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Time running out for Valentine shoppers Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Larry Brandenburg decides on something red for his wife, Kim, while shopping for Valentine�s Day gifts Tuesday at The Cellar in Medford. Brandenburg was one of a horde of shoppers looking for last-minute gifts for their loved ones. By Jessica Smith Larry Brandenburg�s face is almost as red as the little negligee he�s considering for his wife. It�s the day before Valentine�s Day and Brandenburg wants something special for Kim, whom he married a decade ago. "Ten years ago at our wedding, this is what I bought her," he says with a sheepish smile, holding the slip low. "So I thought it�d be nice." What will Kim think? "I hope she gives me a big kiss and a hug," he says, after some thought. "I hope she puts it on." One of many men and women who hunted Tuesday for Valentine�s Day gifts for the people they love, Brandenburg stopped at The Cellar in downtown Medford to find just the right present for his sweetie. With less than 24 hours to go before the big day, last-minute shoppers like Brandenburg navigated crowded greeting card stores, florist shops and jewelry showrooms. After buying a pair of earrings for his wife, Bob Benedict of White City mulls over the selections at B. Cazwell�s Flower Dezine on Stevens Street. Paying for a carnation arrangement he chose for his wife, Patti, Benedict admits he puts off shopping for his beloved as long as possible. "And I wasted the entire day here (for) Valentine�s Day," he says. "I always wait until the last minute." Mike Marlow, from Roseburg, managed to squeeze his shopping into a break Tuesday morning from his job in Medford. But for the first Valentine�s Day with his wife of three weeks, Debbie, Marlow says lingerie is not an option. "She�s eight months pregnant, so nighties are kind of out right now," he says. The heart pendant he bought at Pacific Diamond Jewelers on Main Street should do nicely, though. "She�ll be pretty excited." With one of the most extensive shopping lists seen Tuesday, Marilynn Compton wondered whether she�d be able to check off all the names. Browsing in Tiff�s Hallmark Shop in the Medford Center, Compton searches for cards that express her feelings for husband Stan, mother Eleanor McGraw and great-grandson Marcus Walker. And that�s just the beginning. There�s also her grown children and the ladies who help care for her 93-year-old mom. "I always think about what I�m going to do at the last minute. I�m not sure I�m going to accomplish it all," she says. "A day late and a dollar short, that�s me." Reach reporter Jessica Smith at 776-4481, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.