Storms rolled through North Texas as people finished preparations for the holiday
DALLAS — This Christmas Eve, there was no calm before the storm. There was just a storm.
“Why is it raining on Christmas Eve,” said CJ, a last-minute shopper in North Dallas. “I’m upset about that.”
Every naughty boy and girl who waited to shop until the day before Christmas was gifted Tuesday with clouds and a 100% chance of a camera in their face.
“Now we’re exposed,” laughed Kristine Vang, a last-minute shopper. “Now they all know we were last-minute shopping, but we got some good gifts.”
“It’s just crazy out here right now,” CJ said.
Perhaps craziness is what last-minute shoppers deserve. While they’re battling raindrops and traffic, the folks at Thanksgiving Square in Dallas are tooting their horns.
The 46th annual Tuba Christmas wasn’t deterred by the rain. More than 200 tubas moved their show from the lawn outside to a dry space indoors.
“Tubas find a way,” said tuba player Zac Holcomb. “If they would’ve let us, we would’ve played in that.”
“There’s always a way,” said 77-year-old tuba player Jon Bohls.
The hundreds of spectators had the luxury of listening to the performance because they didn’t have anywhere else to rush to.
“We got our Christmas shopping done in the middle of the month,” said concertgoer Jose Vela. “We’re done. We can relax.”
“We had nothing to worry about this year,” said John Strawbridge, another concertgoer.
Must be nice.
For those who are just starting to shop, they’re running out of time.
“I’m going to go in the store and see what they have,” CJ said. “Hopefully everything is not picked over.”
It will be and we’ll do it all again next year because procrastination is one of our great holiday traditions.