Nicky Bond's Blog, page 4

Let's Have a Conclave...

I've been reminiscing about my previous career. Indulge me! 
Ms Bond, Y4 teacher.
I'm role playing a
passport control
officer, if it wasn't clear.
I was a teacher. I think, a good one. I worked in a large primary school in St. Helens and taught some fabulous kids who I remember fondly. During my stint, I got a couple of promotions, then left the profession when I was - what was called back then - the SENCO. I had no inclination to be a head teacher, and the kind of future roles I had been working tow...

Do Better, May...

So what do you think? Was T.S. Eliot right? Is April really 'the cruellest month'? 
You know what to do, May.Looking at the current global news cycle, it's not far off the mark, although not confined merely to April 2025. Still, let's spin this as best we can. We're about to shake off the month's shackles, and embrace a new start with May. Perhaps things will look and feel a little more upbeat on Thursday. Maybe?
Meanwhile, I'm packing for the annual Bond caravan mini-break and keeping my fingers ...

Solidarity with my Trans Siblings...

It doesn't matter what last Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, says. If I'm in a public loo, and a trans woman uses a cubicle next to me, I'm going to pay zero attention and carry on with my day. If we're standing at the sinks, and she says hello/smiles/does absolutely nothing at all, then I'll probably politely reciprocate, and then also carry on with my day. 
It's not trans women who make me feel anxious in public toilets. It's the kind of people that brought the action to the Supreme Court in t...

The Next Big Push...

And relaaaxxxx. My busy weeks of birthday celebrations, mini breaks, and friends and family get togethers, are done. I can focus on the book, once again. 
What the inside of my head
will be like once I've opened
up the manuscript once again.I guess, 'relax' isn't the right vibe, tbh. There'll be no relaxing when I get my writing head back on. But even when my brain's filled with words and characters for multiple hours a day, I do love my routine being in place. I love the breakfast, dinner, and t...

♫...Old Nick Bond, Wrote a Book, AI, AI, Ohhh... ♫

I'm definitely not a technophobe. No way! I was the first person I knew to get a smart phone. I regularly eschew a staffed checkout for a self-service, preferring my own thoughts to the pained small talk some cashiers feel the need to offer. And then there're the apps. I can turn on my heating, defrost the car, or search for directions before I leave the house. Technology? All over it, mate. 
Just call me Inspector GadgetBut what I continue to be, I like to think, is discerning. Look, I'm no Magg...

Tough Guys, Melty Spuds, and Eerie Lights...

Well hello, April! You're almost here! 
This week I've said, 'This year's flying by,' at least twice, and without irony. I know it's the kind of thing old people say. It's a cliched statement that's used for all sorts of meaningless situations when small talk is required. BUT IT'S STILL TRUE. 
It feels only two minutes since the January snow arrived just as my pipes were getting dug up. (Not a euphemism!) The new cess pit is working like a dream - thanks for asking - and I can't believe how often ...

Forty-Seven Trips Around the Sun...

*Taps mic* Hello... Hello? I just wanted to make a small announcement. 
Today is MY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Wooooohooooo!!!!!!🎈🎂🥳🎉🙌🎁💃 I'll never understand the vibes that some adults give off; that they're not fussed about their birthday. It's the best! Even when I've spent the day on my own, had no plans, or been 'going through a rough patch', the anniversary of my birth is a lovely glimmer of light. It's the positive upside of the week. It's provides a Ready Brek glow all the day is long. And it's not abo...

Happily Selfish...

Hello there. You find me returning to my usual routine after a few days of home alone fun. I've talked before about the joys of living alone. At least for me, it's SOOO good. (Other opinions are valid.) But having moved from a large family, to a big house share, to a cohabiting couple, I've never experienced the giddy thrill of being uncompromisingly selfish. It's the absolute best.
The ceiling of dreamsLast week's period of wallowing, was shorter than usual. Relaxing into my own rhythms had to b...

Change is in the Air...

Hear ye, hear ye! I hereby declare that Nicky Bond's Winter Hibernation is OVER.
At midnight on 1st March, I woke up. Not literally, tbf. It was more likely I was falling asleep at that point. But I mentally and metaphorically came alive. Energy coursed through my veins, I felt invigorated and fresh. March was here! Winter was almost over! I would shave my pits for the first time in a season! Spring was PALPABLE.
It's strange how it hits. After wallowing in my own juices since October - a period o...

Here's to you, My Laptop...

I missed the February Long Ramble. Did you notice? No, me neither. Sorry to everyone I let down. It's not all bad. You got Weekly Updates instead of three. I don't think the world will stop turning because I didn't post a rant an exploration of a single issue during the calendar month. 
This is a (much more)
dramatic reconstruction
 of what happenedBut let's make up for it now. Last week, if you caught my Monday morning TikTok address (the first couple of minutes can also be found on Insta) you'll...