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NHS admission over chronic pain treatment waiting times
A patient has forced NHS Scotland to admit that waiting times for chronic pain treatment are even longer than previously reported.
A report released last week revealed that some patients were waiting up to two years to see a specialist.
After it emerged one patient waited two and a half years to see a psychologist, NHS Forth Valley said there had been an "administrative error" in the report.
The board is investigating the mistake and working to reduce waiting times.
The originally reported mean waiting time to see a psychologist through NHS Forth Valley, 36 weeks, was half that of the actual figure, 78 weeks.
The health board has insisted they sent the correct information to Healthcare Improvement Scotland, but the published error was only brought to light after a complaint from patient Kenny Boyle.
Mr Boyle injured his back playing sports 15 years ago while living in London, and said that when he moved back home to Alloa seven years ago he hoped to receive similar care in Scotland to that in the capital.
However, the 46-year-old found himself on a waiting list for several years, and was thus shocked to read that NHS Forth Valley had listed average waiting times in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report.
Specialist treatment
"Pain management in Scotland is non-existent," he said.
"For the best part of three years, the only way I was dealing with my pain was through anger.
"I'd made requests to see a psychologist, and that took two and a half years of me making a pain in the backside of myself - I was just going up and down waiting lists.
"I was awaiting the report on chronic pain coming out, but within 20 minutes of reading it I was finding discrepancies with my actual experiences."
The Healthcare Improvement Scotland report initially cited NHS Forth Valley's mean waiting time for access to a psychologist as 36 weeks.
However, Mr Boyle had letters proving he had waited two and a half years to see a specialist - and the health board's mean waiting time in the report was subsequently more than doubled, to 78 weeks.
'No accountability'
Mr Boyle said: "If an untrained person like me can look at it for 20 minutes and rip holes right through it, the report isn't fit for purpose. It's on its third version already and it's a week old.
"Things like the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act and this report are just political window-dressing - there's no real accountability."
Chronic pain - defined as pain lasting more than 12 weeks, despite treatment - affects about 18% of the population, or 800,000 people in Scotland.
Mr Boyle, who has been unable to work due to his condition, wants patients to be able to seek treatment in neighbouring health boards if their local ones offer insufficient choices.
"Ultimately, I want the NHS to take patients more seriously, and offer more patient choice," he said.
"As it stands there's more chance of me getting a sex change on the NHS than getting treatment for my pain."
'Administrative error'
A spokeswoman for NHS Forth Valley said the board had submitted the correct information to Health Improvement Scotland, but neither body noticed when the incorrect figures were printed due to an "administrative error".
She said: "We are currently working with HIS to look into how this error happened and are also reviewing our own systems for checking and approving future reports.
"We recognise that some patients have experienced very long waits to see a psychologist and action is already being taken to improve performance.
"Additional temporary psychology staff have recently been employed to run additional clinics and priority is being given to patients who have been waiting the longest."
The spokeswoman added: "As a result, our waiting times have reduced significantly in the last six months and our current average wait is around 31 weeks. We have also recently advertised for additional permanent psychology support to help manage future demand."


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This melancholy kid doesn't seem to have very much luck with pets or siblings.
My Dad is a Scoundrel!
This very indignant kid seems destined to be a vegetarian.
Meng JiangNv Cries the Great Wall Down
Seeing as how I just got back from a trip to the Wall myself, I figured I'd stay on that theme. This traditional and very famous story, called 孟姜女哭长城 mèng jiāng nǚ kū cháng chéng, is set in the Qin Dynasty, and is super sad in the way that only East Asian stories can be sad (are we noticing a trend, here?). If you're the "watches a lot of anime" type, you'll easily find the beauty here (which lies in the power of tears – where else?), but if you like your fairy-tale endings, prepare for a big downer.
Recipe: Zha Jiang Mian Noodles Topped with Soy Bean Paste and Beer Sauce
Nom! Perfect summer snack. Here's a CRP first driven by a) hunger and b) the ever-present need for a new post. Not only am I going to translate this recipe, I'm going to try to make it as well (god save you all). We'll be reading the recipe for (and then making) 炸酱面 zhá jiàng miàn, which is a thick ground pork sauce over fresh noodles topped with sliced cucumber, but as I'm vegetarian, I'll be leaving the pork out. However, the recipe I'm translating does have pork in it, and this sauce really is good with pork, so feel free to put it in according to the Chinese recipe or leave it out and just use the shitake mushrooms, like I do.
This is an upper-beginner or low-intermediate level text. It's good for beginner readers in the sense that a) it's short, and b) it's extremely repetitive – if you can puzzle out the first two or three sentences, the rest should be clear. To get you going, it might be worth noting there that the protagonist is a small blade of (or lump of, or field of – it's never really defined) grass named "YinYin" (小草银银), who keeps asking one particular favor of each season.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday, November 30, 2006
Edit and Winnow
When I moved to New York, I considered leaving my new library field and attempting to join a publishing house instead. After an entry-level editor friend of mine told me that she earned 5k less than I did, I decided to stay with the library system. I'm glad I did. The few manuscripts for which I did provide feedback were not ready for any sort of professional representation. I would have easily become burnt-out and overwhelmed by the volume of badly written manuscripts.
The book I just reviewed for SLJ was not badly-written. However, I don't believe it was ready for publication. I would probably have thought the same thing about Eragon, had I received a copy of the book for review. Several times I have tried to read Eragon because of patrons' enthusiastic recommendations. I have never been able to get past the first paragraph:
Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world. A tall Shade lifted his head and sniffed the air. He looked human except for his crimson hair and maroon eyes.
Once I read "crimson hair and maroon eyes," I stepped off the boat. When I was an avid child and young adult reader, I finished every book I started. I couldn't help it. I was addicted to the discovery of what-happens-next. As an adult (and parent of a toddler) my attention span has become short and skittery. I have no patience for "vivid imagery" that evokes headaches.
Hey. I spent my grade school years glutting sentences with adjectives from the weekly spelling lists. Now, I'm spending the rest of my life learning to winnow.
10 comments:
- galetea said...
I totally agree. Life is too short for bad books. I too used to feel awful if I didn't finish what I started, but now I know that there is no shame in shunning bad literature.
- November 30, 2006 9:30 AM
- limpy99 said...
That's a terrible opening for "Eragon". I'd stop reading it too.
"He looked human, except for the crimson hair, maroon eyes, cloven feet, vestigal third eye, forked tail, scaly skin and exterior heart."
- November 30, 2006 10:31 AM
- goddess of clarity said...
"He looked human except for his crimson hair and maroon eyes and vermillion teeth and ruby ears and burgundy neck and magenta nose.
"He was red, is basically what I'm saying."
- November 30, 2006 10:56 AM
- Nonny said...
I read Eragon. It was OK, not the best book I've ever read. To me it was just too close to Harry Potter with a smidgen of Star Wars thrown in. I mean come on the dragonrider mark on his hand is so similar to Harry's scar that it became ridiculous.
I guess the best gauge on how I like the book is to say I haven't rushed out to by the sequel yet and it's been out for almost a year.
- November 30, 2006 11:21 AM
In a fit of pique I finished "Eragon", but I also counted how many times each chapter began with the main character waking up. The count went to something like 33.
- November 30, 2006 11:57 AM
- Alkelda the Gleeful said...
Fuse: For some reason, the 33 chapters beginning with the main character waking up reminds me of the "Xena: Warrior Princess" episode where every story Gabrielle writes on a magic scroll becomes true. One story began, "Gabrielle woke with a jerk." She wakes up and is lying next to Joxter the buffoon/mensch.
Nonny: That's fair enough. Some people just love this book to pieces, though, and the librarian in me would like to get perspective as to why it's so appealing. I'm sure I wrote as floridly as Paolini when I was a teenager, but I didn't get my work published. Sour grapes? Hah!
Goddess: Maybe he was red. Maybe he was closer to scarlet, though.
Limpy99: If Eragon had opened with your version, I would have kept reading.
Galetea: Amen, sister.
- November 30, 2006 1:51 PM
- Yorkshire Pudding said...
"skittery" - now that's a nice word if you don't mind me saying but stil not as nice as "gibbous"!
- November 30, 2006 4:38 PM
- Lone Star Ma said...
I know just what you mean about Eragon!!!! I could never get past the first page even though I really wanted to like such a successful young person's efforts. It read just like it was written by a verbally talented adolescent boy and I just couldn't take it.
- November 30, 2006 9:56 PM
- galetea said...
lone star ma- Actually, I think it WAS written by a verbally talented adolescent boy. 15 when he wrote Eragon, in fact! 19 when he wrote the sequel.
- December 01, 2006 3:21 AM
- Lone Star Ma said...
i know and I truly wanted to be a fan, but I just couldn't take it.
- December 02, 2006 4:45 PM


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The most recent series book I read was the first in the Dragonlance: the new adventure series. Unfortunately the second one is one month overdue at the library so it may be awhile before I can read it. I'm curious to see how they'll take what sounds like the same plot (band of friends try to help girl recover her memory by traveling to a distant place) and make it fresh and new.
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Crane fly, also called daddy longlegs, any insect of the family Tipulidae (order Diptera). In English-speaking countries other than the United States, the crane fly is popularly called daddy longlegs because it has a slender mosquito-like body and extremely long legs. (In the United States, "daddy longlegs" generally refers to an arachnid.) Ranging in size from tiny to almost 3 cm (1.2 inches) long, these harmless slow-flying insects are usually found around water or among abundant vegetation. The best-known species, the range crane fly (Tipula simplex), deposits its small black eggs in damp areas. Each egg hatches into a long slender larva, called a leatherjacket because of its tough brown skin. The larvae usually feed on decaying plant tissue; some species are carnivorous, and others damage the roots of cereal and grass crops. The larvae feed all winter, then enter a resting stage in the spring. The adult feeding habits are not yet known. In northern latitudes a species of slow-crawling wingless crane fly is found on snow.
Related to the Tipulidae are the primitive crane flies, Tanyderidae; the phantom crane flies, Ptychopteridae; and the winter gnats, or winter crane flies, Trichoceridae. These families closely resemble the Tipulidae, but the insects are smaller.


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In Pictures: Mourners attend Seamus Heaney's funeral service
In Pictures: Mourners attend Seamus Heaney's funeral service in Dublin
Seamus Heaney, acclaimed by many as the best Irish poet since Yeats, died on Friday aged 74.
Following the service, he will be buried in his native Bellaghy, in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Irish President Michael D Higgins attends the mass at Sacred Heart Church in Donnybrook, Dublin.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness attended the funeral of Seamus Heaney.
U2's The Edge and fellow band member Larry Mullen Jr accompanied lead singer Bono to the funeral.
Lead singer with U2, Bono, and his wife Alison Hewson, attended the funeral. Other members of the band were also in attendance.
The funeral was attended by members of the Irish government past and present, including former Irish President Mary McAleese, seen here with Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness.
People watch the coffin of Irish poet Seamus Heaney leave the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland. Heaney will be buried in his native Bellaghy, in County Londonderry.


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Posted By: Mike Williams
Folks....nice to see you again. Real quick, I don't think Elliot and myself intended to get two boards up and running and cause any confusion. Elliot, in lieu of John's post (which by the way, caught me by suprise as far as timing) created this site. I was busy getting the Yahoo site together (without the knowledge of Elliots site) and we both kinda unleashed the boards at the same time. I felt that since Elliot took the time to do so, I would post his link on the Full Count site. Maybe Elliot and myself should get together and talk...Elliot, if you're reading this, email me please (firstname.lastname@example.com). Take care all


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The American Institute of Architects, San Francisco chapter (AIA San Francisco) and Center for Architecture + Design announce the sixth annual Architecture and the City festival, which takes place September 1-30, 2009.
As the nation's largest architectural festival showcasing home tours, behind the scenes tours, walking tours, films, exhibitions, lectures, dining by design, family programs and more, Architecture and the City reaches more than 20,000 people and provides an opportunity for individuals, design practices, companies, cultural institutions and the general public to celebrate San Francisco's unique built environment and their contribution towards it.
The 2009 festival theme celebrates the many smart, ingenious and unexpected ways design impacts our daily lives, unveiling the unseen hand of the designer in everything from civic and institutional works to landscaping and residential design. Programming will also heavily explore the way architects or projects thoughtfully impact our communities and reflect issues of sustainability. According to festival curator, Erin Cullerton, Assistant Director of AIA San Francisco, "This year's festival will be the most dynamic yet with programming that reflects the theme in fresh and inspiring ways. We are excited to expand our reach within the community with programs that investigate cutting-edge landscape architecture, modestly considered residential design, and evolving neighborhoods like the Mission District. A robust schedule of programming for children, foodies and film enthusiasts also means that, more than any other year, the festival truly promises something for everyone."
The Architecture and the City festival has been engaging members of the public and design enthusiasts, as well as architects and designers, with a deeper appreciation for San Francisco's rich architectural and design community since 2003. In honor of the festival, Mayor Gavin Newsom has officially proclaimed September "Architecture and the City" month.


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Arlington Eyewear AR1011Yotpo reviews for Arlington Eyewear AR1011
with lenses*
Arlington Eyewear AR1011
Arlington Eyewear AR1011 is a pair of oval frame in a shiny metallic finish. This rounded style features lightweight slim temples, spring hinges, and adjustable nose pads.
- Spring hinges
- Adjustable nose pads
- Protective case included
- Frame Material: Metal
- Frame Shape: Round
- Gender: Mens
- Frame Style: Classic
- Frame Type: Full Frame
- Age Range: Adult
- Brand: Arlington Eyewear
- Frame Weight: Light
Frame Size
Have a Frame That Fits?
Frame measurements may have slight differences depending on the options selected above.
Yotpo reviews for Arlington Eyewear AR1011


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so, recently, i opted in to one of those 'Read 100's of SF&F Books For Free!' things.
yeah, it's authors giving out some of their books to attract more readers, or in some cases, the first "x" many chapters of their book.
and i loaded several hundred on to my phone, and have been working my way through, checking them out, and deleting the ones i'm not interested in. a LOT of them have been deleted. a Helluvalot.
Here's the rules for that little competition:
If you don't grab me, in the first page, you're outta there!
this doesn't mean you have to start off with a lot of action, get me caught up in the rush of interesting events. you can give me an interesting character, someone i can in some way empathize with. you can hook me with an intriguing situation, one where i just GOT to know what the fuck's going on.
but you have to grab me. you have to hook me.
and you have to be at least competent as a writer. that means you don't mangle the language, the punctuation, the grammar, too horribly. you have to be competent. if your first page has errors (note the plural), you're outta there.
Face it, there's a wealth of books out there. with the self-publishing and small press revolutions… i doubt any of us have any conception of just how Mega-Many books there are out there.
if you expect to be read (by anyone but your friends and family), Be Competent.
i'm not asking for brilliance, just don't step on your dick often enough to pull your readers out of your story. just as a competent cook can make a pleasing meal out of a set of ingredients, an incompetent cook can take the same ingredients, and waste them, making an inedible mess.
Be Competent.
and secondly, if you expect to be read… hook your audience. there are so many books calling for their attention, You Must Grab Their Brains.
you can't open with a wealth of description about your Own Very Special Place That's So Dear To You That You're Sure Readers Will Love It Just As Much As You Do.
not unless you can write some of the most scintillating descriptive passages ever penned.
now, personally, i'm of the "less is more" school of description. unless there is a Very Important Reason for me to know how a place looks, or a character, don't bore me with it.
some authors may counter with 'the setting IS a character in the story!' fine, but take your time introducing it to me. don't bury me with oodley tons of verbiage about it, right off the bat.
maybe such descriptive overloads violates my 'show, don't tell'. you're Telling me what it looks like, smells like, tastes like, sounds like, feels like… let your other characters show me those aspects, through what they do, how they react.
for me, characters are more important than anything. they must be alive, and while i'm not required to 'like' them, i must be able to empathize with something in them.
hell, in my writing i leave most of my characters relatively 'undescribed'. the reader can decide what they look like. the reader's imagination is my friend, and i rely on it.
so, in closing…
make sure your first s/p/p is aimed at your potential audience like an arrow, just waiting for their eyes to hit the words, and let loose Your Best, headed straight for their brain.
if you don't convince them to spend their precious time on the story you want to tell them… You Have Failed.
not all the way, but that's a potential reader you've lost. don't lose 'em because you bored 'em.
as always, this rant is my humble opinion. i could well be wrong, i often am, and this opinion is worth every penny you're paying for it.
listening to: the A/C, and a dawg who's convinced it's Bed Time
mood: overall, copacetic


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Germany's economic growth is expected to come in much higher than expected this year, Munich's influential Ifo Institute said Thursday, as the euro zone's strongest economy continues to storm ahead.
The think tank said German gross domestic product (GDP) was now expected to expand by 2.1 percent in 2015. In the group's autumn forecast last year, growth of just 1.2 percent was expected.
Commenting on the new forecast, the Ifo's Timo Wollmershauser said: "The low oil price is leaving Germans more money to spend, while the weak euro is boosting exports."
Read MoreEurope's revolting! What can business do?
The country's unemployment is also expected to fall, from an already-low 6.7 percent in 2014 to 6.3 percent in 2015 and 5.9 percent the year after.


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|More cultural funding down the toilet.
A case i point: is there any fatter cat than Harvard University around, you might ask? I can't think of one offhand - nevertheless, the state's MassDevelopment agency, under the stewardship of Marty Jones, has just seen fit to hand Harvard's ART $150,000 to upgrade its lighting and projection system.
I guess that's so Diane Paulus will be able to launch her next Broadway-bound money machine (a reboot of Pippin, btw) with something like precisely the technical resources she can expect on the island of Manhattan (where it will inevitably land, with top ticket prices in the hundreds of dollars).
And thank God! We were all so worried. I mean it's so irritating having to spend all that extra time in tech, when you could be off striking your next deal with the Gershwin estate!
I do wonder whether the lighting booth at the Loeb is really among the Commonwealth's top funding priorities, though. I mean, I hadn't noticed that the Loeb's projection systems are noticeably below Boston standards! But even if they are, I wonder whether other resources might have been available for their upgrade . . .
After all, Harvard is sitting on an endowment that even now is floating, after the economic tragedy of 2008 (which was, ironically enough, brought about in part by so many B-school grads, and the theories they were taught) at around $32 billion. From which (I note) Harvard drew revenue of $1.2 billion last year.
$1.2 billion (pretty much tax-free, btw - a savings of something like, what, $180 million? - although I know Harvard tosses a few million to Cambridge and Boston as a consolation prize). That's twice the size of Boston College's entire operating budget, and one-and-half times the size of Northeastern's. It's a lotta clams. Indeed, the $150,000 the state handed the A.R.T. is only a little more than one-hundredth of one percent of that total. Wasn't there room in the budget of the greatest university in the world for a single lighting upgrade?
Apparently not. So let's put it this way. Harvard couldn't be bothered spending one-hundredth of one percent of its endowment revenue on this project. Yet the Commonwealth of Massachusetts somehow thinks it's worth funding anyway. With your money.
Hmmmm. I think we just saw the 1% once again feathering its own nest. I mean, it feels a little bit like MassDevelopment just remodeled Ned and Abby Johnson's TV room. Only I think the shows are better over at Ned and Abby's place!


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I have listed a new property at 1328 48TH AVE W in Vancouver.
Meticulously maintained custom built home situated at a beautiful 62.50' x 122.77' (7,673 sq ft) lot in the midst of luxurious home in prestigious South Granville 4,600 sq ft spacious living space features top quality material & workmanship throughout, soaring high ceiling foyer, 1 ensuite bedroom on main, A/C, HRV, granite countertop, gourmet kitchen with wok kitchen, high end appliances. Upper level has 4 bedrooms with steam in master suite. Basement is completed with home theatre, recreation room & steam bath, Jacuzzi. Fully fenced with lovely landscaped backyard (auto sprinkler). Eric Hamber and Osler Schools Catchment area.


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Disney On Ice Presents Dream Big
Feb 24, 2018
Showtimes: 3:00PM
Believing is just the beginning when dreamers from Rockford witness the empowering tales of Disney's most courageous leading ladies told through artistic skating and acrobatics in Disney On Ice presents Dream Big. Audiences are invited to join eight Disney Princesses – Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tiana, Jasmine, Aurora and Snow White – as they embark on incredible adventures, determined to make their dreams come true. In addition, experience the sisterly love that has captivated millions as Disney's Frozen is brought to life on the icy stage.
Through enchanted pixie-dust, Tinker Bell takes audiences on a journey of beloved Disney tales. Make a splash with the fearless dreamer Ariel as she yearns to explore life above the waves. Watch Rapunzel, Cinderella and Belle as they learn about the power to make their own magic. Travel to the wintry world of Arendelle with sisters Anna and Elsa and the hilarious snowman Olaf from Disney's Frozen as they learn that true love is the greatest magic of all. Be there to discover a whole new world with the daring Jasmine, and join Snow White, Aurora and Tiana as they remind you that strength and kindness go hand-in-hand. High-flying jumps, daring acrobatics, breathtaking skating and lovable Disney friends make Disney On Ice presents Dream Big an experience your family will never forget!
Tickets for Disney On Ice presents Dream Big start at $15. All seats are reserved, and tickets are available by calling 800.745.3000, on line at www.disneyonice.com, or at the BMO Harris Bank Center box office.
Tickets on sale Monday, November 20 at 10AM
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text: Seafood shines on this authentic Mediterranean menu, created by Costas Spiliadis. The culinary focal point is evident from the moment you walk into the room: before you notice the sleek, modern environs (circular lamps glow from the ceiling, mile-high wine racks intersect walls of polished wood), you'll see the daily catch on ice displayed by the door. If tasting menus aren't your scene, consider swinging by for lunch -- the Dorado Royale and sushi-grade octopus remain staples of the à la carte menu, and the ambience is just as trendy.


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It was time for a girls' weekend. We weren't too high-maintenance — just some good art and great food, please.
Usually such an excursion would call for a trip to New York or Philly. But we didn't have much time or money. So we headed south, to Richmond.
The Capital of the Confederacy isn't exactly considered the Capital of Fine Arts. But then Picasso came to the newly renovated Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
To be frank, I wasn't expecting much. My impression of Richmond was based on a few wintertime visits. The city seemed dreary. A little seedy. And a bit stuck in the way past.
Spoiler alert: This woman's impression was changed.
In a mere two hours, two friends and I were picking up another pal who lives in the Fan district, a lively area just past Virginia Commonwealth University and home to Monument Avenue, where statues of confederates (Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart) and other hometown heroes (tennis star Arthur Ashe) stand along the grassy median.
The four of us found ourselves at the museum in about five minutes. In Richmond, everything is nearby.
The first thing that struck me about the museum was the — well, was it Southern hospitality? Or plain-old excitement that the venue was packed with visitors? Whatever the reason, the parking attendant greeted us warmly. The security guard thanked us for coming. The man who took our tickets at the exhibit told us he was so glad we had come. I'm sure if Pablo were alive, he would have tipped his hat at us.
The Picasso exhibit was almost overwhelming. The 176 works from the artist's personal collection are on loan from the Musee National Picasso in Paris, which is undergoing a renovation through next year. The VMFA is the only East Coast stop for the show, which closes May 15.
The exhibit was crowded. After all, it is Picasso — everyone knows Picasso. (Though there were those just learning about him, too: I had fun watching children lie on couches and turn upside down to get different views of his cubist paintings.)
"It was pretty remarkable to go from room to room and see a lifetime of work unfold," my friend and Washington Post colleague Maria Glod noted. She and I seemed to make the same observations — about the many women in the artist's life and how they influenced his art, and the idea that the skewed faces were a direct shot at the Nazis, whose idea of art was classic beauty. Toward the end of the exhibit, photos showed Picasso on the floor, coloring with his children and hugging his dachshund, Lump. How very . . . human.
And, speaking of human, we were starving.
At Amuse Restaurant, a massive glass wall overlooks a picturesque sculpture garden and reflecting pool that cleverly covers the parking garage. This was no ordinary museum cafeteria.
"Can I interest you in champagne cocktails today?" the waitress asked us. We apparently had targets on our heads.
Like giddy schoolgirls getting away with something (and we kind of were — husbands, children and work), we clinked glasses and launched into a leisurely lunch, the type I hadn't had for, well, did I mention my oldest child is almost 4?
The food features regionally sourced Virginia products. A crab cake full of lump meat. Mussels steaming in a garlicky broth. Juicy local chicken and sigh-inducing crab soup.
We left the new museum full and ready to check out some of Old Richmond. Hollywood Cemetery, resting place of presidents James Monroe and John Tyler as well as other famous Virginians and modern-day residents, was a refreshing way to walk off lunch and soak up a history lesson. A drink at the famous Jefferson Hotel, opened in 1895, almost topped off the day. Except we weren't done eating.
Millie's Diner, recommended by the friend we were visiting, sits near the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, where the night hops away at the various bars and restaurants. The eatery does not accept reservations, so we had to wait about an hour for a table. But it was worth it. The kitchen opens onto a dining area with red walls and travel posters. Inked servers bubbled away about the evening's fusion menu, which changes frequently.
Despite all that goodness, I could not stop returning to the main course of the day, the museum. Reopened in May after a $150 million renovation that added 165,000 square feet, the VMFA has become a showcase of A-list art, with Jackson Pollock, Edward Hopper, African works and Andy Warhol all taking up wall space. There is more than enough to ponder, even after Picasso has left the building.
During my post-exhibit wanderings in the museum, I had spotted an intriguing photograph of a tattooed man. "Wow, that's a Diane Arbus!" I exclaimed to my friends.
But no longer was I so surprised? This was, after all, Richmond.
1200 E. Cary St.
Located in Richmond's business district and near restaurants, bars and many sites. From $149 a night.
2811 Grove Ave.
Small property within view of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. From $120 a night.
2603 E. Main St.
No reservations accepted, but worth the wait for the fusion cuisine and funky setting. Dinner entrees from $21.
200 N. Boulevard
The lunch, dinner and brunch spot in the McGlothlin Wing serves contemporary dishes with an emphasis on local products. Lunch from $10.
200 N. Boulevard
The Picasso exhibit runs through May 15. Tickets are $20; $16 for seniors, students and youth ages 7 to 17. General museum admission is free.
412 S. Cherry St.
The final resting place of presidents, historic figures and modern-day residents. Free.