Starting at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve, I'll plant myself on the living room couch and stay there until around the same time on Christmas Day. This is the 18th consecutive year TBS is airing "A Christmas Story" on a 24-hour loop. It's also the 18th year that I've watched "A Christmas Story" for its entire daylong run.

For much of the time, the remote is gripped tightly in my hand lest someone disrupt what I consider to be the best holiday movie ever made. I usually refuse sleep, surviving on a constant sugar high from cookies and fudge.

The tradition started out of necessity. When I was young, my dad would go to work at 4:30 a.m. on Christmas Day, meaning that we were awake and opening presents by 3:30 that morning. My younger sister, too excited to sleep, would keep me up all night. The 2 a.m. TV options are minimal, so it was either infomercials or "A Christmas Story." A new tradition was born, at least in the Palmer house. The first few years, it was kind of a comical custom in my household. My parents even bought a Christmas Story-themed leg lamp that used to be a part of our holiday decorations. But now, by the end of the 24th hour, my parents are practically shoving me out their door.

Still, they try to humor me for the first few showings of the movie, since I've somehow convinced my sister to join me in this odd habit, making it a tie-vote on whether to change the channel. But after the ninth time my sister and I yell in unison "You'll shoot your eye out kid!" they are begging for me to change the channel to anything else. I always refuse.

For years now, my parents have rented an array of box office hits in hopes of supplanting "A Christmas Story" - at least temporarily. I've relinquished control of the remote just once, allowing them to watch a small portion of the newest Batman movie. My complaining grew unbearable, and "A Christmas Story" was put back on. Despite their failed attempts, they still try to dissuade me. Even this year, when my parents called to discuss our Christmas plans, they begged me to find another holiday movie to watch. My mom even offered to buy me "Elf" or "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." It was no use. The tradition has been set and there's no changing it.

I'm not sure what it is I love so much about the movie. It may be that I, like Flick, have been the victim of sticking my tongue to a frozen flagpole. Or, perhaps, it is because I, like Ralphie, have been the recipient of many, many terrible gifts from well-meaning family members. Although, I can say I have never received pink bunny pajamas. I don't know why my parents don't enjoy the movie as much as I do. I keep hoping that after a few more viewings, they'll appreciate it the way I do. All I know for sure is that I can't wait for my 205th time watching "A Christmas Story", even if I am watching alone.