Nicola Morgan and I

were discussing the whereabouts of her virtual cat last night. He has a habit of disappearing at times. He visits me on occasion.
There is a good reason for that. He comes in summer. It allows him to avoid winter in Edinburgh. He gets virtual salmon for Christmas Day lunch - and, being a Scots cat, insists on the same thing for Hogmanay as well.
This time I could guess where he had gone. He had prowled off to the yurt at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and was, no doubt, helping himself to titbits of salmon in the author area. (He fancies himself as an author.)
The Whirlwind likes Spike. She says the best part of Nicola's book "Wasted" is the part with Spike in it but what, she wanted to know, does Spike eat for breakfast.
       "Virtual milk and cat biscuits," I said.
She looked at me in disgust.
       "That shows no imagination at all!"
We went on to consider other possibilities. Mouse flavoured cereal perhaps?
The Whirlwind tells me that breakfast at school (she boards during the week) shows no imagination either. There is cereal or porridge and wholemeal toast and a piece of fruit. There is Vegemite (similar to Marmite), jam or marmalade to go on the toast. It is apparently the same each weekday. On the rare occasions she has stayed at school for the weekend breakfast is later and might include pancakes or boiled eggs. It is probably all very healthy and designed to keep active girls content until the next meal.
At least they eat breakfast.
I eat breakfast too. I can, if necessary, go without other meals but I need breakfast. What is more I need breakfast sitting at a table. I do not want to drink some artificially flavoured mix from a sealed tetra-pack on my way to work. That is not breakfast.
I do not want a bacon and eggs type breakfast but I do want porridge or cereal or toast. The day does not seem right without breakfast.
It would be a sort of virtual milk and biscuits day.