[jQuery] losing plugins

[jQuery] losing plugins


i've tried to get an answer to this question before, but been
unsuccessful - however, it's becoming a more general issue and i
really could use a solution if anyone can offer one.
my problem is that at different points in the call stack, the object
jQuery.fn doesn't necessarily have all the same things in it. if i
look at jQuery.fn right when $(document).ready() is called, all the
plugins i've set up are listed as available methods in firebug. i ajax
in some content, and ajax in more content inside of that content, and
pretty soon jQuery.fn has far fewer methods inside of it if i look at
it when executed in the context of some of the ajax content.
thus far i've solved the issue by duplicating jquery into another
variable and passing the cloned jquery into functions where it appears
to be "missing things" and extending the "missing" jquery with
everything in the clone. this feels bootleg as hell and is less than
reliable.
maybe i just don't understand closures or some other rudimentary
aspect, but this is beginning to get dire for me. help! please!