I’m on deadline with this January issue. As a result, I’ve been sitting at the desk in my basement for nearly 10 hours straight. On my only break, I ran upstairs for 15 minutes and made a salad, eating it in front of the computer, with my keyboard balanced on my lap.
I am parched and have not drunk nearly enough water. I am suited up for a run, yet I have not stepped outside, and now it is too late to get a few miles in — I simply can’t see well enough in the dark.
My teenaged son is playing a video game across the room, and I am worried he is spending too much time in front of a screen.
My back is sore from sitting all day. I made the mistake of checking a news alert on my phone, and now I am stressed out about the pandemic.
Ironically, I just finished editing our self-care feature and recognize all the things I could be doing better. Today, getting this magazine to the printer is my top priority, but usually I make time to practice habits that preserve my health and sanity. I know how lucky I am and that others are struggling with far more serious problems. Everyone needs a little TLC.
If you make a New Year’s resolution in 2021, consider putting your own well-being first. In “Calm Mind, Healthy Body” on Page 78, we offer insight and tips on sleep, meditation, mental health, yoga and nutrition to help you tend to your mind, body and spirit during these especially stressful times.
Greg Weatherford’s profile of Bill Martin, longtime director of The Valentine, starts on Page 72, and the feature brought back a vivid memory of my first encounter with Martin when I was a new reporter back in 1993. He gave me a hard-hat tour of Valentine Riverside, the ill-fated extension of the museum at Tredegar Iron Works. Valentine Riverside did not last long, but Martin stuck with The Valentine, and today it’s difficult to think about one without the other.
In this issue we also take a look at some new restaurants — including a handful of new pizzerias — in “Brave New World” (Page 64). According to recent data from Yelp, restaurants are opening “at a higher rate than one might expect.” That is true in the Richmond region, where, even as local restaurants are closing due to the economic stress of the pandemic, many new dining establishments are opening up, too. Don’t expect to find new fine-dining concepts, however. These new spots focus on casual fare, beverages and items that do well as takeout. Eateries with ample outdoor space, such as the new Blue Atlas in Fulton Hill, are especially fortunate. I admire their optimism and wish them longevity.
