Letter from the Editor: Resolve to Evolve
New Year's resolutions—a bit late.
It’s that time when we put forth our New Year’s resolutions, everything from losing weight to being kinder and gentler. What’s that you say? I’m a couple of months late? Well, we here at the magazine work so far ahead (or is it behind?) that I forgot all about my goals for 2019 until a couple of weeks ago. But here goes. For the remaining 10 months, I resolve to:
1. Cease putting notes on my office building’s malfunctioning vending machine that say, “You owe me 85 cents for Oreos—Suite 201.’’ They’ve never stopped by to pay up.
2. Refrain from sending emails that say, “Let me know if you didn’t get this.’’
3. Avoid restaurants whose servers squat beside the table to take your order.
4. Come up with a more inspiring pep talk for myself while driving to work other than “Whoa, at least I’m not that guy…’’
5. Ignore messages from senders who say they’re “circling back’’ to check on something.
6. Never write another dumb column that says I’m going to lose 50 pounds (March 2018. I didn’t).
7. Fill out more NCAA basketball tourney brackets. True, the odds of picking a perfect one are 9 quintillion to one—that’s 9 followed by 18 zeroes, aka 2 to the 63rd power— but that’s totally doable.
8. Buy more Powerball tickets. Those winning odds are only 292 million to one. Again, doable.
And finally, I plan to wake up and smell the coffee. And I don’t mean the garden-variety Double Ralph Macchio Half-Caff Soy Drizzle creation you might order, or the bland K-cup concoction I walk out of my condo holding most mornings. I’m talking the rich brews being offered by local independent roasters and coffee shops that source from single-grower farms. Joseph Hayes tells why you should care about the farm-to-roaster-to-cup process and offers a comprehensive guide to where you can procure that great coffee in O-town, while at the same time helping to bring a bit more happiness to the world.
Elsewhere in this issue, the busy Mr. Hayes talks to chef legend Wolfgang Puck about his just-opened Bar & Grill venture at Disney Springs. In Extra Pulp, columnist Laura Anders Lee says she’d rather be a retro mom than a helicopter parent. We look at the phenomenon of living room and backyard concerts, something that independent musicians depend on more than you might think. Body & Soul briefs you on the concept of high-intensity interval training (think less exercise time but more effort). Our “Story of’’ feature outlines what’s involved in being a drone pilot. The Getaway feature takes you to Portland, Oregon, where the main draws are quirkiness and the great outdoors. And be sure to check out our annual listing of Top Dentists, featuring 220 professionals chosen by their peers for excellence; there’s an informative Q&A section you’ll not want to miss.
Finally, it’s time to pick the Best of ORL in our annual poll. There are dozens of categories, including favorite eateries, personalities, shops, consumer services—and, yes, community coffee shop. Just check out the new easier-to-navgate ballot. Deadline to vote is May 1.
