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It's Never Too Late To Find A Gift

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By NICOLA M. WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 25, 2007

WESLEY CHAPEL - Some people bake cookies. Some sing carols.

On Christmas Eve, Melissa Gualario shops.

"This is a tradition," said Gualario, 29, as she walked out of Toys R Us with a bag full of Dora the Explorer toys Monday morning. She still had a couple of stores left on her list and several more gifts to buy.

When it comes to Christmas shopping, there are two schools. There are the people who seem to have it all wrapped up by Labor Day. Then there are the rest of us, those who can't get it together until crunch time.

Not that we need to defend ourselves, but some of us like it that way.

"I work best under pressure," Gualario said.

The Grove at Wesley Chapel, central Pasco County's newest shopping center, provided a refreshing change for last-minute shoppers Monday. Maybe because the center is so new - it opened in early November - or maybe because Oakley Boulevard still looks like it's under construction, the parking lot at the outdoor mall was not as jammed as one would expect on Christmas Eve.

"My wife said, 'They're going to be so busy, you'll never get in,'

" said Tom Ellison, 64, of Land O' Lakes, as he loaded his pickup with a neon green four-wheel truck for his grandson. "I was surprised."

Ellison was pretty much in and out of the store.

Same went for Mark Ruisz, 56, of Wesley Chapel, and Andy Stanley, 58, of Las Vegas. The brothers-in-law hit Best Buy to buy a Web camera so the long-distance relatives could chat over the Internet. They also swung into Dick's Sporting Goods to get bicycle gear. They were done by 11 a.m., and they could go home to hang out with the family.

"It's fun; there's not as many crowds," Ruisz said.

"There's a lot of selection, too," Stanley said.

The Grove, which sits north of State Road 54 and east of Oakley Boulevard, opened Nov. 9 and features a Best Buy, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Bed Bath & Beyond and Dick's Sporting Goods. Michael's, Ross and PetSmart, among others, are scheduled to open soon.

While some people might enjoy the adrenaline rush of last-minute shopping, some shoppers on Monday said they simply didn't have a choice.

Jeremy Calzone, 27, of Wesley Chapel, is an exceptional education teacher at Wiregrass High School and also the boys' basketball coach. To say this time of year is busy is an understatement. He started shopping Sunday and continued Monday.

"It's a product of circumstance, I guess," he said.

He bought some toys for his nephew and then was headed to Target to finally wrap up.

"It's going to be a zoo," he said.

LAST-MINUTE BEST BETS

If you're reading this, you're thinking you're not just pressed for time, you're out of luck. Fear not. Many gas stations are open on Christmas Day. We visited the Circle K at the corner of State Road 54 and Oakley Boulevard, which is open today, and spotted the following gifts and stocking stuffers:

Gift cards: To Blockbuster, Sears, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble and Circle K. Denominations of $10 to $50.

Pasco County Street Guide: With all the new developments and shopping centers, there are new streets to keep up with, too. $19.95

Hands-free cell phone device: $8.99

University of South Florida beer koozie: $3.99

Six-pack of Guinness: $8.99

Oh Boy Oberto Giant Stick Snackers: Dehydrated meat in cylindrical form. What's not to love? $1.29

Stuffed snowman: $6.99

Lottery tickets: $1 and up.

Reporter Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com.

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