The last time I went to the Beverly Center on a Saturday, I left feeling more hatred in my heart for the LA masses than I have since Halloween. There was pushing, bumping, waiting, complaining, and honking. Awful.

I mentioned my misadventure to a more seasoned shopper friend, wondering if she had any sage advice. She first berated me for going to the Beverly Center on a Saturday--or at all, as far as she was concerned--and then heaved a great sigh and told me that if I MUST go, I must promise to arrive no later than 10 a.m. when the stores open.

I rarely see the outdoors at 10 a.m. on a Saturday, so I doubted that I would ever have a chance to test her theory, not to mention the fact that I had my doubts about how right she was. But today, needing to do returns and exchanges and wanting to get it over with, I dragged my hungover ass out of bed and drove to the Beverly Center before I had time to think about what I was doing.

But a strange thing happened as I made my way down La Cienega--I realized that the road before me was wide open. No traffic jam, no long lines of cars. And as I got closer to Beverly, lo and behold--the intersection of the parking lot entrace and La Cienega, normally congested like a 5-year-old's nose in winter, was free and clear. I drove right in.

And let me tell you, I parked in front of the escalator, I went in, and it was EMPTY. LA's tendency to not get up before noon proved to be the best thing to happen to post-holidays shopping since the advent of the Sale.

So thank you, LA, for sleeping in, for taking leisurely showers, or for being out of town. Whatever it is, I will remember this always as the most pleasant trip to the Beverly Center I may ever have.

Photo by S:U:P:E:R:M:O:D via Flickr