1 pair = $5.00 off shoe purchase
2 pair = $10.00 off shoe purchase
3+ pair = $15.00 off shoe purchase

(Shoe Donation Bushido: You should feel PROUD of the shoes you are donating, AND please tie them together . . . if possible!)

Donations benefit Boise Rescue Mission and local Outreach Efforts.

Coupons honored until 12.12.12 @ High Noon!

Hope to see you @ Packet Pickup! If you cannot make it to Packet Pickup, we will happily take your donations @ Bandanna.

Rich & Shannon Harris, Owners
Bandanna Running & Walking
208.386.9017

This year, we confirmed ahead of time the closing schedule at Soldier Mountain.  We began readying the car and the herd the day before our departure.  This involved ridding the car of petrified food bits, once loved tissues, missing math quizzes, hair bands, goldfish and sand from the last Bruneau Dunes visit.  It also involved attaching the cumbersome space shuttle shaped bin on top of the car which had to be retrieved from the storage unit along with six pair of skis.  We planned to leave by 7 in order to open with the Mountain at 9.  We actually left sometime after 8.  It would be easy to use Paul’s (one of the herd’s friends) sleep over as an excuse for our delayed departure, but it had little to no impact.  The first setback occurred after the car was mostly loaded (eight backpacks and/or bags, blankets, books, skis, boots, poles, coats, food, pillows, Polly Pocket and a box of tissues) when one of the herd asked if we were taking two cars.  Of course not was the response . . . why would we take two cars?  Well . . . then . . . shouldn’t we fold down the third row of seats so three of the herd has a place to sit?  Insert spicy word [here].  The car was then unpacked and reloaded with the kind of spatial engineering NASA would have approved of minus a few pillows, tears and Polly.  We instructed Max and Cullen to walk Paul home as we headed out and we would fetch them (four doors down).  When we reached Paul’s house, Max came running to the car and confessed that “Fluffers” was sort of . . . stuck.  Somehow, in the less than two minutes it took to walk Paul home, Max had found the time to toss Fluffers (favorite stuffed dog) into Paul’s basketball hoop/net where Fluffers became stuck with his (we assume this gender) legs in the net.  Insert spicy word [here].  With most of the herd laughing hysterically and hanging out the windows, we rescued Fluffers (at just after 8 on a Sunday morning) with the kind of boosting and cheering that makes your neck sore for a month and the neighbors wish we had covenants that excluded stuffed dogs and those that covet them.

We eventually made it to Soldier and had an amazing day of Spring skiing.  At the end of the day, we were the last eight off the mountain . . . several Rice Crispy Treats lighter and several UV rays richer.  We headed out for the remainder of our Spring Break journey . . . not before reloading skis, boots, wet clothing, the less popular food/snacks and unforgettable stories of heroic ski efforts/jumps.

Days earlier, a Staff Member at the video store could not understand why we were not planning to stay home and catch the NCAA tournament . . . elite eight.  Although the final tally from our elite eight is not yet in, Fluffers appears to have the lead . . . and the most celebrated three-pointer.

Shannon Harris

Rich & Shannon Harris, Owners
Bandanna Running & Walking
208.386.9017

BUY ONE PIECE OF WINTER APPAREL, RECEIVE THE SECOND FOR . . . (Bag Pipe Roll . . . ) FREE!

Examples:
Buy 1 pr. SportHill 3SP Pants, receive a second pr. FREE!
OR,
Buy 1 pr. SportHill 3SP Pants, receive a NIKE Element 1/2 Zip FREE!

Basically, when you purchase 1 item of Winter Apparel, you receive the second item of Winter Apparel . . . FREE!
Note: The Madness will end when all the Winter Apparel is GONE!

BUY ONE PAIR OF MEN’S SHORTS, RECEIVE THE SECOND PAIR (More Bag Pipes . . . ) FREE!

Example:
Buy 1 pr. Men’s Shorts, receive the second pr. FREE!
And YES . . . it is nice enough to wear shorts to Starbucks after your run!
Note: The Men’s Short Madness will end when we have a reasonable number of Men’s Shorts in the Store and/or on March 18th @ 5:00 p.m.!

BUY ONE WINTER ACCESSORY, RECEIVE THE SECOND (Just keep the Bag Pipes Humming . . . ) FREE!

Example:
Buy 1 pr. Winter Gloves, receive a second pr. FREE!
Or,
Buy 1 pr. of Yak Trax, receive a second pair FREE! If you have no idea what Yak Trax are, consider this a bad example and stick with Winter Gloves and/or Hats!
Note: The Madness will end when all the Winter Accessories are gone!

So . . . get in on the Madness beginning Saturday, March 10th @ 10:00 a.m. We will run this Madness through Sunday, March 18th and/or until we run out of Winter stuff! Here’s to Bandanna’s St. Patrick’s Spring March Madness!

Rich & Shannon Harris, Owners
Bandanna Running & Walking
208.386.9017

*Sale of Winter items and Men’s Shorts limited to current inventory only and does not apply to special orders, etc.

We are excited to see your Warrior Spirit! Bandanna will likely publish the successful Warriors’ Haiku works on its website (along with photos) following the event!

A Warrior Might Be

A T.Rex or A Sailtoad

In A Bandanna
__________________________

Rich & Shannon Harris, Owners
Bandanna Running & Walking

Rich & Shannon Harris, Owners
Bandanna Running & Walking
208.386.9017

As the kids get older, I have wondered if they would/will express a preference for vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian. They have all asked (sometimes repeatedly), why/when I became a vegetarian. I try to explain (sometimes repeatedly and with the right amount of emphasis where needed), that I grew up with farm animals and never liked remembering them while looking for dinner in the freezer. This subtle messaging is typically countered with less subtle questions, “Ok . . . hmm . . . we have no idea what that means, but can we still have hamburgers for dinner?”

I recently had an opportunity (although I did not realize it at the time) to impact the innocent vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian thought process of one of the male 9 year olds in our house. We were driving on the highway and passed a cattle truck. He asked what was in the truck, and where it was going. Without even thinking (much), I merely explained that there were cattle on the truck and that they appeared to be going on a field trip, of sorts. Like any seasoned 9 year old, he pressed to know what kind of field trip. I explained it was the good kind in that they would not be returning to class, but the really bad kind in that they could possibly be seen ditching/dishing in the lunch room between two sesame seed buns. Silence . . . silence . . . silence . . . Cullen: “Shannon, I want to become a vegetarian.” I may have taken my hand off the wheel and may have reached in the back seat for an underhanded high Vegetarian five! I immediately wondered, however, how long this newly passionate lifestyle would endure . . . especially considering dinner was a few hours away, it was the eve of Super-Meat-Lover-Bowl Sunday and I had BBQ in the oven at home (one of Cullen’s all-time favorites).

Cullen managed to resist the BBQ despite the finger-licking, lip-smacking roar of five meat eaters on a mission. It would have been impossible to miss the audible salesmanship . . . even for the unseasoned (no pun intended) diner in our house. We did have cheese Nachos on Super Bowl Sunday, and Cullen continued to impress this past weekend by resisting bacon with his over-easy eggs and toast. Perhaps all of the Star Wars reenactments and action figures under he and Max’s beds (and dirty socks), have given him the kind of preparation and confidence necessary for such a “will power” battle.

It is a testament to Cullen’s early vegetarianism and sophisticated palate that he questioned over the weekend the “true” makeup of the All Beef Frank. Somehow in the assembly-line, equal distribution of Sunday lunch, Cullen ended up with an All Beef Frank accompanying his macaroni, apple slices and vegetarian Valentine cookie. After what would appear to be a bite of mostly ketchup, Cullen’s fellow table warriors identified/exclaimed that he had, in fact, defected . . . “Cullen . . . you just ate meat!” Cullen, with all the calmness of a true Jedi, held the hot dog on his fork while examining it closely and asked the difficult question every parent has at one time pondered, “ . . . how can there be meat in this thing?” He quickly had offers from bystanders/less sophisticated warriors to take the hot dog off his hands/fork and end the unnecessary fact-finding. Cullen, confident he had just digested a mystery substance and not actual meat, applied a little more ketchup to his macaroni and ate just enough to segue to the Valentine cookie.

Shannon Harris

Plan to join Bandanna on Thursday, February 16th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for Spike Night 2012! Nike is partnering with us on the 16th to kick-off a fantastic Track & Field season! Nike Athlete CHRIS SOLINSKY (12:55 5k!) will join us at the start of the evening to visit with Athletes, sign autographs and cheer you on! We will also have a photo booth, a Spike Specialization Station, FREE t-shirts for the first 30 Athletes through the door, games and prizes (Nike GPS Sportwatch, socks, bandannas, etc.), refreshments and a SPIKE STANDUP contest (for a FREE pair of spikes)! Additional exciting details:

CHRIS SOLINSKY has been a Nike Athlete since 2007. Chris attended the University of Wisconsin where he was a five time NCAA Champion. He has personal bests of 12:55 for 5000 meters and 26:59 for 10,000. He is the first non-African to break the 27 minute barrier for 10,000 meters. Chris won the 2002 Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships by 21 seconds which was the largest margin of victory in the history of the meet! Please join us in welcoming Chris to Bandanna and to Idaho!

SPIKE STANDUP (back by popular demand)!: Demonstrate your courage and creativity by completing the following sentence in front of fellow Athletes: “My Track & Field Dream is to . . .” You will have 30 seconds to complete this sentence. Be ORIGINAL, FUNNY and/or INSPIRATIONAL, as Nike will be filming the Standup event, and plans to post out-takes on their website. We are planning for Chris and/or a Bandanna Staff Member to select our winner who will receive a FREE pair of Nike spikes!

FREE NIKE TECHNICAL T-SHIRTS!: Nike & Bandanna are providing FREE technical t-shirts for the first 30 Athletes through the door. Plan to stay for the evening and be part of something special and unique! Several of our Nike representatives will be on hand to answer any of your questions about Nike products, and to celebrate with us!

SPIKE CUSTOMIZATION!: Nike is providing complimentary “Spike Customization” for all Nike spikes purchased during Spike Night! What a cool way to have the most unique spikes on the Track and on the Field!

15% DISCOUNT ON SPIKES!: Bandanna will be offering 15% off ALL spikes on the 16th! Additionally, as we did last year, Bandanna will give $750.00/$500.00 and $250.00 accordingly to the schools that have the most Athletes purchasing Spikes and Training shoes @ Bandanna.

NIKE PHOTO BOOTH!: Nike is providing a photo booth so Athletes can capture the evening in print! Bring your friends and have a blast!

SPIKE TOSS!: Catch a heat of the Spike Toss. FREE socks to the winners in each heat. It’s trickier than you think!

REFRESHMENTS!: Bandanna is providing FUN refreshments and our always AMAZING staff to ensure you have a TERRIFIC evening and a FANTASTIC 2012 Track & Field Season!

Rich & Shannon Harris, Owners
Bandanna Running & Walking
208.386.9017

Molly: “Mom, please tell me you are not putting those pliers from the garage in my mouth!”
Me: “They are not just pliers, Molly, they are the nicest needle-nose pliers we own, and I even sterilized them.”
Molly: “What does sterilize mean?”
Me: “It means they are clean . . . more or less.”
Molly (eyes the size of saucers and prior to anything touching her tooth): “It hurts!”
Me: “Did the school nurse mention that I get a cut of any Tooth Fairy proceeds when tools are involved?”
Molly (upon realizing that her tooth was out): “O.k., that wath weird!”

Several months ago, we started offering a 9.11% discount to Service Personnel that shop at Bandanna. It took us some time to arrive at this discount amount, as we struggled with how best to recognize the amazing efforts of Service Personnel in a percentage. It has been interesting to receive the reaction to this discount/percentage. More often than not, it takes a bit to register (no pun intended). I recently told three Firemen about the discount, and they asked if I was serious. How could they possibly know I only stretch the truth for such things as tooth extraction methods and mysteries surrounding the placement of Tooth Fairy rewards?

Shortly after advertising our 9.11% Service Personnel discount, we received the most heartfelt note from a Veteran Marine thanking us for this recognition/effort. We promptly sent him a Gift Card for $9.11. I now wish we could somehow extend an appropriate discount to the slightly less celebrated Service Personnel . . . to those whose badges/efforts may not be as profound/pronounced, but certainly anticipated/revered. As I ponder this discount/amount, I recognize the self-serving aspects. Perhaps the recognition is in the recounting/retelling? Perhaps it is in the mysteries surrounding the reward? Irregardless, I am almost certain that on the playground or in the lunchroom, a story is being told of a GIANT pair of the rustiest pliers EVER being used to YANK out a tooth that was hardly loose in what was the most PAINFUL home EXTRACTION ever experienced by ANY eight year old!

Shannon Harris

I try hard to reinforce good telephone etiquette in our house. Cell phones have added several additional elements/dimensions to my telephone etiquette list. Generally, I think it is a good idea to talk on the telephone (cell or otherwise) without your feet in the air, without a large mouth full of food, without pretending that it is a microphone or military weapon, with at least an audible voice, and generally, by responding with more than a grunt and/or a sigh. Not that these methods are preferred in direct person-to-person communication, but they absolutely make telephone communication more of a challenge. Last weeks message has added an additional element to my telephone etiquette list: Omit any details related to using the restroom while talking on the telephone and/or while leaving a message . . . especially when responding to a luncheon invitation.

In addition to good telephone etiquette, we also try to reinforce a level of decorum in our/a/the dining room. Some of the telephone and dining room rules overlap: No talking with your mouth full, no eating with your feet in the air and no pretending the silverware is a microphone or military weapon. Some additional rules include (in no particular order) no hats or superhero costumes, no elbows on the table, keep all four legs of the chair(s) on the ground, and no belching and/or passing things other than condiments that rhyme with mass . . . loudly. Although (at a glance) it may not seem to be an inordinate number of rules, they do take a level of vigilance to reinforce. We also seem to be adding more rules than we are dropping from the list. We have recently added: No laughing so hard that you quit breathing and lose all control of your body . . . and mind. I have to admit, this one can be tricky . . . even for the rule enforcers. It is not easy to keep a straight face while enforcing the no laughing hysterically in the decorum of the dining room rule. So . . . like the ambassador of good etiquette that I am, I told everyone about Carol’s luncheon message outside the decorum of the dining room.

Shannon Harris