WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG: I'd intended my next blog entry to be a summary of my high school reunion but there is first a matter of utmost importance that must be addressed. This is the issue of my best friend being, perhaps, an unfit parent for her 11 year old son. Should she be reported to the authorities? You decide...

It happened about an hour ago. I'm visiting Trisha and her son Max in Cincinnati before heading back to North Carolina. We were in Target, picking up a few odds and ends, including coffee. As we were walking down an aisle, Max grabbed a box of Twinkies off a shelf and, grinning, handed it to his Mom. 

"Yeah, nice try," she said, putting it back on the shelf. No big deal. Kids can't have snacks all the time.

"Aw, but I've never had a Twinkie," said Max. 

The earth stopped spinning. "What did you say?" I asked. "Did you say you've never had a Twinkie?"

Recognizing an in, Max pulled a sad face and nodded. I looked at Trisha.

"Don't look at me like that," she said. "We don't feed our kids that crap."

My eyes never leaving her face, I pulled a box of Twinkie off the shelf. I then looked at Max. "Aunt Di-Di is  buying Twinkies," I announced.

His eyes lit up. 

"AND we're eating them in the car on the way home," I said. Max whooped. Trisha opened her mouth to protest and I held up my hand. "I don't even know who you are," I said. She rolled her eyes.

"Baby," I said, hugging Max as we walked to the check-out line. "You CALL me when you need me. I had no idea things were so bad."

"I know," he said. Trisha opened her mouth again. I held up my hand. 

"Still not talking to you," I announced. 

At the register, Max announced to the cashier he had never had a Twinkie and her jaw dropped. "Thank you," I said. "My point exactly."

I've since discovered he's never had a Ding-Dong either. "We'll have them for dinner tomorrow," I promised. 

Twinkies and Ding-Don's are the crack cocaine of the Hostess world. I'll have this kid an addict before I leave. But it's not my fault. Hostess snacks are an integral part of childhood. 

I don't know why Trisha didn't know that.