Dear Porkers,

Well, our invitation went out 21 days ago, and even with a planned increase in the number of rental tents we offer, THEY ARE GONE.

However, as Iowa weather proves from day to day, THINGS CHANGE.  One possible change is the maximum number of tents we think we can handle.  We're mulling another increase, but you can count on us to be circumspect about this.  We must have the muscle to do this job well, and we have to go scout the towns and measure our campsites before we can commit to bumping up the tent number.  We are not allowed to begin scouting until May 1, but we are starting a Tent Waiting List now.

In the meantime, between now and May 1, here's a ray of hope.  People do change their plans and their minds, and that's another way that you could clear our Tent Waiting List.  In our experience, cancellations don't so much happen in February or March, but they might.  They happen in April when we run down the last few check's-in-the-mail folks.  They sometimes happen in May when being turned down in the lottery reminds somebody that they still haven't dragged that wreck of a bike out of the garage, so hey, this trip might not come together after all.  And quite a few cancellations happen in June when we publish the Pork Belly Creed. 

The Creed, you see, is a solemn oath, the vow each Porker must take.  It's a vow to have the SERENITY to accept the things we cannot change.  We can't build you an espresso-smoothie bar in Tama-Toledo, for instance, or turn down the volume of a train whistle, or redirect a low-pressure system sweeping across Nebraska.  Our Creed is a vow to have the COURAGE to change the things you can.  For example, put in those miles, toughen up that butt, and get real about that mountain you expect to cram into your duffel. And it's also a vow to cultivate a deep appreciation for ABSURDITY.  Sometimes a few people will find themselves choking on our Creed, unable to swear it out, and they will consequently cancel their trips to Iowa and instead book a last-minute Carnival Cruise because the toughness of their butt will not be an issue at the Midnight Prime-Rib-and-Waffle Buffet. 

And YOU, if you're next on our waiting list, can have their tent.  

So again, if you missed out, please contact us about the Tent Waiting List.  Give us a prefered phone number and a good time call you.  We'll be in touch, and we'll try hard to accommodate as many Tent Porkers as possible.  We appreciate your patience as we 1) wait around for some inevitable cancellations and 2) eagerly anticipate sizing up our campsites after May 1.

Finally, if you have a tent reservation already, please don't feel that there are vultures circling overhead.  Just thank your lucky stars and think "SERENITY, COURAGE, ABSURDITY."  Prepare yourselves to take your Pork Belly vow boldly, without quake or whimper.

Stand by for more Pork News as it happens.
Best,

 

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)