Will you start the fans please!

I've been very busy procrastinating in recent weeks. That and watching a lot of Crystal Maze repeats on Challenge TV (6pm weeknights, Freeview channel 46) with Barry.

I get a twitch of nostalgia as the dramatic, pounding music kicks in (20 years ago? Cripes!) and whenever Richard O'Brian plays the harmonica or talks about Mumsie. I still marvel at the staggering ineptness of some of the teams. Several times Barry's turned to me as if to say, 'Where do they find these people?' If he had arms he'd be doing a massive facepalm.

I appreciate that being filmed might put the contestants under extra pressure and make them do odd things, but for crying out loud! Turn it around, TURN IT AROUND! No, the other way, you massive twonk! And, honestly, some of them stand around like they're admiring the decor, with their 90s hair and glasses as big as their vacant faces. I'd still fancy going on the show, of course. It struck me that it's the individual tasks themselves that are the attraction, not trying to get over 100 gold tokens and win the special prize. The challenge not the reward. Or maybe the challenge is the reward.

I'm increasingly thinking that this is the same with our crisp challenge. We're more than half way there – over six months without a single crisp or crisp-like substance. It's pretty impressive, and yet I can't help but think that when we reach that final day (though there are still difficult times, I know for certain we'll make it), I'm going to feel disappointed that it's all over.

So once the day of Crispageddon is here, should I succumb to the cravings or simply smile, politely decline the first packet offered to me, and reset the countdown for another year? Automatic lock-in.