Dear Porkers,

In this email, we'll cover quite a bit, in hopes of holding down the overall number of updates we send during this very busy time.  There's something here for everyone, so do read through this update and skip the parts you don't need.  In a few days, we will send out a recap of our scouting efforts and a preview of what's in store for us in each host town.  Now THAT will be fun, but for now, check out these nuts-and-bolts necessities to help you as you plan your July trip to Iowa.

Email Updates to Expect from PBV
First off, we want you to feel free to write to us with questions.  We appreciate your early-bird planning, and we prefer to answer your questions now rather than have you wait until RAGBRAI is near or here!  That said, however, we will be covering the following subjects in upcoming email updates, and some of them are a bit complex.  So rather than compose responses many times to many individuals, we hope to let you know what is in the planning stages so you can hold your questions until you've read our updates.  Then, if something is still unclear, by all means, fire away!  Here are the subjects we will cover between now and mid-June, in something close to chronological order:

 -----Details on Shipping Bikes to Pork Belly Ventures--receiving the bike is free to those on our Omaha to Missouri Valley, and Le Claire to Missouri Valley shuttles on July 19th.

-----THE JUNE LETTER--your comprehensive, nitty-gritty PBV Bible, chuck full of the whats, whens, and hows.  We will answer all frequently asked questions and let you know what to expect in July.  It will include sections on things you'll do prior to RAGBRAI, on our e/w shuttle, on meeting up with us at the Omaha airport or at La Quinta Inn and Suites, lots of stuff on the week with us, and even what to plan for the final day of RAGBRAI.

-----Deadline Reminder and The Creed--our deadline for 90% cancellation refunds is Wednesday, June 18th, and we'll send a reminder prior to that date, along with the Pork Belly Creed.  If you can't swear out the creed, you'll still have time to cancel, get most of your money back, and book that Carnival Cruise with the midnight prime-rib-and-waffle buffet.  

One more thing about email.  We have spent over 40 hours in four days scouting the host towns.  If you had to wait a bit for us to return a call or get back to you on email, thanks for your patience during this time.  Please read on for other timely pieces of information.

Didn't Get a Wristband?
You MUST have a RAGBRAI wristband to travel with PBV, and we will help you get one.  If you didn't get in, try the Register first, just to see if they're starting their own waiting list.  TJ and his office staff helped a lot of people last year.  If not, email us.  We've already been contacted by several people with wristbands they can't use after all.  You will need to have a little patience (there's that word again), as we've found that it's best to allow time for the turned-down folks to get their refunds from the Register and for the accepted folks to physically receive their wristbands in the mail. Then, let the buying and selling begin.  Once you complete the simple paperwork to make the transfer complete, you'll be a legal and legitimate participant in the biggest, oldest, corniest bike ride in the world.  Above all, don't worry.  It's going to be okay. 

Weeklong Support Waiting List
From May 8 onward, anyone who registers for our weeklong support will receive an email notice saying that we are full.  We do have a waiting list, but it's getting pretty long, and we can no longer promise that people will clear it as cancellations occur.  If you registered prior to receiving this email, we are very optimistic that you'll clear.  At some point we hope to notify everyone that all registrations prior to May 8 are no longer waitlisted.  We're down to about twenty seats on the east/west shuttle, but for now, we do have room on all buses.

Tammy's Contact Info
After ten years, I'm moving back to the corn.  Many of you know that in 1997, I married a Hawaiian Porker, and we've spent our academic months in Honolulu and our summers in Iowa.  Summers just are not enough anymore, and thank heavens that Honolulu Guy is willing to make a leap of faith across the ocean and the mountains to the Great Plains.  I've made five trips to Iowa in six months, and after I turn in semester grades, I'll land permanently at our new address in Council Bluffs, right around June 1.  Mike will follow a couple weeks later, and our Honolulu phone, 808-946-5315, will be disconnected.  My email address will not change, and through August, my cell phone will stay the same--808-375-8921.  Our Iowa home phone will eventually be 712-328-0161, my same old number from before I married Mike and moved to Hono.  One more thing.  During RAGBRAI, I'd appreciate you telling Mike how much fun he's going to have raking leaves and shoveling snow. 

Le Claire Long-Term Parking
A couple days ago, we visited Le Claire--absolutely beautiful little place beside the Mighty Mississippi--and although they do have a parking form up at their website, you might want to hang on for a couple more days.  They are planning to offer long-term parking, breakfast, a box lunch for the bus ride, and other things too, all payable online by credit card with an online application.  So if all you want is to cross that payment for longterm parking off your to-do list, go ahead and go to Le Claire Long Term Parking Link and download the current form and mail in a check.  But if you want the convenience of paying by credit card and purchasing other services, everything should be ready in a few days at the same web address linked above.

That's more than enough for now.  Stay tuned for the run-down on our scouting, Porkers, and pretty regular updates from here on in.  Our time together in the corn is about 70 days away.  We can hardly wait.  As always, we remain,

Your friends,

Tammy and Pete


Tammy (Phillips) Pavich                                                Pete Phillips 

808/946-5315 or tammypav@aol.com              712/328-6836 or petephillips@cox.net

(Honolulu-four hours earlier than Iowa)