Anyone in retail will have this problem too.
At work there are around 140 people and only 4 can be off per wk end. We ask, like you, but have to do it on the computer. We only have something like 60 days before a date to ask it off.
Which means around on may 6th
(the day before our 20th wed anniversary)
I will be asking for it off, or maybe the night before because I live in California and it is based in Georgia. so on 5/6 I will ask off the 7/6 & on 5/7th the 7/7 etc.
I also have to remember to ask off my birthday 2 wks later it is one of those important numbers and hope they will let me have it off too.
They know most of my parts are coming from Home Depot and so I might be representing them in a way. Gosh I hope they don't expect me to paint it orange and white
Any way we will fill out the paperwork and send it in and cross our fingers.
But It will be fun on the 4th it will be like going to a small town fair filled with the little people
There is one thing about being the offical photographer there if you missed a shot there are so many great cameras with skilled campers with a great photographic eye....
there that you know someone got the shot. 
Ron Dickey
Los Osos, Ca.
