New Year's Day 2007

Final day at home, before setting off on my first Dakar.

The kitchen, which has spent the past few days awash in the many and various items deemed necessary for a three-week trip into the unknown, now looks like its former self, complete with the smell of chicken dippers and chips, as the kids eat their tea, in front of the TV.

Sam has spent much of the afternoon watching the 2006 event DVD - homework I should have been doing. Maybe I can call him when I need some information about last year and ask...

Morgan has been in her room with Megan - watching DVDs and dressing up in ever-more Spice Girls-style outfits.

After a cold trip to the park, partly to break up the packing, partly for some fresh air, we're back in the warmth and light as the English winter closes in... dark and cold.

Still largely unaware of really what to expect. Rationally, it's nothing work-wise that I can't handle and haven't done before... 26-minute live programmes are our stock-in-trade at Eurosport. And yet.

It's perhaps the unknown element that is worrying me most. Having never been on any event even remotely like the Dakar, but appreciating that it's likely to mean at least two weeks of living rough(-ish), as well as long days working, means I'm more keyed up that for any trip I can think of before.

I have been quite tetchy for the past few days, which isn't exactly ideal for our last days before a three-week seperation. Now I'm almost going, I think we're all a little emotional. A late night for New Year's Eve hasn't helped and Sam has already had a little "I don't want Daddy to go" sob.

Hopefully we'll all sleep well tonight and tomorrow I will be off by Taxi at about 0630 (always assuming I remember to book a cab now...) probably with a few tears.