Did Ya'll Miss Me?

Well don't worry, I was thinking about you all weekend. About what an awesome post that this was going to make. Because that much happened. In fact, I'm going to have to break it up into a few posts.

So, first things first, where the hell were you that you had that much fun?


My mother and I have been going to this expo for 7 years, since I was 12. It is our annual mother/daughter weekend, and I look forward to it more than any other weekend of the year.

You ride horses? I didn't know that you were one of those girls.

Meet my baby, Seuss. No, unfortunately I do not own him, but I wish. I really do.













I ride at college, and hope to make a life of it. Not showing, just owning and loving horses. More on that later.









So, what exactly is this Expo that you speak so highly of?

Dig, if you will, a picture. (Brownie Points for whoever recognizes that line!)

Imagine a building about the size of an Airplane Hanger. Stick a dirt arena in the middle, bleachers on all four sides. Now, fill the rest with vendors of the equine variety. Think tack shops (both English and Western), feed suppliers, show attire stands, custom-built barns, trailers galore, flashy western belts and buckles, hardcore Alligator Skin Cowboy boots. You name it, it's there.

My mom found herself some lovely jewelry from her favorite shop, I got a pair of Muck Boots (for those cold, snowy days!), and we ogled saddles we can never afford and bridles we wish we had use for. But the vendors, they are not even the main attraction.

Remember that arena I mentioned? Well, there are two of them. One in each building. And apart from those, there are two completely separate seminar halls. Four venues. Four days. Four different things going on at once. Yes. There were approximately 160 different clinics, seminars, parades, and demonstrations over the course of this weekend, and I had to pick and choose what I could see!

I sat in on Steuart Pittman's Eventing Clinic, and listened up later as he spoke about the different positions used in each phase.

Phillip Dutton on Connaught during the three different phases of Eventing: Dressage, Show Jumping, and Cross Country

My mother particularly enjoyed watching the Sidesaddle demonstrations, as well as the talks on carriage driving - she figures that even though her arthritis keeps her from riding, she could learn to drive a carriage one day.

But the treat of the weekend was Caroline Rider. Oh wow was I impressed. I was able to attend one of her liberty training sessions. There were so many people there - so many distractions. And her two horses were on no leads, had no halter, how could she control them? But they never once took their attention away from Caroline. They loved and trusted her that much. She asked them to come, they came. She opened the way to a jump, and they jumped. She indicated that she wished to mount them, and they made their way over to the mounting block. I have never seen such absolute devotion from a horse.

Promptly after the third of her clinics that we watched, my mother bought me her training DVD as a Christmas present.

Caroline Rider with her horses, Legend and Shadow

If there is one lesson that I always walk away from this Expo with, it is that, honestly, it doesn't matter what kind of a rider you are. Whether you are sitting in an English Saddle, a Western one, or even a Sidesaddle, the concepts are still the same. And yes, I understand that there is a difference between that silly Equitation thing (it doesn't matter what the horse does, just look pretty!) and reining, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean the connection.

It's about that sense of oneness that you feel when you truly trust a horse. And when that horse trusts you. For example. Seuss. That adorable Appaloosa Gelding that doesn't know what he's doing, but he's going to try! We both have trust issues, but we're working through them, together.

And, of course, things like this take time. But we're progressing. And no matter how slow, progression is progression. My silly little jumping pony now trusts me to the point where I can walk in his stall with a big scary blanket. Instead of bolting, he just freezes. Soon, I hope, he won't even take notice. Because he knows that I would never bring in anything to harm him.

But what about my trust issues? How are those coming along? Think about it for a second - would you trust a half-ton beast with the ability to, at any unknown instant, rear up and throw you into a mirror, shattering the glass and shredding you to ribbons? I've seen it happen. It takes a lot to get someone completely comfortable on a horse. But once you get there - once you get past the petty worrying, magic occurs.

I realize, now, that on Seuss I no longer have to keep my eyes out for potential dangers - for I know that while he is aware of them, he is past the point where he must stop and look at every single spider-web. Now I can focus on what is best for the both of us - where my hands should be so that I can tell him what I need without being a bother on his mouth - where my legs should signal to best tell him which transition I am asking for. Now I can relax and melt into him, so that we move as a unit - so that we are connected.

For a bond, of any kind, is beautiful

And I will leave it at that, for now. I have more to tell you all, but this post is long enough. Expect my life plan - it's filled with horses! - to be included in my next chapter.

Cheers,
Amy Plunk!

I sometimes find it hard not to believe in Astrology...

...For it is far too often incredibly accurate.

Because of the class on Stars and Constellations that I am currently taking, I have become increasingly interested in those infinite celestial beings that we far too often take for granted. Even to the point where I find myself learning about the Astrology behind them.

But, seriously, horoscopes are nothing. They are no more than purposefully vague predictions and descriptions that silly superstitious folk take far too much stock in. I feel the same way... most of the time. But occasionally I will stumble across something that just can't be a coincidence - how can it all fall into place that flawlessly? And then I rethink my former convictions. I become skeptical... of my skepticism.

For instance.

Mercury is in Retrograde

Now, what exactly does that mean?
In scientific terms, Mercury really doesn't go into real retrograde motion (which would entail it physically moving backwards along it's path). Instead, like all of the other planets, Mercury goes through a phase of apparent retrograde at a certain point in it's orbit. This means simply that it appears to be moving backwards for a period of time (usually around a few weeks or so). This occurs because of the difference between the period of Earth's orbit and that of Mercury.

Mercury, the planet of our focus today, goes in to retrograde about four times a year (it has a significantly shorter orbit than we do). In 2009, we will experience the supposed horrors of the Mercury Retrograde during these dates:

• January 11th to February 1st
• May 8th to May 30th
• September 8th to September 29th
• December 27th to January 15th (2010)

Right, I got you... but what does it mean?
Yeah, yeah, today is all about Astrology, I know. But you guys all know that I would much rather rant about science. Did I tell you that I killed Math today? I did! Using Physics. But that's a story for another day... when I better understand exactly how I killed Math.

According to the "books," Mercury rules the communication in our lives. It also impacts our ability to think clearly, and travel. We can look to Mythology as to why these aspects were chosen, for Mercury was the messenger god. Hence, communication. He was also the Roman god of trade, profit, and commerce - travel and, I guess, thinking?

So when Mercury himself turns around and high-tails it in the other direction, you guessed it, all of those things go to naught. Communication fails, traveling becomes even more painful than usual, you find yourself having a hard time concentrating, isn't life hard?


I see. But why would you all-of-a-sudden take so much stock in a silly planet?
Because, believe it or not, I can feel the effects of this already. Take a look at this, an excerpt from Gala Darling's latest post, which also happens to be on Mercury's Retrograde (I wonder where I got my inspiration?).

You might find yourself getting into bizarre arguments about nothing at all, being unable to finish sentences or barely even able to form a coherent thought. Your computer & other electronic equipment is more likely to go on the fritz. You could experience travel delays, too. Double-check your flights & take a book with you to keep you occupied while you wait for the train! We don’t tend to get all the information we need at this time, so it can be hard to make big decisions & it’s not always the best time to sign a contract, either.


So, when did this retrograde begin? Sunday. So let me outline what has happened to me, a la Mercury, so far this week:

• Russian Professor has yet to post grades, and refuses to answer anyone's emails as to why
• Amy goes on meaningless online rants, filled, even more so than usual, with "um"s, "I don't know"s, and "fdgjksfdhgdslg"s.
  
• Computer moves incredibly slow, and decides to randomly black out whilst Amy is DJ-ing her guitar lesson
• Amy's good friend Rererer cannot manage to find her way back to campus due to travel-related issues
• Another good friend is in a wonderful relationship, and all of a sudden, her easily flowing, coherent conversations with her partner come to a complete halt
• Physics professor, who seriously does know his stuff, is having a surprisingly hard time getting his point across, for his in-class notes are incredibly riddled with dumb mistakes, the kind that he never makes
• And holy cow! I plan on trying to fly out of here on Thursday...
  

And honestly, guys, we are only three days into the retrograde.

And your point is?
Well, my whole life, I've fought Astrology. It's silly superstition, doesn't have any scientific basis, etc. The usual arguments. But it always seems to find some way into my life - whether it be an accurate Tarot Card reading, a professional horoscope that blows me away, or a retrograde sneaking it's way into my every day life. And so, I guess I should look a little more into this. Just maybe.

And I encourage you, my friends, to explore on your own. Is this whole post just a series of coincidences? Maybe. But I'm not going to tell you what to think. Gala Darling's article on Mercury's Retrograde is a great place to start, and she has written numerous times on other Astrological subjects, so I urge you to poke around there as well. Please, if you find anything particularly interesting, shoot it over my way, for I am always willing, and eager, to learn something new.

With those final words, I bid you all adieu.

Until forever,
Amy Plunk!

What does your background say about you?

I've always wondered how people survive with boring computer backgrounds. I mean, honestly, how is it that one could never get sick of that same green hillside, staring at them for months on end? I live on my computer. I really do. And I have to change my background frequently - keep it fresh, you know? And I guess you could call my background a mirror - you can tell what kind of general mood I am in from what looks back at me from my screen.

For instance... here is an abbreviated time line of my backgrounds over the past few months:

"God Loves You" From the fabulous Exploding Dog

This was my first ever "creative" background. I LOVED Exploding Dog. I still do (but I hold that his older stuff is much better - more original) I even loved it to a point that I created a screen saver of Exploding Dog images for my computer in Tech Class. So cool.

This is from a DeviantArt page, although I cannot, for the life of me, find it again.

Over the summer I went through and even larger ladybug phase than I am normally in. I was planning out multiple ladybug tattoos, purchasing random ladybug staplers... I was out of it I guess. But this background is pretty awesome, kind of trippy too... not sure if that says anything about my summer...

I have no idea where this is from - for I Stumbled Upon it. This was the background that got me through the first week or so of school. New college, scary place. I didn't know anyone here... and I needed something to break the ice. Well, every time that I opened my computer, there was Mario on his sickeningly realistic Yoshi to brighten my day.

Not very hard to figure out... I finally got my xBox. And with it came Fallout 3. Gamertag: o Plunk It o. Let's be friends?

The Carina Nebula

This is my current background. And I'll tell you why.

The one thing that I love the most about being where I am for school is the sky. While there are some cute little towns around, nothing compares to the light pollution in Northern Virginia. I can see SO MANY stars where I am... and thus, my interest in the sky was re-kindled. As I mentioned in el first post, I no longer have the want to be a full-on astronomer... but you have to admit, that some of the coolest damn things you have ever seen can only be viewed by a telescope. Such as the Carina Nebula.

Now, what I find cool about this photo is not just that it is an awesome nebula (one of the biggest things in the sky that we can see!) There is a little weird "habit" I have. It's called "finding-weird-images-where-there-really-isn't-anything." For instance, I once found a samurai in the patterns of chalk-dust on a chalk board. I love looking at celings because I can find rabbits there. I guess it is comparable to cloud watching... only I find images in floor tiles, wallpaper, and wood grains.

And nebulas. THERE ARE DEMONS IN THIS NEBULA I SWEAR. There are three of them. In the upper left corner (right above the Keyhole Nebula) there is a skull. A big, looming skull. In the middle (around HD 93250) there is a ghoul, flying RIGHT OUT OF THE NEBULA AT YOU. WATCH OUT. And finally, on the right, the scariest of the demons is chillin, pretending to be a stellar jet, with one glowing eye, a shining smile, and a spidery claw, reaching out to get you.

I'm serious guys. Demons. In the nebula. How cool is that? I LOVE skulls and skeletons, and I love the sky. This one might be around for a while.

One must always choose the lesser of two weevils...

HMS Surprise
28 Guns 197 Souls

Such is the opening text in the movie Master and Commander. What a film. It is a wonder to me that Peter Weir was able to take an all-male cast, throw them on a cramped boat, and create two-plus-hours of pure genius. But what makes this film so fantastic?

The Authenticity Because no one ever really believed that Orlando Bloom was a pirate. Peter Weir understood what his goal was, and it was not to make all of the little tweens swoon over Hollywood hunks. It was to create a realistic depiction of life on a man-of-war in the early 19th Century. And so he took those men, those actors who just might be able to pull off "rugged," and he turned them into sailors. They were put through an intensive boot camp where every man (and boy) would learn exactly how to operate a ship. You've heard actors say that they like to "become their character" ... well you can't do it much better than this.

But it wasn't just the actors that were made to feel real, no. Peter Weir took every measure to ensure that the world that he created was exactly as it should be. From replicating real-life man-of-war boats (The HMS Rose was used as the model for the HMS Surprise) to using true-to-life sound effects by physically placing a microphone underneath a cannon and it's trajectory, everything in this movie is real.

The Score Now, if you know me, you know that I am a stickler for movie soundtracks. Honestly, it's the music that makes any movie. One of the most memorable moments in Master and Commander (in my opinion, of course) is the approach to the Galapogos Islands (which, I might note, is shot on location - it is extremely rare for feature-length films to be shot in the Galapogos). Bach's Prelude to Cello Suite #1 is played (by Yo-Yo Ma, of course), and it is completely breathtaking.

But it is not just the classical music that is phenomenal - the soundtrack is a conglomeration of Classical Music, music composed for the movie, and authentic sailing/drinking songs of the period. All-in-all, it is a soundtrack that should be owned by every soul on this planet.

The Characters Crowe and Bettany are the two "main" characters, according to credits, but you would never know, for your attention is drawn equally to every character in the film. The majority of the cast members are unknown British actors (some as young as twelve) and they supply a fantastic counter-balance to the widley known superstars. The scripting is beyond phenomenal - conversations between Crowe and Bettany create such a tangible bond that the movie-goer can feel the tensions and releases as if they were a part of the scene. But the true magic of the film is in the silences. Is in the wonderful body language that the deck hands use to intimidate Midshipman Hollom. Is in the gestures, the light touches, the understanding glances, that the young Midshipmen Blakeney gives to Dr. Maturin. It is in the silence.

And so, I leave you with this encouragement - watch this movie. Every moment bleeds of worth. Listen to the music, gasp in horror as the ship is tossed, and realize, at the end of it all, that you do not need random romance, awkward humor, or beautiful men, to make a sea-faring tale worthwhile. All that you need is authenticity.

Sadly, html doesn't work on paper...

My name is Amy Plunk! Always with an exclamation point. And I've never considered myself good with words.

Well, scratch that. While I may have the vocabulary that I'm sure folks are envious of, I frequently just can't find the words to express myself. But you know what? When one door closes, another opens. It's cliche, for sure, but it's cliche for a reason. While I might have a hard time expressing how I feel using words, other people seem to create avenues for me without even knowing it.

I find pictures, poems, graphic art... oh isn't the internet a wonderful tool? And while I keep an almost obsessive journal in the real world, it's hard to record my interweb findings on paper. For some reason I can't get the html formatting to work. And so, a blog was born.

And while the main focus of this wonderful tool will be to post my internet findings, there will be hints at the real world as well. I like to think that I am an OK photographer, so you might see a picture or two pop up. And honestly, who can plan these things ahead of time? You never know when a flier or a Snapple cap will peak my interest enough for me to want to share it with you.

So welcome, welcome all, to Under a Dome... titled as such after a quote from my Astronomy professor, the wonderfully Scottish Professor Zissell. It was when he said these words that I knew I never, ever wanted to be an astronomer; "When you're in a dome you don't see much of what goes on." As cool as they are, I don't think I could stand living life in an observatory, literally or metaphorically. For what fun is there in looking at only one strip of the sky at a time? I want to see it all, take it in, be available to every little shooting star that wants to be seen. For, if you are focused on that one little spot, you might never know what is going on just beyond the boundary.

So again I say welcome to anyone who wishes to follow along - I cannot say that you will understand my infinite ramblings, but I can say that there will be enough of them for you to never get bored.