Horses & Other Interests
As a text project for the BrickFair exhibition, I created my new blog address, rodneyssaga.com, in translucent LEGO. Beautiful in the light.
Flippin’ impossible to take a decent picture of.
The second was taken with the advice & equipment (diffuser box/lights/tripod) of a professional photographer. Still not stellar. Photographer’s name withheld because I suspect he would be appalled.
Today is the second Winter Tournament show. Let’s hope my plans gang less agley [Back In The Show Ring, updates]. As before , the goal is for me to make my canter “debut” and do a pattern. LW&TCDR. I will attempt to tweet from the show. Tweet sidebar has been expanded for the duration.
The wrinkle for this month is that the local LEGO expo, BrickFair, is the same weekend. Much as I heart the classic brick, there is no contest. Last year, I missed several LEGO club meetings for shows.
First MCLUG member: I think you need to figure out your priorities!
Second MCLUG member: She’s already made it pretty clear what her priorities are.
So, If I wasn’t having a lesson (Thurs am) or am not showing (Sat). I was/will be in the convention center talking with LEGO peeps (Thursday afternoon & evening, Friday) or sparkling at the public (Sunday), but not too much of the latter [The Upside Of Negativity]. Definitely a sleep-is-for-the-weak weekend. Therefore, I probably won’t get to the show report until Wednesday, at the earliest.
List of previous BrickFair & LEGO posts
Update 1/15/14: the first photo is my desktop wallpaper. Makes me smile every time. Say what you will about Rodney as a competition horse (and I’ll agree with you), he is an endearingly entertaining lawn ornament.
More accurately: New Year, New Iteration of Old Contest
Awhile back, I asked for help finding a showname for Rodney [Help Me Name My Horse, Prize Offered, April 2012]. That was the summer Matilda got hurt, so it took several months until we worried about simple amenities such as Coggin’s tests [Contest in Final Days, January 2013]. The vet arrived early (!). In a panic, I went with his stable name [Contest Winner, February 2013]. Inventive.
This is why I need your help. We did not show this year, so I did not register him anywhere. (We will pass by that statement without comment.) Therefore, I can try for a new name. Rules as before – void where illegal, etc. – and the prize will only be awarded if I change his name.
Update. Prize description from last go-round:
$25 gift certificate on Amazon.com.
OR
The same from the independent book dealer of your choice, provided I can reach their store online.
OR
Perhaps simply my undying gratitude, if the offer of money turns out to be a can of worms.
Hint the first: Rodney’s response to breakfast? My favorite thing! To lunch? My favorite thing! To going out? My favorite thing! To coming in? You get the idea. In happiness or in pain, he is enthusiastic about how he feels. I thought about using “My Favorite Thing!” but that would be taken as a description rather than as a quote. Similarly “Maximum Gain”, would be taken as financial rather than as radio talk. Basically, he has his knobs dialed to 11 at all times. Knobs on 11? Eleven?
Hint the second: Rodney was bought to be my mid-life crisis horse. I am not above using that to humorous &/or memorable effect.
Hint the third: And now for something completely different. I feel that the perfect name is out there, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Surprise me.
Have at it. Please broadcast to anyone who might be interested. Doesn’t have to be horse folks. Or even animal folks. Perhaps people who are good with words and might want to win a few books.
Horses
The highlight of my saddleseat year was in November [Still Napping]. For those of you who don’t wish to click over, I have four words: Reserve National Grand Champion.
Rodney’s progress was reviewed last month [Zeno’s Horse Training]. The relevant words here are plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
Blog
Top posts of 2013. Inspired by Whatever Top Posts, 2013 Plus Thoughts on 2014, I looked up my top posts for the previous 365 days on 12/31/13, not including admin pages, i.e. About, etc.:
Watching The Tevis
Show Report: Mid-South Spring Premiere, Rainsville, AL
Show Report: ASAC, Clemson, SC
I’m Baaaaaack … With Camera
Foto Friday: Doctor Whooves
Show Report: ETSA Spring Classic, Cleveland, TN
Fotography Friday: Texture
Rainbow Bridge
Good Things
Ladies Only
The all-time list has 8 out of these 10. Tevis still leads the list with the following in second & third:
Help Me Name My Horse, Prize Offered
Foto Friday: A Short Tribute to Amy Tryon
The Clemson post had the most comments for 2013.
The best day was August 22. Ironically, the day after I stomped off in a huff [Hiatus].
In addition to the stats page, WordPress compiled a summary full of graphic-y goodness:
(Start preview)
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 14,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report.
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Last year’s summary [By the Numbers], was more of a number-cruncher. This year, I looked at the numbers but they didn’t send me. I think I was still awed by all of the digits last year.
At the end of the year, I upgraded the blog.
My gift to me: my own domain name, rodneyssaga.com. The term “wordpress” has been removed from the the title. Mostly an egoboo, but if I make cards, or signs, or whatever, it will look slightly more professional. There should be no change to any links or addresses you have. Rerouting is part of the service.
The upgrade bundle also came with more space, the ability to load videos directly rather than via YouTube, and the chance to customize my theme. I may fiddle with the latter. Not sure the other two functionalities speak to me. If I don’t use all the bells & whistles, I may switch to a la carte upgrades next year. Will keep you posted.
My gift to you: no ads.
Enjoy.
Epiphany is one of my favorite religious holidays. Not a surprise, as it involves the Wise Men and revelation. I’m all about smart folks and more data.
An epiphany is the sudden understanding of something that was opaque. It’s not simply new information. It is about clarity where there was confusion. An epiphany cannot be taught nor delivered by another person. One must stumble upon them. This phenomenon is not unknown in the riding world.
First Instructor: Shorten your reins.
Second Instructor: Shorten your reins.
Third Instructor: Shorten your reins.
Rider: Hey! Wait a minute. This works so much better if I shorten my reins.
Wishing you a year of epiphanies, in riding & in life.
Virtual Brush Box 