THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

A very good friend of mine told me, during a phone conversation yesterday, that this month's Writer's Digest has a list of 24 agents looking for novels to represent. I hurried my butt over to Barnes and Noble at Triangle Town Center as fast as I could legally drive (well maybe a little over "legal") and grabbed myself a copy.

Clutching my treasure to my chest, I was headed back to my car...when the beauty of the day suddenly struck me and I thought "why just go home and peruse my magazine? I could just grab a drink and sit outside the mall in the lovely, peaceful, serene center court they have created.

I zipped into Moe's to get a sweet tea (I'm so Southern now!) and wandered over to a seating section in the center of the common area between the beautiful landscaped walking paths. The area was totally isolated and I found a lovely table with a large umbrella to shade me from the direct sunlight. I pulled my magazine from it's bag and took a pen and writing pad from my purse, let out a deep sigh, took a quick sip of tea and opened to page one.

A minute later I hear a loud voiced woman speaking very rapid angry Spanish. I tilted my head over my shoulder and wouldn't you know it...here sat said woman at a table directly behind me, legs crossed, loose foot bobbing rapidly up and down, obviously arguing with someone about something in a language I don't understand. I tensely turned back to my magazine trying to block out the ever increasing volume of the discussion going on in back of me. Just when I thought I had it conquered...a shrill scream rent the air and the head of a boy, about 5 years old pops up above one of the large rocks strategically placed to add peace and serenity to the area. Two moms were now standing at the base of the rock, one of them yelling for little Jimmy to "get down!"

Sighing I very slowly closed my magazine, placed it back into the bag, slipped my notepad and pen into my purse and stalked off to my car. Peace and quiet were finally achieved when I arrived back at my own home, sitting on my own back porch, sipping the rest of my Moe's tea and leisurely reading through my magazine. "There's no place like home...There's no place like home."