Let me get straight to the point of this post: I will be live-blogging the Oscars on Sunday evening.

Why, you ask? Because I adore them. I love awards shows to an irrational degree. I know many people find them boring, or only watch for the fashion, but I’m the idiot who tears up as the Best Adapted Screenplay winner realizes a lifelong dream. This may seem ridiculous, but I know at least a few people who have spent the past few weeks watching Olympic curling for pleasure. We all live in glass houses.

Here’s how much I love awards shows, in handy metaphorical form: the Oscars are my second Christmas, and every montage (God, I love montages) is like another present. The Golden Globes and Emmys are like Thanksgiving and Easter – not quite as good, but still incredibly enjoyable and worthy of celebration. The Grammys are clearly Halloween – the outfits are insane, and everything gets more and more ridiculous until eventually all hell breaks loose. The Tonys, like Mardi Gras, are incredibly showy and interesting only to a select few. And the People’s Choice Awards are Valentine’s Day – popular with those who have a vested interest (cough, Twilight), and bitterly disdained by those who don’t.

I could continue this metaphor for a while (any MTV Awards show = April Fool’s Day: amusing yet superfluous) – because seriously, I watch all of these shows with a joyful heart – but the point is made. I love the Oscars truly, madly, deeply. I can’t wait to live-blog them, and I hope that you join me for it on Sunday at 6pm (EST). I’m in the holiday spirit already.

And please – share the joy! What are your favorite Oscar memories? Which holiday comparisons have I missed? And, most importantly, who are you rooting for on Sunday?