Hills, Rain, Work Boredom & Leonardo DiCaprio - Rantings of a bored me sitting wondering if anyone even actually reads this

I'm sitting here all alone in the office on a wet, rainy Friday afternoon and quite frankly it's way too dark outside. Linda's probably sunning herself on a beach in Mexico, I'm very jealous and can't remember the last time I saw real proper summer sunshine!! Brigitte works part-time so I am rather bored and lonely here on my own. The whole department is rather quiet and the tumbleweeds could be rolling down the corridor (Some academics seem to call it 'working form home'!). I have been doing work but it's quiet just now so a few minutes down-time to surf the web was needed, along with a much needed cup of tea. I indulged in too much at lunch time and feel very.... bleurgh.

Edith Bowman on Radio 1 is currently keeping me entertained with her chat and music. She has the movie talk on Fridays and I've watched a few good films recently - mostly Christmas presents (from this year and last). I sat down and watched Blood Diamond which i received last year as a present and always fell asleep not far into it. This time I made myself watch it. It's the one about diamond mining in Africa and with Leonardo DiCaprio in it. Anyway it turned out to be a good movie and i found myself with a few tears rolling don my cheek at the end. I realised that this happens when i watch films with Leo in them. More recently The Departed. Now that is a brilliant movie. Again i had a few attempts at a viewing and one night eventually seen it form start to finish. I don't particularly like Leo, or I thought I didn't... well I mean I don't think he's that good looking. No, that's the wrong thing to say cos is he quiet handsome in his own way, let's just say he's not my taste, but I think he's a really good actor - in certain movies. I HATE Titanic and still haven't seen it all the way through..... Anyway yeah in some movies I've seen of him he's a really good actor and draws you in. His characters are believable like in The Departed, Blood Diamond (although the South African accent was a bit crap), and in The Beach. I was only reminded of this movie today as Edith was talking about it earlier on. I liked that movie too. I suppose what i'm trying to say is that when a movie opens with Leonardo DiCaprio in it that is not the thing that will draw me to it but i have been pleasantly surprised by his performances. Oooo sounds very high-brow!

So... I feel I need to get out more in the hills but I am stuck in a situation of not having any winter gear of my own. My boots are good but not really for the snow, I don't have crampons or ice/walking axe, and I thought an 'arrest in the snow' was when the polis chase a guy down the street and jump on him and it just happens to be snowing! I kid.... Yeah so I'm not really geared up for winter walking. I know it isn't snowing here just now but further north there will be some sort of snow and I'd rather be prepared for all situations that may arise if I were out walking one day. It's now just under 11 weeks till I depart and I am becoming more nervous and anxious as the days go down. At the same time I am well excited at the prospect of being away for the first time ever on my own, at the magnificent views I will see, at the amazing people I hope to meet, at the country and culture so far removed from my own it makes me feel a bit sick, and at the most amazing experience I will have. I cannot wait!! I've been thinking too that when I get back I am going to start to plan my next step in the journey of my life in the great outdoors - watch this space!

So it's still raining, it's even darker outside and it's Friday - the weekend. Have a good one whatever you get up to.

Ange x