I would like to introduce myself

Hello fellow forumites, as has been said many times before I am a "long time lurker'. I have used this site and the forum before to ask many questions and and tried to add my knowledge when appropriate to questions asked. I am constantly amazed (and often amused by the banter) by the knowledge that members and visitors to this forum have and are willing to share. Friday funnies are a favourite and often have me chuckling away to myself. I am in the last stages of planning my first Simpson desert crossing (leaving the Sutherland Shire 5/7/08) travelling with my wife and 15 year old daughter. We will be meeting my father and step mother at Cameron Corner and going via Birdsville track, Oondandata track, Mt Dare and across to Birdsville.
I feel this will be dads last big trip as he has recently (at 78)suthered a slight stroke and is all of a sudden showing his age. But as he says if he dies on the trip it is no different then dying in bed at home. I hope to catch up to a few of the EO crowd that may be lingering around Innaminka when we make it across. And before anybody thinks it is foolish doing this trip under the circumstances, we have a HF radio and are thinking of hiring a satphone from Mt Dare and dads wife is a nurse and we are fully aware of the risks. That said we are all looking forward to this adventure. Hoping to see a few of you on the track, William