Jul6

Writing and Martial Arts

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Writing and Martial Arts

The Writing Part

Saw these on Amazon and was tempted. The bottom of my feet is what people see when they come into my room while I’m writing on my bed. But, it’s kind of mean. Then again, I only wear footwear on the right foot, so, it could work…

Anyway, here’s something funny and ironic. How many of you caught the typo in my last post?

“Despite all the work, I know stuff it still going to get missed.”

Wow.

This is why I need multiple people reading over my shoulder, so to speak. Not everyone catches the same things. For instance, someone told me it’s unsafe to have a gas can in the main part of the car.

Twice someone has said, “Isaac’s a genius, so he should know that.” Look, I get that I’ve written a character who is supposedly a genius, but that doesn’t mean I am, OKAY?!

Feeling secure with Part 1 of Book 2, I headed back into Part 2 when I had an idea for Book 3. I started writing a scene–how the characters would get there, I have no idea–which led to another scene and another. Anyone who’s fond of hidden clues and rearranging words to be led to the next clue will hopefully enjoy this part.

At least this means 18 pages of Book 3, Wish We Weren’t Here, (not italicizing that because it’s not yet published) are complete!

Another interesting thing about being an author is the influx of people on X who follow you and want to be your friend. I’ve gotten several DMs from strangers trying to cozy up to me for reasons unknown. I have ignored them. Is that wrong?

The Martial Arts Part

I went back to the Jiu-Jitsu gym but, sadly, not to participate. They were hosting Ryron Gracie of THE Gracies of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. I have an “in” with the owners and so got permission to come with my crutches and watch from the side.

Instructor, L, Ryron, R, appropriately sitting under a framed picture of himself.

It was fun to see people again. I heard my name called and turned to see the Combatives Belt Kid coming toward me with a fist at the ready to be bumped. The Lawyer pointed to my foot and put his arms up in an “awh man” gesture with a sorrowful expression. Others waved. I caught Little Sister for a hug before she trotted off to Pink who had patted the mat next to her.

That made me sad. I was left out of being with my friends. I felt worse noticing HRH was the odd woman out, partnering with Humble One because her Partner of Choice was out of commission.

Nevertheless, I was thrilled when Ryron came near, smiled and said, “Hi, how you doing?” I would have liked to have gotten a selfie with him afterward like many others did, but my ride was waiting for me.

But the best part of all was Instructor coming over and saying, “Glad you could make it.” That made my heart both smile and cry.

I don’t know how long it will take for my foot to heal. It seems to be slow going despite the supposed bone growing wonder machine. I get x-rayed every two weeks and keep hearing, “Nope. Not yet.” It’s been since May 14.

Happy, chill.
Super chill.
Death by arm bar!

My favorite part of the night was when HRH happened to be sitting near Ryron. Like me, she hates attention. She later told me she was thinking, “Please don’t ask me anything.”

But he did. Just one small thing.

Choke me.

I leapt to my foot to capture this shot. Priceless. Sorry for the fuzziness due to zooming.

I found this picture with me in it online.

I look like I’ve got HRH’s back. I wonder if she noticed I’m wearing the shirt she gave–the one I covered a pillow with to make her my grappling dummy/snuggle buddy–before I choke her out. 😉 😉

Note how everyone is calmly watching, comprehending, perfectly understanding.

Then we zoom in a little on my face…

Yep. That looks about right.

Let’s see. Is there anything I’m forgetting to include in this post?

Oh yes…

Last Q: Passing the earth in July 2015, the half-mile Asteroid 2011 UW-158 is thought to have a 100-million-ton core of platinum worth $5.4 trillion.

New Q: This country’s name in Old High German translates to “Eastern Empire.”

That’s not too tough to guess, particularly if you’re my blog buddy from here and currently back for a visit. Hi, AZ! 🙂

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80 responses »

  1. 1. Oh, what an honour to have my very own trivia question! 😊🙇🏼‍♀️ But I won’t give the answer away, that’s kind of unfair for your other blog buddies. Let’s give them a chance. I’ll wait. 😉
    2. Cool socks, I need those!
    3. In Aikido it’s completely normal to come and watch practice when you are injured. It’s almost expected, at least in my dojo. Learning by watching.
    4. I hope your ankle gets better soon! Seems to take an awful long time…
    5. The look on your face: love it! That’s me – in every single practice! 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️
    6. I’m off to bed now – good night!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Well then, good night and good morning!

      When I had my first injury, I came and watched for a while. I stopped when I realized it was going to be far too long before I returned, if at all. Now it’s my right foot, so I can’t drive. Having someone take me and pick me up or wait an hour isn’t fair. Otherwise, I might.

      Have you started writing your book yet?

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      • Oh – now the pressure starts 🤣 Well, I did write a rough outline, if this counts..? 😉 Right foot is bad, not being able to drive… So far I was lucky. All my injuries on left foot/leg/arm.

        Liked by 1 person

      • So if everything is wrong on your left side, that means you’re all right.

        Badum-ch!

        An outline is a good start. I hope you’ll find time to flesh it out more. Once you really get going, those writing spurts are utterly magical. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      • 🤣 – it made me think actually… the mental summary of my martial arts injuries. – I only realized now that they are/were all on the left side. Why do I keep wrecking my left side? Something must be wrong with it! 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️

        Liked by 1 person

      • It’s almost like you have nothing…. left. 😉 😉 Or maybe: You’re all right even if you have nothing left. Yeah. Let’s go with that one. 😛

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Favorite line: “I leapt to my foot”. Not a typo (but definitely an LOL 🙂 ) Sorry to hear about the stranger DM’s. I’m sure their agenda is to climb on board the Ilsa train and somehow benefit from it, which is disturbing and pathetic. Also, there must be a sweet spot with editor/reviewer participation in the writing process – not too little and not too much. Too little and you have the amateur look of a self-published book. Too much and you excuse them all from class by saying “Thanks everyone, I’ll take it from here”.

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    • Dave, I can always count on you to notice the little funnies I toss in. Thank you! Yes about the strangers. They need to at least put in the effort to comment on stuff and befriend me in the public space before pulling me into the DMs. They try to be casual about it, but it’s still obvious. I’m too professional to fall for it. As to the editing, I for sure want nitpicking. I NEED nitpicking. I don’t have to take everyone’s advice, but 9/10 I agree with them, so I’m grateful. I don’t take it poorly except from my mom, believe it or not. She doesn’t always agree with the direction I take, so I have to sort of ignore her sometimes. 😛

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      • Indeed. She still makes good points, but it’s sad that she doesn’t like everything I write. Isn’t it her job to love everything her little girl produces? Come on, Mom! (I’m assuming, and hoping, she doesn’t read this. 😉 )

        Liked by 1 person

    • Indeed. No one is immune. Even Stephen King had a laugh when a friend pointed out that people in his not-yet-published story were eating peasants. He had meant pheasants. I suppose, in his case, either could have worked. Nevertheless, it happens to everyone. 🙂

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  7. You look very deep in thought! What a great crew you have and I bet it lifted your spirits to visit them and capture that photo!

    Good editors are so important in catching your mistakes and strengthening our work. I’m glad you have a trusted crew to lean on as you work on your novels!

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  8. I’d buy those socks, but I write sitting up at my computer and no one would see the writing. When I had an X account ignored just about everything, including DMs, nothing wrong with that.

    “… leapt to my foot …” Glad you can still leap, just be careful not to injury the remaining foot — could make leaping difficult.

    and, Austria, Österreich, derives from the Old High German Ostarrîchi

    If I remember my European history that is.

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  9. I love the socks and your face in the class ) sounds like you’re moving right along with the writing and I so get why you need lots of eyes on your words, it’s very hard to see your own errors.

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  11. That IS an ironic typo, making it perfect blog fodder! You are not wrong to ignore the hangers-on. They are just trying to be adjacent to fame. Luckily for me, we became blog buddies before I knew you were famous, so we’re cool. 😉 Just wish that were true of me and Brad Pitt, too. I sometimes get emails from people telling me that we should interview them on our podcast. I ignore those, not because I’m trying to be rude, but because I don’t want to spend my time writing replies to people who are trying to use me to advance their careers or whatever. Some of them are quite persistent and will write back several times despite the crickets.

    I’m glad you got to reconnect with your jj friends, just wish it was sweet instead of bittersweet.

    Love the socks. I got similar ones for the Husband that say “Don’t bother me” (on one foot) and “I’m watching Arsenal” (on the other foot).

    Full disclosure: I consulted the Husband for the trivia. His guess is either Russia or Prussia.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • First of all, I’m not famous. But, if I do become so by some miracle, yes, you got in on the ground floor, so to speak. Congratulations. When you, Mark, and I finally meet in person, we’ll take selfies and your social media posts of such will go viral. 😉 As will mine because, you know, it’s you and Mark!

      Ugh about the podcast thing. On the other hand, flattering, no?

      Bittersweet indeed. You put into words, or, a word, what hadn’t quite materialized in my brain.

      Wow on the socks. I haven’t heard of Arsenal. Those are awfully specific. Talk about a niche market.

      Oooh, Husband. So sorry, but buzz on those guesses.

      Liked by 1 person

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  12. Quite the contemplative look you are giving! That’s too bad about the foot, but I can see how the doctors don’t want you to reinjure (re-injure?) yourself, even if it’s your favorite hobby (besides writing, which seems extremely safe, unless you are responding to X DM’s!!!)

    My guess is also Prussia.

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    • Admittedly, Prussia is an excellent guess, albeit not the correct one. (Wow. Is that the first time I’ve used “albeit”? Wild.)

      Haha on the X DMs. 😛 Writing is definitely great, though it doesn’t provide much exercise or camaraderie, besides for my characters. :/

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  13. Cool socks. Once upon a time part of my job as a paralegal was to proofread documents. I was good at it, but still miss ones in my blog posts. You asked: I have ignored them. Is that wrong? Nope it’s sane… now if you start ignoring bloggy friends that’d be wrong. But strangers out of nowhere, ignore ’em at your will.

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    • Thank you. I feel better about my humanity for missing typos. Proves I’m not AI at least, eh?

      I cannot fathom ignoring blog buddies. Admittedly, for years I have not been superb at keeping up with them. Thankfully, you seem to forgive me despite that. If I ignore you entirely, it had better be for a very good reason. Otherwise, I give you permission now to come out here and slap me.

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  15. I think ignoring DM’s from X is self preservation these days.
    And while I know it’s hard not to be torquing someone’s arm in unnatural positions or hearing that satisfying thump when you flip a human body on its head… think of all the extra time you have to write now.
    You’ll be back on the mats soon enough.
    😉

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  16. What a bummer your foot is taking so long to heal. 😦 What’s wrong with a gas can in the main part of the car – also known as the floor of the back seat? I’ve done this for years. Write what you want. 🙂

    I’m glad you went jiu-jitsu watching. It was good for your soul!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Maddie!!! Am I just not subscribed to your blog? Is that possibly a thing? I’ve been wondering about you, concerned really, because I haven’t heard anything from you for a while. Have I missed stuff, or have you just been quiet lately? I can check.

      Anywho, regarding the gas can. Apparently, even if it’s an approved container, harmful vapors could still potentially leak out. So I’m told.

      Yes, Jiu-Jitsu watching was good for my soul. It kind of hurt my heart, though. But at least it didn’t hurt my foot or anything else that keeps me ambulatory! 😛

      Liked by 1 person

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      • I had to step away from everything online for a while (little over a month) to take care of some family and personal issues. Nothing serious, but I left my *distractions* behind (my blog and X). I don’t have time to go back and catch up, but I should be able to be here going forward.

        Bookstooge left a comment when he found out I was okay that he was glad that my absence … at my age … didn’t mean I took a dirt nap! LOL!! I love my online friends!!

        Liked by 1 person

      • So glad you’re okay. I trust everything got sorted and all is well now, or as much as can be expected?

        Bookstooge is amazing. Also, you’re 70! Please! No dirt naps for at least a decade!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Everything is fine! I’m counting on TWO decades!

        I rode my bike today in 90° heat – 7 miles – and took one hill at about 43 mph. It was glorious! 🙂

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      • Oh yeah. With that kind of activity, two decades for sure. 🙂

        I hope when you post again we’ll get an update on Trivia Man. I forget your fake name for him. I like mine, though. ;P

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  17. You didn’t ask, but I’m weighing in on “gas can in the car” and “he’s a genius”. Genius IQ is more about the ability to connect dots than a working knowledge of the world. If your genius never ran into gas can safety, he wouldn’t know it.

    I felt sad for you, sitting there scowling, but happy you were there.

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    • You make an excellent point, Jacqui. Another author posted a review he received that criticized his supposed genius character for not knowing something about security cameras. It’s those darn readers I need to worry about. Apparently, this guy gave a poor review because the author didn’t know something. This is a tough gig. Undoubtedly, I’ll still miss things, and I highly doubt most readers are as understanding as you are. I’ll do my best. That’s all I can say, and I’m grateful for people who take the time to point stuff out to me. I don’t know what more I can do. It would be a bit ridiculous to google every last thing I put in these books. That’s why I appreciate my volunteer beta readers. I certainly don’t expect them to know everything either, but I’m glad they know some stuff that helps me look smart! 😛

      Scowling. Ha! Someone else called that my contemplative face. In truth it’s my, “Say what now?” face. 🙂

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  18. Trivia: Is it the Roman Empire? Or were you looking for Holy Roman Empire? These are very different Empires (said the history major who studied the rise of Brandenburg Prussia but knows very few actual German words).

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  19. I like your socks! Resting your feet in bed is a good thing for them to heal. I don’t wear fancy socks but I sit in bed with a wedge pillow to elevate my lymphedema legs. I’m sure your colleagues were happy to see you and want you to take as much time as it’s needed for healing. You look great in the group photo.

    I sometime texted to my daughter and had typos. When I told her what I wanted to say, she said she understood. I once had a typo in the title of my post, a blogger friend messaged me in FB to let me know. But when I had typos in the text of the WP posts, they readers graciously understood.

    I do have a question. I used to call you Betsy, then I also saw you signing your name as Ilsa Rey, so I called you Ilsa. Which one is correct?

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    • I once had a typo in a post title too. A reader kindly pointed it out. Talk about a facepalm situation. I prefer people letting me know so I can fix it. How embarrassing. When I send emails to friends and family, I don’t particularly care about typos. Sometimes I don’t bother with capital letters either. 😛

      Since I have a novel coming out, I’ve rebranded with the pseudonym Ilsa Rey in anticipation of that, and to distinguish this writing from my non-fiction. Either is correct, but since we’re here, sticking with Ilsa will be less confusing. Thank you for asking, Miriam!

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  22. OMG I had to read that sentence six times before I saw the typo! And I have always thought I was good at spotting errors…Great to see you are still doing your martial arts classes, but I’m sorry to hear you are on crutches 😔

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  23. It was nice to catch up on both parts of your life, Betsy, one on hold while the other gets a lot of needed attention. Funny how that works, isn’t it? The universe organizing your time for you? Enjoy your writing time! Great photos!

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    • Thanks, Jacqui. I’d like to say that I am taking full advantage of the time the universe has given me, but I seem to find ways to shirk my writing duties for getting other random stuff done instead. I’m trying to get better. Well, I had gone down to two nights of JJ a week, so I guess if I at least do two nights of writing a week I’m keeping pace. Ugh, discipline. 😛

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      • You need to put those socks on your birthday list, then they can’t blame you for buying them! As serious as you look in the picture (Even though you are hiding by the door for a quick getaway) it should encourage you to get back at it soon!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Oooohhh… I like how your mind works, Diane. “How can you call them rude? They were a gift. Now you’re insulting the giver. That’s rude.”
        Yep, I can work with that. 😉

        Like

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