When I was a kid, thousands of years ago, we had Marmite.

I loved my Marmite on toast, or in sandwiches.

We also that that Australian imitation junk called Vegemite, which was even in the same category and refused by all in the family.

So it was disturbing to find that the earthquakes last year (and continuing trembles) in Christchurch damaged not only the famous cathedral, but also New Zealand’s only Marmite factory.

The Guardian: Marmite shortage leaves New Zealanders spreading themselves thin

This is such a disaster as to have made it into the international news. It leaves me wondering whether the NZ government will keep the news from the ‘mainstream media’ as a measure of national security. It ranks among such imagined disasters as Winnie the Pooh without Hunny.

Marmite on Toast

It has been 16 years since I last had Marmite due to my geographic relocation to South America. The third world has not been blessed with such endemic pleasures.

The British version doesn’t cut the mustard either and has been rejected out of hand as a substitute.

The report suggests that supermarkets are already out of some sizes and stocks could be depleted within weeks; with no respite until July. The makers, Sanatarium, are considering rationing the stuff, and Twitter even has a hashtag #Marmitecrisis, such is the level of concern over this natural disaster.

Today is Monday. I know it is Monday because of the way it started.

4am – Up for a pee and back to bed

4.10 – still tossing and turning, get up to read emails

5.30 – back to bed

5:31 – fly annoying me, pull up sheet

5.32 – fly finds nose is out of the sheet

5.33 – can’t stand it, get up

5.34 – find there is no coffee left to reheat for that morning emergency

5.44 – first coffee

6.30 – back for snooze

6.31 – Lixo finds big toe and decides this is fun

6.32 – convince Lixo to leave toe alone, a swift kick to the head, it was the knee-jerk reaction of a very sleepy person.

6.45 – dog next door goes berserk, yap, yap, yap, effin’ yap!

6.50 – decide that today is Monday and there’s no use fighting it.

Later.