Pick-me-up Muse

My friends and I saw The Vow last night.

I'm not sure how I feel about his acting skills but one thing's for certain, Channing Tatum is easy on the eyes.

The Vow was cute, though I didn't cry like everyone thought I might. (I'm a sap.) I'd classify it as a feel-good, pick-me-up kind of flick - which seems apt since I'll need a bit of a pick-me-up after I put  Jessica Bell on a plane tonight.

Gulp.

It's been 10 days since she stepped on Canadian soil for the first time ever - surely the fastest 10 days of my life. She arrived in a blizzard, and if the weather holds true, she'll be leaving in a blizzard, as well. The snow prevented us from making day trips (or even weekend trips) to Banff or Jasper...or anywhere but my out-of-the-city home. Old Man Winter has a funny sense of humour.

While Jess didn't get to see much of Canada, she made a huge impact on my family and friends. I know tonight when I finally crawl into bed, emotionally spent and eyes puffy from tears, her presence will be missed...a hole that won't be so easily filled by our daily gmail chats.

I wondered how Jess and I would get along, having only really met through the blogosphere a year and a half ago - but I shouldn't have worried. Jess's blog persona is no fake. She's the real deal, and those of you who know her through the blogosphere understand her to be beautiful and wonderful - inside and out. She's just like that. And more.

This month is filled with all kinds of exciting things - a book launch (maybe two), preparation of blog posts for the A-Z challenge, beat sheets for a couple of scripts, participation in blog tours, crits for friends, my own writing to catch up on, and the second issue of Vine Leaves Literary Magazine to get out the door.

This week, I'm going to lean on Channing to give me the pick-me-up I need to make that happen.

And try not to miss Jessica with every waking breath.

- Dawn

The Book In My Bag Today: Rot & Ruin, Jonathan Mayberry