Pop Pop Boat

House Arrest: Thomas-style vacation filled with 'great stuff'

How to take a vacation Thomas-style — not King-style, not Campbell-style, not Welsh-style, (just ask our husbands, they'll explain):

1. Talk endlessly about how excited you are and that you need to make plans for what you're going to pack, including food, beer and sunscreen.

2. Call your sister to discuss menu plans, get interrupted by "the still-very-real-non-vacation world" at least three times each and decide this isn't a good time to make menu plans. Agree to try again later.

3. Drop your 18-year-old Suburban with nearly 300,000 miles at Gateway Automotive for preventative maintenance. Look for your St. Christopher medal.

4. Realize that the departure date is quickly approaching (in three days) and discover the only opportunity you have to go grocery shopping is in the immediate two-hour window. Go shopping with nary an item on a list, let alone a menu plan. Return from grocery shopping to report to your sister that you've purchased a variety of meats and junk foods you rarely ever buy and leave her to do the menu planning based on your haphazard sprint through the grocery store.

5. Do what you can to make yourself feel better about leaving your shop, home, volunteer efforts and other sister (plus family) behind for a week.

6. Departure day arrives — realizing all of things you didn't get done, but you get in the car anyway.

7. Drive 12 hours straight to your destination just like you're 20 years old again.

8. Realize you're going to arrive before your hosts (who only had a two hour drive, but had the burden of bringing everything you forgot or couldn't carry — see item No. 4). Make a strategic stop for cold beer and something to snack on.

9. Your hosts arrive and everyone pitches in to unpack the vacation on wheels (a loaded pick-up truck pulling an 8-foot trailer loaded with coolers, flotation devices and towels) — mini van to follow shortly!

10. Once unloaded you spend the next six days making sure the kids are slathered in sunscreen, ensuring the beer is always on ice and riding the wave of meals and snacks throughout the day. Intersperse the preceding activities with boating, tubing, fishing, talking and the occasional brief nap and you're ready for one of our vacations!

We had a great time. We spent several days and nights in my sister's RV at Cole's Point, Va., (with a kid or two in a tent). We decided we really could get used to having a get-away like their's. Then we moved to my cousins cabin near Nomini Creek.

Soshified Donates $33500 to Peace Boat for the ... - K-Pop Express

Soshified’s Japan Relief Fund Project for the victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami tragedy saw generous contributions from 480 members over 32 countries including USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, Europe, Brazil raising a net total of US$33,500 through a 3-week donation drive from 12th of March 2011 to 31st of March, 2011.

Soshified donated the amount collected to Peace Boat, a Japan-based international non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment. Peace Boat is currently acting in a coordination role between Ishinomaki’s local government and many other NGOs, institutions and individuals by providing dedicated disaster relief and long-term support for the recovery of several cities in Miyagi prefecture following the devastating earthquake and tsunami of March 11. On July 28th, 2011, a Peace Boat representative responded with a thank you letter to Soshified which you can read below.

Generous Soshified members have also donated rare autographed items by Girls’ Generation from their personal collection for to auctions that contributed US$6,419.99 to the Japan Relief Fund. These items hold special meaning to their respective donors, but they have selflessly contributed their prized possessions to help those who are critically in need of aid. An autographed Run Devil Run Album signed by Taeyeon was auctioned off at $999.99, making it the highest bid collected. The list of auctions are as follows:

1. Taeyeon-signed Run Devil Run CD donated by  Soy ” on Soshified forums, urged fellow Soshified members to help make a difference by contributing to the project. “In light of the recent and ongoing tragedy that has occurred in Japan, we will be raising money in support of those affected. As a global community, SONEs not only support the girls, but we support each other,” he said.