earlier when it warm and delicious outdoors.

Enjoy.

Tropical milkweed, which is an annual and one that reseeded for me this past year.

Eupatorium ‘Wayside’ which looks like the annual Ageratum but is truly a perennial.

A combo of Bee Balm, Joe Pye Weed and Clethra ‘Hummingbird’.

Juniper ‘Wichita Blue’, Bee Balm and Panicum ‘Rots’.

Salix ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ (Dappled Willow) with its awesome stem colors.

Amsonia tabernaemontana looking cool and curly. Still a personal favorite of mine during all seasons.

I love the dried seed capsules of Baptisia and admittedly have yet to explore how to save the seeds. That is what winter is all about, research and reading.

Sedum ‘Red Carpet’ peeking through what little snow we have right now.

And old reliable, the Purple Coneflower. I always enjoy watching the finches pay a visit and feast on the seedheads.

Puppy Kindergarten

Posted on January 19, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Dogs .

Last night was our third session of Puppy Kindergarten with our new pup Mia.

If the criteria for success is to have the most social, most distracted and most self choking puppy due to an irresistible urge to jump on every dog, then we are totally killing it. If not, then we have a long ways to go.

The truth is, Mia is so overly loving of all dogs and all human beings that she cannot contain herself. If that means she will struggle to graduate from Puppy Kindergarten, so be it. We’re confident we will get there with our little rescue.

But it definitely wasn’t that way the first go round with our first dog, Casey.

Before we proceed, kindly answer the multiple choice question below:

When we attended puppy kindergarten with our first dog, Casey, which of the following occurred?

A. We were given a passing grade when all of us knew she wasn’t even close to passing.

B. During the final “challenge”, rather than walk through the maze of cones that lead to a fake front door and fake UPS delivery man, Casey stole one of the cones, ran off with it and proceeded to chow down on it at the feet of one of the other puppy owners.

C. I passionately said the following after our final class “You are such an embarrassment to us, get in the car.”

D. An annoying Jack Russell Terrier humped Casey during every free second of class and I was seconds within challenging his oblivious owner to a fight.

E. All of the Above

As you might have already suspected, if you responded with “E“, you totally nailed it.

Not one of my proudest moments.

When we got Casey back in 1999, we had yet to have children, so she was our first “baby”.

And we treated her exactly like you would your first child. We were the prototypical helicopter parents. The two of us would hover over Casey day and night and attempt to analyze her every move.

Why does she keep scratching herself? F’n fleas, isn’t it?

Why is she attacking our feet? That is part of a deep psychological disorder, I know it.

Why won’t she look us straight in the eye? She has issues with authority already. How will she deal in the real world?

And our true final grade at Puppy Kindergarten did nothing to allay our fears.

But I clearly remember one weekday evening back in early 2000 when we made the turn towards Rational Town. Dinners were always a challenge as Casey would harass us to no end looking for a bite of our Red Beans and Rice. If we put her in her crate, she would rattle the cage to such an obnoxious level that we couldn’t handle it. So we would eat and deal with the lab clawing at our lap. One night, however, my wife forcefully ordered Casey to “lay down” and she friggin did it. And stayed there throughout dinner. Life as we knew it was back. The light at the end of the tunnel appeared.

And looking back, dealing with a puppy was the ultimate in prep for having a child. By the time Jack rolled around in 2002, we understood sleep deprivation. We welcomed the inability to not be able to leave the house. We knew that naps were a must if we wanted to survive that day. In fact, we quickly learned that it may be more difficult to tend to a young puppy than an infant because the infant doesn’t chew on the table legs and most importantly, isn’t the least bit mobile.

Quick aside #1: One memorable helicoptering moment with Jack. On day #2 of him being home from the hospital, we went (yes “we”) to change his diaper and were horrified to see that he had “discarded” what looked like rubber pellets. In a moment of terror, we got out our baby books and did a quick search online for “baby pooping little rubber balls”. We found nothing and feared the worst. Turns out his sopping wet diaper had broken open and the gel balls inside made their way into, well, you know where. Jack – I apologize if you are reading this and promise no one in school will find out. End of aside.

By the time Jamie arrived in 2005, we were baby veterans. While I am proud of how attentive we were, we did hand over our helicopter parenting badges. Sicknesses were not the end of the world. Multiple wake-up calls in the middle of the night were chalked up to being temporary. And once we knew how to properly deploy our man-to-man defense in order to cater to simultaneous needs of both children, we were all set. After a rambunctious puppy and one newborn, we could have handled anything.

And now that applies to our little Mia.

Quick aside #2: How great is the name Mia for a rescue dog? Missing In Action. Big thanks to Deb B. for the heads up on that one.

We’ve been through this Puppy Kindergarten once before and instead of stressing over Mia’s inability to listen or her knack for peeing upon greeting new dogs/people, we are taking it in stride. During our first go round we were so consumed with Casey’s performance that we failed to listen to so much that the instructor had to offer. Now, we are absorbing each lesson, more concerned with learning and taking that knowledge home with us.

She will learn to walk off leash and come to us whenever we call her name.

She will learn that biting/heavy nipping doesn’t fly.

She will drop my shoe on command.

And most importantly to us, we will enjoying the hell out of this puppy phase and will not wish it away.

Five ways I’m improving my well being

Posted on January 16, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Health .

I am a sucker right now for any simple health tips, preferably those that I can easily add to my daily routine. Part of the reason may be the fact that I’ve been ill since New Year’s Eve and I’m desperate for normalcy. But I think the bigger factor is that I’m starting to feel like a roughed up and ragged 43 year old man.

It takes me so much longer to recover after a run.

I get a pinched nerve in my neck just from making a turn while in my car.

When I look in the mirror each morning after waking up (I’m a glutton for punishment), I whelp in shock.

And don’t ask me to recall any name and expect an answer without proper lead time.

It is now time to do something about this funk.

Within the last few weeks, I’ve come up with 5 new additions/changes to my daily routine that I’m hoping will make even the smallest of impacts. Nothing groundbreaking and I’m sure many of you have been following some of these for weeks/months/years now.

I’m a little slow to change/adapt so please bare with me.

Hopefully this list will double/triple as I gobble up more info all in the name of getting my mojo back. Please add your own in the comments section and I will blindly and willingly follow whatever you suggest. Think of me as your test case; I’ll even publish the very scientific results here.

Without further ado, 5 ways I’m improving my well being

Drink water with lemon immediately after waking up.

My wife has been touting this for months now and I finally took the plunge this week.

We all wake up dehydrated because well, we’ve been sleeping for the past 6 to 10 hours. And as I’ve learned through ~~research~~ a Google search, dehydration destroys fat loss because your metabolism slows down in order to conserve fluids. A 16 ounce glass of water boosts your metabolism by 25% and consuming water first thing in the morning is a very effective healing routine since it creates a stimulating environment inside the body for eliminating numerous diseases.

For an even more detailed write-up on the benefits of morning H2O, check out Wellness Mama’s blog where she outlines the benefits of lemon water in the morning.

Good stuff and it apparently even improves the condition of the eyes as well. Me hopes that includes eliminating the carousel of bags that currently reside under both of my eyes.

And did I mention that I have become a master grower of Meyer lemons? No excuses with this one.

Get more sleep.

Remember when you were a child and hated going to bed on a Sunday night because you had to go to school the next day? That has been me 5 days a week for decades running now. I kid you not, I force myself to stay awake at night watching TV or toiling aimlessly on the laptop all in the name of denying to myself that I have to go to work the next day. Very mature.

On top of that, as I’ve mentioned many times in the past, I’ve also drank caffeinated coffee each and every night for the past decade. It aided in the “stay up all night mentality” and it was a reward for … well I don’t know for what. I managed to rationalize the benefits of coffee as an antioxidant outweighed the lack of sleep.

Just this past week I was reminded, yet again, that the #1 key to one’s health is sleep, specifically, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. More important than exercise. More important than what we eat.

Wake up call acknowledged.

It has been at least three weeks since I’ve had coffee after 3:00 PM and my wife and I have managed to officially retire for the night by 10:00 during that same timeframe. To the shock of no one, I’m sleeping deeper and longer than I have in years. Now I just need to get my deviated septum fixed so I can actually breathe and we may really be on to something here.

Drinking one Natural Vitality “Calm” before bed each night.

This has replaced the evening coffee. I tried to compile a paragraph that covers why this drink is so beneficial but my simple brain couldn’t dumb it down enough so here it is directly from their website:

Magnesium and calcium are fundamental nutrients that need to be in balance with each other in order for you to fully experience good health. Their importance on a cellular level is critical. Calcium and magnesium are like opposite sides of a coin. Calcium excites nerves, while magnesium calms them down. Calcium makes muscles contract. Magnesium is necessary for muscles to relax. Calcium is needed for blood clotting, but magnesium keeps the blood flowing freely.

There are two reasons for this: the amount of magnesium required by the body is greater than people think and some forms of magnesium are poorly absorbed by the body.

Since I’ve been sick since I started this nightly routine, I can’t yet judge its impact with my sleep and overall vitality. All I know is I need a higher intake of calcium and magnesium (long story but click here if you are interested) and daily supplemental calcium pills are not the answer.

Drive a different way to work and home each day.

I’ll preface this with the fact that I’m a huge Howard Stern fan. Before you judge, I appreciate his honesty and lack of giving a crap about what he says. And he has softened tremendously over the years and now conducts the best interviews in the business, bar none.

One of Stern’s favorite people is Dr David Agus, doctor to the stars and author of many bestselling books. In fact, I just started reading Agus’s latest, “The Lucky Years” based on Stern’s recommendation. So far, so awesome.

Dr. Agus was recently interviewed on the Stern Show and one item stuck with me more than any other. He talked about the benefits of driving and its impact on fighting off dementia. That is a sensitive spot for me as I watched my grandmother suffer through years of Alzheimer’s disease and I’m admittedly paranoid of it being genetic. I play word games solely as a means to keep my brain fresh.

The doctor alleges that driving stimulates the mind and if we change up our morning commute on a regular basis, it stimulates the mind even more. I was sold and have done just that this past week. And you know what, I could feel a difference. Even if it isn’t truly fighting off dementia, I enjoyed a break in my routine and such a simple change was enough to make it that much more enjoyable.

Walk 5 minutes every hour at work.

Yes, we are all obsessed with our Fitbits and counting our 10,000 steps. Seems silly that we need a device to basically tell us, “Stop being lazy you jerk off” but admittedly, it works. The thrill of getting more steps becomes a game and a competition and before you know it, you’ve walked twenty miles in a day.

I’m aware of my step count as well but my bigger focus is making sure I’m not stagnant at work. Stop the consecutive hours of sitting hunched over a computer and get up every once in a while.

I now set my alarm to get up every hour and walk around for at least 5 minutes. It does wonders for the back and from frying your eyes. I even get in some major stretches when no one is looking.

Bonus #6. Eucalyptus oil on the feet.

I hid this one down here so those who bailed early didn’t judge me. Every night my wife and daughter inhale this essential oil to aid in their breathing and overall health. I’ve joined the party whenever I have a cold and can vouch for its benefits. It’s the holistic version of Vick’s VapoRub I remember so well from my childhood.

The one ritual I swore off was putting some Eucalyptus on my feet before putting on socks when going to sleep at night. My wife has done it for years and vouches for its power to heal and for overall wellness.

Well now that I am committed to doing anything to revitalize my aging body, count me in. I haven’t done it yet and admittedly haven’t fully researched the benefits, but if I’ve learned anything from the past 25 years with my wife, it is this: she is ALWAYS ahead of the curve with knowledge and I should just get in line and do whatever she says.

Even if that means wearing oil on my big goofy feet.

Confessions of a former lawn lover

Posted on January 12, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Garden memoir .

It’s September of 1997 and my wife and I have just moved into our first home. After having rented an apartment for a year, we were ready to take on a mortgage and all that comes with owning a house. To think that we paid less than $120,000 for that home seems ludicrous now and makes me feel old. I’m still not sure how we handled the down payment but it seemed logical to deal with that struggle rather than throwing away money in a rental.

Once you own a home there is a stipulation in each and every contract that states you must visit Home Depot at least once a week (I believe it has since been updated to include Lowe’s as well). Even if you’re like me and struggle to replace a light bulb, you have to walk into HD confidently each Saturday morning, say hello to the greeter and start wandering the aisles with your orange bucket. It is burned into the male DNA code to love these excursions and to get all giddy when looking at drill bits.

I freakin hate Home Depot. Always have, always will. It reminds me of my male shortcomings and the smell screams “You have a lot of projects to do and not the first clue where to begin.” It is intimidating and emasculating and stressful and makes me want to go back to a rental.

But there was a solution to the Home Depot dilemma back in the early days of home ownership. I could easily fool the other HD shoppers into believing I was willingly entering the store while walking through the parking lot, coffee in hand. A nice confident gait works wonders. And then after entering the store and before the panic set in, I simply made a quick hard right and headed outside to the garden/landscaping department. That was my solution and it allowed me to keep what was left of my male dignity. I had been cutting a lawn most of my life and I even knew how to replace the string on a grass trimmer and operate a gas powered leaf blower. I was comfortable in this environment.

During one particular pseudo Home Depot excursion, I became enamored with the Scott’s 4 Step Program for the lawn. I read through one of the brochures and within minutes was convinced I needed to treat for grub control and crab grass. You mean if I follow these simple instructions I can get a lawn as green as those on TV? Where do I sign up? An impeccable lawn and landscaping was going to be my thang, my manly thang (even if a man should never say thang).

Within the year, I had diligently followed the instructions and applied all 4 recommended “feedings” and my lawn kicked all sorts of ass. Seriously, take a look at this:

Like the greens at Augusta, right? And doesn’t the lawn look great with a backdrop of finely manicured lollipop evergreen shrubs and one lonesome hydrangea? I was the envy of the entire neighborhood, in my head at least. If you were to drive by my house on a late Saturday afternoon in the spring or summer, chances are you would have seen me sitting on the front stoop, beer in hand, ogling my lawn. A man’s man.

On top of the Scott’s plan, I also began to ~~regularly~~ periodically spray each individual weed (bastard) with Roundup. You mean to tell me there is a weed killer that kills the weeds but DOESN’T kill the lawn? Holy shit. USA! USA! USA! Lawn perfection is possible after all.

During year 2 of “Chemicals changed my life for the better”, I woke up one morning and to my horror, saw a perfectly straight line of yellowing dead lawn smack dab in the middle of the front yard. It was clearly from one pass with the fertilizer spreader. And it looked awful. I felt awful. This was supposed to be easy, just follow the rules and the grass will stay perfectly green for life.

At that same time, we got our first dog, Casey.

After we brought her home and took her outside for her inaugural pee, I started to panic. As she set-up for urination #1, she started to sniff and chew on the grass. Up until that point, I was in denial that I was placing a foreign substance, of unknown origin, into my grass 4 times a year in rather large quantities. I couldn’t let this puppy, who relied on us for survival, to get anywhere near the stuff.

On top of the burnt lawn and new pet, I’d also begun to take an interest in shrubs and roses. The shrubs to fill in along the foundation and other bare spots and the roses in honor of my grandfather who was a serious rose whisperer.

I attacked the roses first and against my better judgment, decided to show you exactly how I first planted them.

Spare me the laughter.

I know it looked hideous with six of them in a perfect line and all a different color by the way, but it was progress. I quickly educated myself on pruning techniques and how to care for them during all seasons. While I have no photos to prove it, a few of them thrived and produced oodles of beautiful flowers. It was more rewarding than the lawn ever was and a lot cheaper and less labor intensive.

A few different shrubs were then added and my gardening passion was on fire.

That would be two different hydrangeas in the first photo and two butterfly bushes in the 2nd photo. I also believe the writing on the 2nd photo included future garden expansion plans, but I can’t say with certainty. It may just have been my son scribbling with a pen he shouldn’t have had.

Suddenly an immaculate green lawn lost its luster. And in summary, here’s why:

I saw how easily the powerful fertilizer could burn the lawn. What the hell is in that mix?
It wasn’t worth the risk now that we had a dog we were solely responsible for keeping alive. What the hell is in that mix?
Shrubs and roses actually took less effort and were more rewarding.

We eventually moved into our current home a few years later with 2 acres of property and a monstrous lawn to contend with. My obsession with plants only continued to grow and eventually evolved into the blog you are reading right now. But that imposing lawn still had to be addressed.

I wanted to maintain a lawn so my children had a large place to play but had no interest in putting forth a full effort, smarting from my days as a Scott’s disciple. I decided to seed in year one (it was a patchy mess) and then take it from there after witnessing the results.

By the following spring, the grass had filled in enough to make it a true blown “yard”. Was it perfect? Not at all, but it was so overwhelmingly large that I didn’t bother trying to come up with a plan of attack. Actually, that’s not true, I followed the age old adage to cut the grass it at its highest setting, leave the clippings in the lawn and let nature take its course. I even convinced myself to enjoy the fact that the clover provided green cover and a flower source for the bees and that the dandelions were “flowers” and should be honored rather than branded as evil.

And to this day my lawn has never looked better. I literally do nothing other than cut it once a week in spring/summer/fall. That is it. And it works. All of the saved time is dedicated to the garden and plants where I have a chance to weave my wand and make beautiful art.

EPILOGUE

I came to grips with Home Depot by making my brother in law or father in law come with me whenever the need arrived. I just nod and agree with whatever they say and steal tidbits from them to use in future social settings. “I find that the higher r value of the insulation works wonders in the attic.” At the same time, I’ve stopped buying any and all plants from Home Depot. Beyond the fact that their selection sucks, I also did so in protest as they were admittedly selling bee killing plants – plants that were grown from seed using pesticides that can actually kill the same bees the plants are supposed to attract. It may have since been corrected but I’m already too far gone.
I like flowers and I don’t give a rat’s ass what anyone thinks about that. No, I am not into landscaping (manscaping maybe), I am a gardener. Deal with it.
Each and every year I am slowly eradicating part of the lawn to turn it into more garden space. And guess what? I’m not spraying the lawn in order to kill it. Cardboard works just fine.

How much more do we have to read about the harms of Roundup/pesticides before we draw a definitive conclusion about its harmful effects. Read the following:

Pesticides harm bees

Roundup probably causes cancer

Roundup labeled as carcinogenic

PennEast pipeline update

Posted on January 8, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in PennEast .

It has been a while since I’ve provided a PennEast pipeline update. The “proposed” PennEast natural gas pipeline (36″ in diameter with a 1480 psi) would cut through our township and numerous others here in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. For those here for the first time or for those who haven’t stopped by in a while, here are a few of my old posts to get you up to speed (chronological order):

I am pissed off – initial reaction upon learning of the direct impact to our property

Fight the good fight – shaking off the shock and gearing up for the fight

Our new reality – humorous yet serious look at how our lives had changed

My elevator speech – feeling comfortable and invigorated in the fight

An open letter to PennEast – letting the emotion rip

NIMBY – confronting the idea of “Not In My Back Yard”

I like to think of this series of posts as the stages of dealing with the impact of a giant gas pipeline infiltrating your community.

And here is the latest:

The route was inexplicably changed after the application was submitted by Penn East and it no longer is proposed to go through our yard. Yes, you read that right. The formal application was submitted back in September looking for federal government, FERC, approval and then they changed the route in a few different locations in December.

Before you congratulate us, please don’t.

While it would be naive to say there wasn’t a sense of relief, it also shifted the personal worry to the top of the already determined desire to beat the hell out of this thing. This company has no care at all when it comes to people’s emotions and well being. To flippantly change the route (without any notice to us by the way) and now directly impact new landowners this far into the process is a damn travesty. We were at least provided with time to get educated and provide commentary to the government and eventually able to legally intervene into the proceedings. These newly affected people will not be afforded those same opportunities. A complete joke.

And you know what, after what we’ve witnessed over the past year and a half I wouldn’t be shocked to see the route moved back to our property. The toying with the emotions of the people for a pipeline that isn’t needed, that will inflict damage in an extremely environmentally sensitive area backed with a revolving door of what the “need” truly is should piss everyone off.

Offers to acquire easement rights have been mailed to impacted landowners and they are beyond offensive. Read this for a summary of what is included in these letters:

PennEast right of way worries property owner

Yes, “If the current pipeline deal falls through, PennEast still owns the easement and can do what they like with it for the foreseeable future.”

Chew on that for a minute.

This may be the most reprehensible thing PennEast has done to date. You know the intention was to hopefully sucker the uninformed into signing their rights away. Luckily this is a group who has remained steadfast in their resolve and are so much more educated on the details of the project than PennEast could have ever anticipated.

Survey crews continue to trespass and obtain survey information illegally. Need I remind you of this:

It continued this week in Pennsylvania and yet it makes no major headlines. Yet another knock against their crumbling integrity.

There is a significant delay with the Transco Pipeline in Montgomery, NJ due to impenetrable bedrock. You can read the story here:

Gas pipeline runs into problems

The warning was there, just like what we are seeing with PennEast, and now the NJDEP needs to get involved. “We’ll drill through it, no problem” but you couldn’t. And the same will happen with Penn East and it will cost you a ton and you’ll take shortcuts and inflict even more damage. The lack of careful planning is so evident when you read the pipeline application in detail and it terrifies all of us.

Additional stories from other pipeline fights that outline the same concerns we have. Read these:

State must block gas pipeline

“The industry claims that this is a regional issue, and that gas is needed in New York City and Boston, but the pipes between Albany and these cities are already full of gas. In fact, the Massachusetts attorney general just issued a report confirming that New England does not need the gas. The report concludes that the region can meet its energy requirements in other ways.”

Keep fighting Pinelands pipeline scam

“The Pinelands Commission shot this project down in 2014 because of the threat to the region. The pipeline is set to run through a forest zone of the Pinelands, endangering wetlands, open spaces and water supplies. But in Christie’s view, such tree-hugging obstructionism needs to be overcome at all costs in the service of powerful corporate interests.”

That is all for today. Why do I include a PennEast pipeline update in this blog? I want you all to understand just how this pipeline process works and I hope you consider spreading the word. All of you are potentially impacted and no matter your feelings on natural gas, you cannot condone how this company has operated from the outset.

Thank you for reading.

New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on January 5, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Family .

I had planned on getting this post out last week, but you know, I kind of broke the internet, so it had to be delayed until today. I’m sure you’ve had your fill of “Year End Reviews” and “2016 New Year’s Resolutions” but I don’t care, this post is solely for me. Seriously, I throw no ill will your way if you want to bolt right now.

I get it.

Get out of here already.

No big proclamations this year and no epic New Year’s Resolutions to report (maybe 1-2 of those, but I can’t talk about them here). Instead, we’ll go with a series of easily attainable items as a means to pump up this serial underachiever. Low hanging fruit if you will.

If I can’t succeed in accomplishing at least 75% of these, there is officially no hope.

I will use this post to track my New Year’s Resolutions progress throughout the year to make sure I am on pace to accomplish my goals and will review them regularly with my supervisor. A mid year progress report will be compiled and shared with you all here.

Without further ado, my 2016 New Year’s Resolutions:

Stop drinking coffee at night – It all started ten years ago as a means to keep awake for the night shift after my daughter was born. It then transformed into a “reward” for myself after the kids were in bed each evening. It is now a full blown addiction and I’ve had enough. How many more times will I read about the importance of sleep and not do anything about it?

Truth is, I am already 4 nights in and no coffee. Instead, it has been replaced by a nightly “Calm” drink which is allegedly giving me my daily dose of calcium and potassium. Thanks Lorraine!

Make my kids watch the original “Star Wars” movie – Yes I know it isn’t close to the same experience I had back in 1977 as a 5 year old, but I owe it to them to at least give it a shot. We’ve tried for years now and they have shown little interest but with the release of the latest movie, now is the time to seize the opportunity. My fear is that what I find so charming now, they will find as poor and outdated technology.

A consolation prize would be if the theme song is added to either one of their playlists on Apple Music. And not this version:

Floss every night – No further explanation required. 2 out of 7 days isn’t cutting it and I’m sick of the dental hygienists giving me that look.

Read one book a month – Like I said, low hanging fruit. I’ve ignored books for years running now as they’ve been replaced by online reading/surfing. Yes, I do read intelligent and informative works online, but it doesn’t replace the book. I want to giggle, cry and cower in the corner with fear by March. No excuses.

Watch one soccer game, I mean match, in its entirety – What am I missing when 90% of the world is scary passionate about a game where .27 goals are scored per game?

Is it the magic of that one pass that is a thing of beauty? Is it the hilarity of grown men feigning injury every other play?

Eat vegetarian for one week – Lofty goals, eh? I’ve been threatening to do this for years and now is the time to see it through. I could give you a number of reasons as to why I want to do this, but for now it is really just to see if I can pull it off. Shouldn’t be too difficult since I grow a ton of veggies in my own garden.

Am I that reliant upon meat in my diet? Will I feel any different?

Cook one meal from scratch each month – I’m really exposing myself as non-evolved with these, damn. I admittedly get a panic attack whenever I ~~cook~~ prepare a meal. Multi-tasking is not a strong suit and it rears its ugly head when I’m in the kitchen. I hate trying to time it all to finish concurrently and the frustration leads to dumb mistakes and missed ingredients.

Maybe if I put together a schedule and prep way ahead of time, I can pull it off. If not, it still makes for great blog fodder.

Call a sports talk radio show – Just so I can say “first time caller, long time listener” and to make my future broadcaster son proud of me.

More videos on this blog – True confession – For Christmas, my wife presented me with a series of books that were basically 6 years of this blog converted into book form. I cried when I opened them. I shit you not. It was a biography of our family, not to mention like 10,167 plants, and the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received. That woman just gets it. Thank the high heavens she looked past my immaturity back in 1990 and agreed to go along for the ride.

So now I need to create more video here to further cement and document our place in this world. Hopefully the kids don’t get all sensitive on me and shy away. Videos of me cooking badly, videos of us training the dog, videos of actual good cooking skills from my wife and other dull everyday events that we’ll be thrilled we captured years from now.

Pretend to be a professional photographer for a day – I have to be honest here, this one has already been fully mapped out. The family is going to Florida in February to spend three days watching the New York Mets during Spring Training. For one of those days, I plan on wearing a homemade press pass around my neck and being obnoxious as I photograph the players doing their thing. Even if it gets me nowhere, I will still be able to provide you with killer pics like this when all is said and done.

At least finalize the “concept” for a gardening book – I have so many ideas swirling around in my noggin and it’s time to fine tune it down to one killer idea.

One more year out in the garden should be sufficient inspiration and if any of you have any great ideas you could always email me on the sly and I can pretend I came up with it.

Write for another blog/publication – It’s no secret, I love to write and I hope it isn’t too late to still try and pursue it as a vocation. Be it sports related, garden related or even cooking related (yeah you heard me), it’s time to stretch the wings even more. The worst someone can say is “No … and you really ought to pursue another line of work but damn you had the cajones to give it a try.”

Stop the PennEast pipeline – Want to feel the blood boil? Read this:

Signing Your Rights Away

I can vouch for it all having seen a copy of a friend’s letter myself. The way this company has operated from day one has been the opposite of transparent and their attempts to swindle people out of their land through purposely vague and deceitful means should piss you off to no end regardless of how you feel about natural gas.

In 2016, we blow their minds and put an end to their charade.

There you have it, my 2016 New Year’s Resolutions.

Grats.

The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Monthly Archives: January 2016

1977 Topps Baseball – Belloir, Kucek and Lindblad

Panicum Rotstrahlbusch

Top ten ornamental grasses

1977 Topps baseball cards

Winter garden appreciation

Puppy Kindergarten

Five ways I’m improving my well being

Confessions of a former lawn lover

PennEast pipeline update

New Year’s Resolutions

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