Family Archives - Page 5 of 10 - The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Avoiding pipeline talk plus our trip to Boston

Posted on August 5, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family .

Today I won’t be a downer by ranting and raving about pipelines or eminent domain or fracking.

I’m totally cool with the idea of giving up my land to a private company all in the name of the “local public good”. That “local public good” being the sheer enjoyment of seeing that fracked gas sent overseas.

I am not going to bring up the potential of losing all of that wonderfully wild growth at the back of my property.

Nor will I discuss the loss of the mass amount of milkweed plants I’ve been fortunate to gain over the years. You know, the only host plant for the ever shrinking population of Monarch butterflies.

I won’t wax poetic about the loss of numerous native perennials that I have witnessed self seeding for more than a decade.

You know, those perennials that draw in these types of visitors on a regular basis.

Lucky for you all, I won’t whine about the possible loss of my favorite solitary spot.

Or the loss of River Birch trees I planted myself over 5 years ago.

Nope. I won’t go there.

Instead of that, I’ll share photos of our recent trip to Boston. Hopefully it is a little more uplifting.

Being a baseball obsessed family and all, we couldn’t miss a trip to Fenway Park.

And how cool that we got to sit directly behind the legendary “Pesky Pole” on our inaugural visit.

She totally hated it.

We walked a good portion of the city including the green space/park that replaced the original elevated highway.

We hit up the infamous North End and all of its Italian glory.

Loads and loads of history revisited along the way.

A nice long walk along the Charles River.

And even a tour of Boston on the Duck boat/bus. Check out the following video with my daughter actually manning the boat and more importantly, soak in that fantastic Bah-ston accent from our stellar tour guide.

Duck boat video

And after all of that, we enjoyed hanging with family and doing … summer things.

A weekend of softball, baseball and a flooded basement

Posted on June 8, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

It all started around 5:30 on Friday afternoon. The work day was done and like a certain prehistoric icon of my youth, I was outta there.

Yabba Dabba Friggin Do!

First stop was to pick up a quick dinner so I could wolf it down on my way to the baseball field. Over the years, I’ve mastered the art of eating pizza via the “fold” while driving and most importantly without dripping on the pants. Do not try this at home, it takes years of practice and experience and I think you have to be from the Northeast in order to do it.

I arrive at the field with 5 minutes to spare. We are staring at three consecutive games Fri through Sunday if my son’s team could win that night. This has been the most enjoyable season to date so we are all in on a victory.

And they won.

Our weekend schedule was rather clear cut and a whole lot busier.

We’re cool with that.

We get home late on Friday night and after a second dinner for my always starving son, all is quiet by about 10:30 P.M. In a bold move, my wife and I decide to finish off the last two episodes of our latest must-watch-binge-TV show “Bloodline”. Two thumbs up from both of us on this messy family drama/mystery. Go watch it now and thank me later.

By 12:30 we are drained from the show (yes we are that dedicated) and from the prior week as well. Off to bed we go knowing my daughter has her last softball game at 9:00 A.M.

We make it to the field by 8:30 on Saturday morning, mega coffee mugs in hand. At times it was too hot, too cold, too foggy and too rainy, but we persevere and enjoy the hell out of it. This has been such a fun year with such a great group of kids and truly outstanding coaches. But more on that in a little bit.

With a few hours to spare before my son’s next game, we map out a plan to get some things done within the 4-5 hour window. Dry cleaning, food shopping and some other things are on the docket so we split up and dominate the task completions.

One task I may have failed to mention to my wife was the need to plant my three secretly purchased Veronica ‘First Love’ (I’m only slightly embarrassed to share that name with you).

With an hour to spare before heading out to the field, I sneak in a run. Truth is, I despise running. I’m a mouth breather so while running I look like I am going to keel over at any time. But damn, once that runner’s high kicks in it is heavenly. Eyes sting from sweat, calves are burning and the possibility of being attacked by a coyote all make it worth while. I’m ready to take on the remainder of the weekend.

Fast forward to 9:00 and my son’s team has been eliminated from the playoffs. The kids are distraught but we do get one more game the following day so they look forward to a less pressure filled consolation game.

That night my wife and I decide to watch a movie. A real uplifting tale known as “Still Alice”. Yes that was sarcastic, but it was a great movie with a better performance from Julianne Moore. She suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s disease so it is heartbreaking to watch her slowly deteriorate. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and it was so difficult to watch my grandfather not understand her condition. It didn’t seem fair to live out their final years that way so my wife and I are very sensitive to it. And now of course we continue to test each other’s memory in a fit of panic. Great way to go to bed on a Saturday night.

Sunday morning is casual as we have nowhere to be until 3:00 in the afternoon. My wife makes pancakes, we drink tons of coffee, the kids obsess over the Game Show Network and we all chill.

Around 12:00 or so, I decide to head to the basement for a quick exercise session. I know, you are impressed by my dedication. Well just know that the session never came to be … and here is why.

As I completed the descent into the basement and glanced ahead to the weight bench I noticed something didn’t seem right. Is it normal to step into 2 inches of water down here? I didn’t think so.

After gathering myself and fighting off the panic attack, the “water leak detective” kicked in. Is it our hot water heater? Did the dish washer leak underneath? Nope and nope. Upon further inspection, it was clear that the sump pump wasn’t operating. Oh good, that will play out nicely. I immediately ran upstairs, informed the family that I’ll be out of commission for hours and began sopping it all up with the wet vac.

Two hours later I had taken care of the bulk of it and had a decision to make. Skip the last game and jump on replacing the sump pump or take care of it later that night. My instinct was to skip the game, but I relented and we were all in attendance together.

I don’t even remember the final score but do remember how sad we were to see it end. Another year in the books. My son will be 13 in July so who knows how many more baseball seasons we have left. What I do know is just how fantastic this season was.

There are a lot of knocks against organized sports and crazy coaches and spoiled kids. In many cases, I’ve seen that to be true. But not this year, not by a long shot. Between my daughter’s team and my son’s team, I’ve seen what it means to have great coaches, great parents and great kids. The kids were not only coached well, but coached fairly and treated with unbelievable respect. That results in an experience they will never forget and cherish for the rest of their lives.

And back to the sump pump.

Luckily we had no additional rain so the basement wasn’t a complete washout by the time we returned home. We picked up a new sump pump and thank the good lord above, my brother-in-law/neighbor put it in for me and taught me a hell of a lot along the way. I think I now owe him a new 30′ x 30′ garden bed or some new grasses … if he allows me to put it in.

While the pump is fixed, we still have a problem with the pipe that drains the water away from the house. The best guess is that an animal is stuck in the pipe (probably one of those frickin rabbits) and for the life of me, we cannot locate where it all drains. Because of that, I am waiting for Roto Rooter to show up any minute now. Writing is how I handle stress these days so that is why you have had to put up with this long winded post.

But there is more.

I have been digging through our old house records to see if we had anything that indicated where the sump pump pipe could be located. In doing so, I came across this.

The letter that the young couple who purchased our old home had sent to us back in 2004. My wife cried like a baby when she read it the first time and in fact, cried again today when I sent it to her via text.

I also found this stuck in between a few old papers.

My son, not even two years old, harassing me while I was trying to work. I kid you not, within seconds of taking this picture, he broke the letter “g” on my keyboard and for years after that, I had to make a specific pressing motion to get the “g” to appear. I would like to go back in time and laugh more at that mishap. And rub his curls a few times.

One last memory for ~~you~~ me. This was the brochure when our old house was up for sale.

This is where all of the early garden experimentation started. I laugh now reading the description of the home as having “beautiful perennial gardens”. They were OK at best, but damn if I don’t remember the time spent in that backyard tinkering with the Coreopsis and Sedum, knowing my two favorite people in the universe were waiting for me inside.

A special time and place and for today, a nice escape from the smell of stagnant water and pipe glue.

Thanks for doing me a solid if you made it this far.

John

Peonies, magic juice and many others have arrived

Posted on June 1, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Family .

This has been by far the latest the peonies have bloomed in ten years, but as usual, they were well worth the wait.

My one white peony, planted in Fall of 2013, is blooming for the very first time.

As for the indestructible ‘Bowl of Beauty’, they look as good as ever upon the first wave of blooms.

And all of the peonies are literally covered with paper wasps (?).

But of all the plants, nothing is a bigger creature magnet right now than the Baptisia.

Speaking of Baptisia, the ‘Carolina Moon’ is thriving right now as seen emerging above the also emerging Switch Grass (Panicum).

And that Panicum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ is already showing signs of that great red leaf blade color.

Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Diablo’ is blooming as well.

As is Nepeta (Catmint) ‘Walker’s Low’.

Veronica (Speedwell) ‘Royal Candles’ has emerged within the last week.

Sitting in a wet spot has been no problem at all for Carex grayi. The unique seedheads add a sweet touch to these sedges.

As the years go by, I find myself disinterested in white blooms unless they are in a shaded spot. They just seem too difficult to work with in a bright area. As a result, I’ll immediately remove the blooms of these Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’ and enjoy the foliage on its own.

How friggin awesome does the Lady’s Mantle look in the late day sun?

As I may have mentioned in the past, I do not have many mature trees on my property. But after 5 years now, the River Birches are looking great.

Big bro taking batting practice from our new found softball hurler.

And finally, another happy birthday shout-out to my partner in crime, confidante, best friend and soul mate. Everything great in my life is because of you. Thank you.

The peonies couldn’t have timed it any better by the way.

Before I ride off, a little info on that cocktail above.

It is called “magic juice” and in the spririt of all things social media, the recipe was sent to me by my wife a few weeks ago via Pinterest. Like she forwarded a pin to one of my Pinterest boards or something. Welcome to 2015, when a husband has never had it easier than just glancing at his wife’s extensive Pinterest boards for ideas for all occasions.

If you are interested in the magic juice recipe, check it out here. And please let me know what you think. I am not a sweet drink guy by any means and this is the farthest thing from it. The best way to describe it is: simply refreshing.

You are welcome.

The Frenchtown Memorial Day Parade

Posted on May 26, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family, Local .

Trying to impress

Posted on May 18, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Family .

Cohesion might be an issue today.

I am painfully exhausted after a weekend executing plan “Weed Shock and Awe”.

I got up at 6:00 on both Saturday and Sunday morning and spent two hours each day weeding like a man possessed. The hope was that the ferocity of my weed removal would send a message to other newly forming weeds that there was a new sheriff in town. Think twice before you decide to put on 6 inches of new growth in one day, because I’ll destroy you. I was that bad ass.

Admittedly, my relentless and focused demeanor was impressive and while the results were substantial, I’m still not comfortable sharing them with you. There is still a ways to go and only then will I share my success. To do so now would be weak and unearned.

While part of my motivation was to remove unwanted visitors who were uglying up the joint, my main driver was the arrival of my in-laws who are staying with us for the week. And I mean that in the best way possible.

No one amongst my family, friends and neighbors takes more of an interest in my garden than my mother-in law. She gets in the mix and takes in all of the plants up close and personal. She is interested in the names of the plants and their preferred growing conditions. She puts up with me using the Latin names. She remembers when some of the plants were just babies. She asks for advice and welcomes my rambling responses. It is awesome.

Because of this, I owe her a garden that doesn’t appear to be neglected or under construction. It is a time for me to make it some what presentable and I like that. A pause in the constant tinkering and shuffling of plants. A mini garden tour if you will. I enjoy prepping for it even if I put it all off until two days prior to her arrival.

After the work was done and the calf cramps had passed (I never remember if you are supposed to point the toes out or towards you) I finally had a chance to take in the garden in a non task-oriented way this evening. I was wobbly and a bit disoriented but managed to snap off some photos along the way and I’ll do my best to add some ~~unnecessary~~ much needed commentary. I apologize in advance if it makes zero sense.

This is relatively young Lilac and it is fully blooming for the first time. I tried to capture it best with this shot.

Looks OK but I really like this pic better.

And the reason is I love the peony blooms in the background. Come to think of it, I like peony buds more than I like the actual flowers in bloom. The buds equal promise and sometimes promise is better than the actual delivery. Well that and the blooms haven’t weighed down to the ground, been eaten by the deer or have disappeared within two days.

Allium ‘Globemaster’ makes a statement like no other while in bloom. Soon it will be inundated with bees and creatures and will be the star of the garden. It even kicks butt when the blooms fade as it takes on an architectural quality.

And the Baptisia in the back are quite lovely as well ain’t they. Speaking of Baptisia (I’m nailing the transitions today like an 11:00 news anchor) …

The Baptisia blooms are working their way up the stem just like science says they are supposed to.

Soon enough, this view will dominate.

I was taking a macro shot of this Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ flower (I know, enough already) …

… when the guy below arrived. How convenient for this budding professional photgrapher.

All of the ‘Blue Ice’ are ready to explode, just in time to replace the “purple/blue” view afforded by the quickly fading Ajuga blooms.

Still haven’t divided those Siberian irises I’ve been threatening to attend to for two years now, They will be blooming within days so missed opportunity number 1. Will now have to accomplish post bloom. Chances of that happening? Slightly better than me watching an episode of the Kardashians.

I think my severe pruning of the Salix pissed it off and now it is going to take over and eat all of its surrounding neighbors. Wow.

Transition to be nailed yet again … the other the severely cut back shrub from weeks ago, the Redtwig Dogwood, woke up and removed all of my panic and potential regrets.

I hate to admit this, but I never heard of a Diervilla … so I bought one.

Hot damn, the color of Ninebark ‘Amber Jubilee’ is awesome.

An open letter to my brother in law

Posted on April 29, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family .

Dear “brother-in-law” (name removed to protect the innocent):

I hope you realize what you have stepped into. Things will be dramatically different from here on out. Life as you know it, or knew it, is gone. And it all changed the moment you sent me this text (verbatim):

“Thanks for the Panicum tip. Thoughts on either Karl Foerster or Fountain Grass?”

Sigh.

I’ve been waiting for this day for a long ass time.

You are no longer just my BIL, you are part of something much bigger now. A secret society of sorts, one in which we duck out during family functions and all I have to say to you is “Rots” (more on that later) and we both know exactly what we are talking about. The first rule of Grass Club is that you don’t talk about Grass Club. Grass is no longer what you cut once a week in spring and summer. It goes much, much deeper.

The fact that you live a stone’s throw from my humble country abode makes a lot of sense now. Fate brought you here. For too long it was just me and my silly named grasses. Now I have a neighbor who gets it.

Remember that movie “What About Bob”? I’ll be a kinder and safer version of that lunatic. Just don’t be surprised if I’m peeking in your window looking for a chance to talk about cool season vs. warm season grasses.

In fact, I’ve already taken the liberty of sharing my massive grass collection with you. You don’t know it yet, but one of the Panicum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ I had set aside two years ago with the optimism that I could give it to someone in the future …

… is now in your possession.

You are most welcome. And by the way, it is known among us grassophiles as “Rots”. This is what she looks like in all her glory in July.

You know, you remind me of a young me. Just dipping your toes into the world of plants but with a desire for information and an interest to know more than the common folk. And since you’ve been saving me from myself by acting as our handyman for the better part of 19 years now (and your 4 year old son helped me lay tile last week), consider what I’m about to tell you as small payback for your generosity.

Here are 5 things that will happen to you over the next 6 months. It will be confusing and exhilarating at the same time but just allow it to wash over you.

1. Odd numbers. While secretly planting your grass I noticed two Salvia planted nearby. Soon you will learn the mistake of your ways and make it three. And you will look at everything in the world in terms of odds and evens and realize odds always feels better.

2. You may like the look of mulch now but soon you will see your young plants fill in and want to add as many more as possible. You’ll also soon realize more plants equals fewer weeds and THAT is the only real solution to combating the weeds.

3. You will realize flowers are fleeting and that there will be a need to focus more on foliage. I will smile like a proud parent when you ask me about Bugbane.

4. Our conditions suck, like big time. You will fail with many plants and I will let you do it. It is part of the learning process and a vital step to becoming a true gardener. It will eventually lead you down the path to native plants. I predict by 2017 you will have at least one Amsonia in your garden (or sooner if the plant fairy pays a visit one night).

5. This one will excite and frustrate. Like myself, you have a large property here in the NJ countryside. There is always room for another garden bed. Dreams of sweeping curves and borders will dance in your head. Embrace it. It stimulates the mind and leads to killer forearms.

I hope this letter finds you well and I hope you truly are a convert. It is magical and I’ve got a ton of plants with your name on it.

Good times.

P.S. – I hope you’re cool with me sharing your garden now and in the future with millions of readers all over the world.

Our weekend

Posted on April 13, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family, Spring .

Now that was a solid weekend.

The weather finally cooperated and the softball season kicked off in style.

Later that night, a walk over the Delaware river for ice cream at sunset.

The first flower of the year revealed itself.

With others soon on their way.

Hours were spent outside cleaning up the garden, getting her ready for the season and obtaining a solid sunburn. It’s amazing what a little sunshine and warmer temps will do for the soul. I am one invigorated mo fo.

The clean up revealed more perennials letting me know they are on their merry way.

Most of the ornamental grasses were cut down albeit later than in years past because of the long winter/spring.

It was a chance to get down on the hands and knees and observe off season developments like with this Itea and its newly shedded bark.

What was a dead foliage playground has returned back to bare ground with only hints of plant life.

I even had a chance to do some garden analysis. This view is my newest obsession. This is what I see each day as I pull into my driveway. It is time to expand it further.

It looks OK in the summer.

But we’re ready to expand that bad boy. Take notice of the orange extension cord. We’ll soon be filling it all in with cardboard I’ve been hoarding all winter so we can kill that grass and plant more.

We made it out to our favorite pepper and tomato nursery, Cross Country Nursery, which is literally within walking distance from our house. The selection is off the hook so on our first run of the season we stocked up on poblanos, jalapenos, basil and a bunch of tomato plants. We will be back again in the near future.

Hell, I even brought in the cut branches of the Redtwig Dogwood and Dappled Willow because I’m like a totally kick ass interior decorator.

You know you are impressed.

It was all then topped off with a fresh grapefruit and tequila cocktail.

Good times.

Our trip to Washington DC

Posted on March 31, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family .

We just returned from a long weekend spent in Washington DC and we are happy to report that is was enjoyed by all. Here is a recap of the trip, with details both big and small, along with some commentary that I am in dire need of sharing. I’ll even throw in some learned tips because I am that generous.

The drive from New Jersey to Washington DC

Lunch purchased ahead of time at Wegmans (the Holy Grail) because that is how we roll. Tip#1 – Sushi enjoyed in the close quarters of a car doesn’t smell so great.
Driving is always a nice time to get reacquainted with your significant other as the kids tune out with their respective devices.
Tip #2 – Always use Google for navigation. We hit major traffic approaching DC and Google lady coached us around it. She even had traffic nailed to the second.

Evening#1 at the hotel

We arrive late so no plans to visit any museums or monuments. Dinner is within the hotel so an easy walk and chance to game plan … and enjoy some beverages.
Tip #3 – Kids just want to swim more than anything else. Seriously, we could have driven to any random town in NJ and stayed at the local hotel and the kids would have been thrilled. Swimming and staying in a hotel room is all they need. So we swam after dinner and they loved it.
Tip #4 – Beware of traveling during Spring Break. Especially to tourist destinations like Washington DC. There were young teenagers everywhere and I would estimate that 90% of them are a-holes. And many of the chaperones aren’t far behind.
Tip #5 – All kids are restless sleepers. I’ve never witnessed so much tossing and turning in my life. To say sleep was limited is an understatement.

Full Day # 1 – National Archives and Newseum

A quick Metro ride and we are in the heart of the city.

While it is clear and sunny, it doesn’t feel a bit like “spring”.

National Archives

The National Archives is tremendous as we were able to see the original Declaration of Independence, Magna Carta and Constitution.
My son clearly knows more about all of these documents and their history so it was fun to allow him to educate us.

Newseum

The Newseum was an absolute favorite judging by the fact that we spent nearly five hours there and could have done many more.
Pieces of the actual Berlin Wall started us off and the kids were intrigued immediately.

We slowly worked our way down starting with this roof top view on the Family Terrace. An awesome view of Pennsylvania Ave.

Highlights included the 9/11 Gallery which was emotional and powerful as told through the eyes of the journalists who were there that day. Tip #6 – Be wary with young children at this gallery. My 12 y/o son handled it OK but my 8 y/o daughter never grasped the magnitude of that day before. She had a rough time with it.
This photo below is a collage of all of the world’s/state’s issues that next day.

The FBI exhibit covered 9/11, Waco, the Unabomber, Patty Hearst and others. We read every last detail and again, I think some of it was a bit much for the kids but we also don’t believe in shielding them from everything.
The Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery moved us more than anything else that day with some of the images familiar but many others never seen before. We shielded the kids from a few of these but they were in awe of those they witnessed. Wow.

Dinner at Founding Farmers

Quick cab ride down Pennsylvania Ave from Newseum. Tip #7 – DC cab drivers are a dream compared to those in NYC.
You must order the skillet corn bread, kettle corn, pot roast and farmhouse platter. We had all of these and loved them.
The kids are learning to appreciate local and carefully crafted food/drink. Nice.

Evening #2 post dinner

More swimming.
Teenagers acting like savages in the pool.
Threatening my son if he ever acts like what we witnessed in the pool.

Full day #2 – college visit and chilling with friends

We took a short drive to visit a soon to be graduating family member at Mary Washington University. We are friggin old.
Brunch out an awesome local joint and a chance to catch up and tour of the mind of a soon to be graduate.
The roommates were still sleeping post brunch (I miss college) so we hung outdoors for a bit. Is this not classic college set-up?

I wish my college home had bulbs and a garden.

Evening #3 – dinner with friends and an evening tour of monuments

Drinks at the hotel. Even the kids got in on the action.

Dinner at an old favorite from back in the late 90’s – Uncle Julio’s
Cabs to the Jefferson Memorial.

All were in great spirits (pun intended) and enjoying the moment.

The perfect occasion for the ultimate group selfie.

As we walked through the brisk evening air, I longed for finally seeing the cherry blossoms but we were a bit too early.

My best attempt at framing the Washington Monument through a cherry tree.

We took a quick tour through the FDR Memorial and I was taken by one particular quote more than all of the others.

And finally, a stop at the relatively new Martin Luther King Memorial.

Last day – National Zoo and then time to head home

Of course, the biggest draw is the panda exhibit and it didn’t disappoint, except for the crowds who acted like it was New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Adults pushing children is always a joy to see.

I love me some Golden Lion Tamarins.

And elephants entertaining the crowds that are watching them.

And the always entertaining Meerkats.

But no mammal is more fascinating than the “guy with a selfie stick posing in front of the mongoose display”. Identity protected because I am a responsible journalist.

The only thing more fascinating than selfie guy was the tons of mulch being blown all over the zoo. Look at this major faux pas. Are you kidding with that mulch?

All in all, a vacation to remember. One that was educational, emotional and silly all at the same time. I’ll say it again, may they not get a day older any time soon.

Signs of spring

Posted on March 11, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family, Spring .

The first signs of spring have arrived in my garden here in New Jersey and with that news in mind, allow me to break out my Kevin Bacon “Footloose” dance moves.

Seriously, I promised my wife one day I would learn this entire dance and perform it for the family. It is equal parts awesome and ridiculously goofy, yet I am consumed with it. When the day comes that I have it mastered, I promise you it will be revealed here first.

Speaking of dancing, I haven’t truly “danced” since my own wedding over 18 years ago. Prior to that, I kind of thought I was a decent dancer for a gawky 6 foot 3 male. I was fearless and had no issue with letting it all hang out. I was even known for doing a solid running man.

However, upon further reveal (specifically my wedding VHS tape) it turns out I am an embarrassment to male dancing. Like cringe worthy bad. And even worse than the lack of rhythm was the facial expressions that accompanied the dancing. An awful overbite mixed with false bravado. Brutal. I vowed from that moment forward to never dance again and other than some alcohol induced wedding screeching/singing/hopping, I haven’t busted a move since.

But if I can master the Footloose dance without anyone seeing the prep work involved, I’m willing to come out of retirement. If it’s quality, I look great and it goes viral. If it’s horrendous, the comedy value will still be worth it … and it goes viral. It seems a lot less intimidating to mimic an existing dance rather than freestyling on my own.

So let’s dance our way back to the signs of spring.

Seeing these irises emerging is incredibly exciting, even if they are still surrounded by a foot of snow.

Yes, a single crocus stem is enough to get the juices flowing this time of year.

After seeing these signs of greenery, I made an announcement to all of the deer that were within earshot. Gardening John is back and if you know what is good for you, you’ll head out immediately.

With that intimidating declaration, the deer obliged and headed for cover.

With signs of spring here, game is officially on.

2015 Mets Spring Training: Day 3

Posted on March 3, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

The last day of our “Escape to Mets Camp” was Sunday and unlike all of the other days, we were welcomed by this unfamiliar site.

I googled it and learned it is referred to as “sunshine”. What a neat concept. I like it.

So if day one was about the initial excitement and day two was about perseverance, then day three was about … a few different things:

Soaking it all in – while Jack was on the autograph hunt, I reminded myself to take it slow, enjoy the experience, carefully observe and realize just how damn unforgettable this was going to be.
Jealousy – to be so young with your future still out ahead of you. To make a living out of your passion – for the players, coaches and media, etc. To be a 12 year old without a care in the world. Not to mention the joy that is that giant yellow orb in the sky.
Jealousy turning to determination – for my son, I want to do all I can to allow him to pursue his dreams while keeping him on track but not meddling too much. Easy right? For me, even at 42 years of age, I CAN still follow my passions and enjoy the journey.

With that as the backdrop, here is the story of two dudes; one mature/devastatingly handsome/well seasoned/world wise … and the other his father. Read on as they tour Mets spring training camp in Port St. Lucie, FL on March 1, 2015.

Game on at 9:30 AM after having arrived at 8:00, iced coffee in hand, to watch the players arrive in their ridiculously expensive rides. And maybe a scream or ten for an autograph.

Since Jack and I were now experts on how to navigate the Mets workout, we wandered off on our own while the players stretched and the majority of the fans looked on in awe.

I decided to capture the calm before the storm on the various fields.

We then regrouped in time to catch the end of the stretch and inspirational message from the coaches.

And then they were off to their assigned drills in what appeared to be controlled chaos. One of the cool things here was the high fives given to the kids along the pathways.

While my son wandered to and fro and managed to score some free baseballs from the coaches, I settled in at infield practice. There I witnessed the familiar David Wright field, hop and throw we’ve come accustomed to the past ten years.

But even more interesting was watching the Mets manager, Terry Collins, closely monitoring his two shortstops. One of the biggest concerns this season is the defense provided at SS. You could sense the tension as Terry paced the field like an expectant father.

I then followed him to another field where his dynamic pitchers were practicing fielding drills. He said very little and just observed. That said a lot.

A quick stop to watch Bobby Parnell warm-up. To me, there is something fascinating and almost magical about a pitcher’s wind-up. To see someone throw 90 mph up close is beyond impressive. A true art form.

And then Jack and I made our smartest move of the day. No, it wasn’t putting on sunscreen. We got first in line at the batting cages and just patiently waited for the arrival of the players. One by one they poured in and we had front row access to witness their swings and baseballish banter.

Brandon Nimmo, the nicest and most accessible Met in camp.

Noah Syndergaard in what looks like the perfect baseball pose. I guarantee it is on a future baseball card. And that hair, chin line and beard is kind of awesome. To be in my early 20’s again.

Seriously, is there a better color combo on a baseball uniform?

I had to convince Jack not to steal a protein shake when no one was looking.

David Wright and Michael Cuddyer, friends from way back in the day, are the true leaders of this team and that was obvious throughout the three days we were there. And they are obviously besties.

And then our strategy paid off big time.

Autograph from David Wright.

And Zack Wheeler.

And Noah Syndergaard.

And Wilmer Flores.

After that nice run, there were two players that remained elusive and basically shunned signing for anyone.

That would be Matt Harvey …

… and Jacob de Grom.

I understand they are the two “hottest” signatures to obtain, but if David Wright can take the time out each practice to sign for all, especially the kids, so can they.

Oh well. A challenge for next spring.

By 12:30, after getting some additional autographs and watching David Wright, Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares tear it up at batting practice, we called it a day.

We hit up Duffy’s for lunch for a third time and chilled out with our haul and our sunburns. Jack was thrilled with how day three turned out and appeared ready to head back home to the NJ.

After lunch ended, we had about two hours to kill before heading to the airport so I suggested we drive back to Tradition Field and take some pictures of the stadium now that it was empty. Lo and behold, we pulled in and some of our fellow diehards were still there. Apparently some of the players were still in the locker room so the ~~stalkers~~ fans could still get one last glimpse.

As expected, Jack jumped out of the car and took up his favorite position by the media gate.

And wouldn’t you know it, he got a few more autographs including #3 on the back of his shirt – Curtis Granderson.

Once it was confirmed by the security guard that the last player left, I finally saw Jack admit to himself it was over and let out a sigh.

Our father/son adventure had come to an end and while we were both exhausted and devastated to see it end, we both knew it exceeded even our lofty expectations. It truly was a time neither of us will ever forget.

Until we do it again next year …

And in 2017 …

Because we know it’s happening.

EPILOGUE

Our flight back to NJ was delayed and we didn’t land in the Trenton airport until 12:20.

We then waited 40 minutes for the staff to de-ice the ramp off of the plane.

Even after that it took 10 minutes just to walk down the ramp.

After an icy walk to the car, I had to remove three inches of ice off of my car and broke the scraper half way through. I chopped the rest with my elbow.

The drive home took an hour and fifteen minutes instead of 35 minutes because of the road conditions.

I almost hit three deer.

We walked into the house at 2:45 AM.

Jack stayed home from school.

I went to work after four hours of sleep.

I still have a stye in my eye.

I hate NJ.

THE END

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The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Category Archives: Family

Avoiding pipeline talk plus our trip to Boston

A weekend of softball, baseball and a flooded basement

Peonies, magic juice and many others have arrived

The Frenchtown Memorial Day Parade

Trying to impress

An open letter to my brother in law

Our weekend

Our trip to Washington DC

Signs of spring

2015 Mets Spring Training: Day 3

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