Preparations under way for Golden Globes

LOS ANGELES – From screenings and fittings to gift suites and pre-parties, preparations were under way citywide this weekend for the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards. Here's a sampling:

GLOBES GLEE: The cast of TV's "Glee" said they were developing new rituals to prepare for Sunday's Golden Globes, where the Fox show is up for best comedy series and stars Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch are nominated for their performances.

"I've never done an award show so I guess I'll have to start a ritual," said Lynch, who plays mean-spirited cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on the show. "I bet I will probably get up and have coffee like I always do."

Other "Glee" stars dreamed of more luxurious preparations.

"I will cleanse myself in the waters of Nepal," said Mark Salling, who plays Puck.

"I should have a ritual, like I should bathe in milk or something extravagant," said Jayma Mays, who plays the show's prim and proper school counselor. "I'll come up with something."

Lynch said she was overwhelmed by the whole thought of the Golden Globes, but her biggest concern was what to wear.

"My greatest worry was the dress and I found one," she said. "So that is psychological relief and now I might be too stupid to be nervous."

WET CARPET? Host Ricky Gervais and other stars arriving at the Annual Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills may need to protect their designer wear with designer umbrellas as the first of a series of powerful storms is predicted to arrive in the area Sunday evening.

Like the annual Rose Parade in neighboring Pasadena, relatively few events during Hollywood's annual award season seem to be hampered by bad weather — despite the midwinter calendar — thanks to Southern California's typically arid climate.

But anything is possible in Hollywood — whether it's Meryl Streep competing against herself for best comedy actress or a few raindrops competing with the glitz and glamour of the Golden Globes' red — and maybe wet — carpet.

Crews were busy preparing the arrivals area at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford and Sophia Loren are expected to parade.