Goofy Runs (Really!)

I never thought I'd type that. That. Up there in the title. "Goofy Runs". THAT!!!

You see, I'm NOT a runner. Running to me has always been BORING. Well, okay, if you are running from first base to second base, or across the soccer field to shoot and SCORE, yah, that's kinda cool. You have a purpose. But running down the street, just 'cause...well. Bo-ring. Yawn. Not for me.

But...opinions have this nasty way of changing sometimes.

Especially when you have friends that talk you into doing a 5K. Well, not just ANY 5K. The Komen Race for the Cure. The Rock Concert of 5Ks (IMHO).

There was MUSIC every half-mile...live bands, fer crying out loud! And snacks after.

Hell, no one ever told me about the SNACKS. I like snacks, especially delicious, sugary ones. :-)

And...

I thought I would walk most the way....I didn't.
I thought I would be sore and tired after...I wasn't.
I thought I would do this and not want to ever do it again...I was wrong!

In fact, I did another damn 5K the following weekend. And I had to stop myself from signing up for one the weekend after that! I'm signed up for one next weekend.

I am officially addicted. Not really addicted to running. I'm not dying to get into the gym to run the treadmill, and I'm not dying to pound the pavement around my block.

It's the RACES that get me. The MASSES of people, all running to the same finish line. All in a HURRY. All sweating, but SMILING. The COMPETITION and SPIRIT of it all. THIS is what gets me up at the buttcrack of dawn to go do something that I viciously hated just a few short weeks ago.

Well, okay and the SNACKS don't hurt either.

RA Sushi - Unsolicited Website Critique

No, you didn't ask, but here's a website review I felt compelled to write about "RA Sushi", a sushi restaurant chain that appears to be located out of Scottsdale, AZ. that is opening up a new location in Kansas City.

I tripped across this website when I read that RA Sushi was opening up a location in Kansas City. I have just returned from a vacation in Lake Tahoe, where the sushi is served up like McDonald's cheeseburgers. I had eaten my share of delish sushi from Tahoe, so I was ready to commit to sushi more in my wonderful home town of Kansas City.

Problem is: Not too many sushi places here do a Happy Hour. We absolutely LIVED on sushi happy hours in Tahoe. Same delish sushi. Half-price. What's not to love?

Anyway...I found the website for "RA Sushi" - http://www.rasushi.com/ and pulled it up to take a look. And I looked. And I looked...and I couldn't find anything to click except for "Get a RA Gift Certificate".

Really, it's obvious what they want you to do on the site...buy gift certificates. That, or join their email list.

I wanted neither.

I wanted restaurant locations! Menu! What about a happy hour? I couldn't find this anywhere. Even when the cursor turned to a pointy-finger, I clicked and nothing came up.

The background music is very soothing, but where's the beef?! Er...sushi?!

I was cursing the web designer under my breath when....I saw it. Wrapped subtlely around the RA Sushi logo, THERE were the links I was looking for.

Yes! They had an happy hour. Yes! The menu was online.

But...

When I clicked on the menu, there was no option to PRINT. What?!

Memo to restaurants: PEOPLE WANT TO PRINT YOUR MENUS! It's awfully cute and visually-appealing to put your menu in a scrolling Flash area, but I CAN'T PRINT THIS!

Nor can I copy and paste this in an email to my sushi-loving friends.

Nor can I post this on my food blog.

Nor can I tweet about this on Twitter.

Really, RA, you are shooting yourself in the foot. It's all very pretty and cute, but inevitably UNUSABLE.

I really hope your sushi is better than your website.