Charging Celebration Batteries

First: piece of information for all the woken minds. It's late, I'm not tired, I'm trying to make the time fly and I'm trying to get in the mood, the right mood, for the Big Day tomorrow. Christmas coming up, and scary enough - it's already here. In many ways. Or rather, in 30 minutes. Half past eleven, I'm in over my head with anticipation, building-up, enthusiasm, restless waiting. Will, with all likelihood, sink like a stone tomorrow morning, feeling all insufficient and distressed and not knowing how to celebrate properly, then having to do more of this, the preparatory stuff, to get back up on the high pitched level of eagerness and Christmas Love. Reckon it won't be the biggest problem ever. I'm pretty good at enthusiastic behaviour. And tomorrow, that's all that counts. In Norway, as mentioned below, our Christmas Eve takes place on the 23rd, and then we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, with presents and big dinner in the evening. Well, at least the celebration part constitutes an accurate description. The presents may be distributed a little more throughout the day, so to speak, at least if you've got children. Or adults pretending to be children. Moreove, the big dinner is either traditional, following district or family or national routines inroctrinated over many a generation, more or less ridiculous, definately fattening, not necessarily tasty. Alternatively, it's the random choice of the hour, due to personal preferences (of the hour) - which might prove a far more appetizing choice. Anyhow, the decision regarding dishes depend on the folks cooking. Some have steak. Some have rack of lamp, some have ribs, some have both. Some have pizza. It varies, as in most other countries. Habits tend to do so, in fact, and in my family they're continuously changing. At the moment, we do steak. Of sorts. And strawberries for dessert. Loads of cookies and treats, surprise surprise, and yours truly make béarnaise sauce. (Think I spelled that correctly.) Then we try to have the time of our lives, watching fantastic holiday special programmes (not the Star Wars one, I still prefer Doctor Who and Disney - thank goodness) and dressing up in our most fancy clothings (or the ones that are most comfortable for eating sessions, I tend to prefer the latter). I'm describing this now, because I have a very strong theory that I will not be able to spend much time here during the Christmas Day, as opposed to today. Which was fun, but rather anti-social. No, tomorrow I'll be celebrating big time. That's the plan. And in order to do so, there are certain preparations need going through. Here follows some!

CHECK LIST: or what my family's been doing today. Which is quite a bit, considered I got up at ten. Started off somewhat normally, with ordinary breakfast and bits or working, wherafter I switched to said preparing.

% Decorated Christmas Tree (big thing), with all the more or less broken and self-made or expensively purchased or been-given-as-present ornaments we've collected over the years.
% Watched "Love Actually" whilst decorating said Tree. Which was just as touching and romantic and atmosphere-setting as ever. Do believe my parents got a bit tired of all my "OH! he's been on "Doctor Who" once! And so has she!"-outcries, though. But come on, Thomas Sangster really is the most adorable kid on film, in history. I do hope he'll stay on-screen, for me to enjoy, for many many years to come. Weeee. Also, Laura Linney. And Hugh Grant as himself; sorry the Classic Hugh Grant Role; no, wait, hang on; sorry it's The PM. Ehem. Martine McCutcheron, Billy Bob, Alan Rickman (mmmm), Mr. Bean, Keira (no deck speeches this time, fortunately), Martin Freeman, Jack Bauer's daughter, Mr. Darcy (...), Bill Nighy, the list is endless. Even Parkinson and Ant & Dec, as themselves, found the opportunity to join in. One of my favourite films and the ultimate Holiday Trigger.
% Listened to the "I Y Christmas" albums I bought solely because they'd managed to include Band Aid, Yoko Ono, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Samantha Mumba. On one single piece of record. That's compilation for ya'!
% Eaten fish for dinner. With Yoko yoodling in the background. Because we really need to enjoy the incredible taste of meat, all through the Christmas days, and in order to to that, we need something to compare it to. Something that establishes a harsh contrast and increases the want for something...juicy. Makes the purpose crystal clear, especially for a wannabe-veggie. But this is the one time of year when I turn to modifications of my strict principles. I eat my mother's steak. No arguments there.
% Set the Christmas table. My job, apparently. With a little help from the rest of the family. So now I'm surrounded my stuffed mice, felt angels and hand-crafted ceramic santas. Hope none of the latter ones pull up a trombone-in-disguise machine gun and starts threatening me. (Insider's Doctor Who joke. Very funny, yes.) Feels quite out of place, albeit cosy. Red and green and extremely thorough. In the same situation, I suppose, as the ones who were filming the whole chaos at the santa's helpers' workshop scene in the (ever-so-infamous) Disney film. I mean, we all know the elves are for real, I just haven't figured out where they're hiding at. Yet.
% Have made Christmas babbly song thingy, to be posted shortly. Keep your eyes open and your ears shut. This is my most Christmassy hour, doesn't happen every day. Literally speaking. It's now past twelve, actually it's almost half past, so I can say in all honesty and with all the hearty commitment I can possibly procure - to humans and aliens and animals and demons and angels and trolls, wherever you are, whatever you're up to, whoever you're with:

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!! :)