Sunday, July 23, 2017

The Mystery of the Disappearing Fudgesicles

by Pa Rock
Frozen Treat Connoisseur

I have a fistful of college degrees, but that doesn't mean I'm smart,  In fact, I will be the first to admit my inexhaustible supply of stupidity on most subjects.    There are however, a few areas in which I am surprisingly well versed, and one of those involves frozen treats, the kind that help weary yard apes, like me, make it through the long, hot, grueling days of summer

I grew up trusting commercials and figured that if a company had enough money to buy ads on radio and television, then it's products must be superior to the no-name store brands.  Over the past few years, however, as prices have gone up and my income hasn't, I've taken to sampling store brands and have found a few that I really like.

One of the hidden grocery gems that I have discovered is the "Best Choice" brand of fudgesicles - by far the best on the market - and I know because I have tried them all.  Best Choice calls their product "fudge bars," but those of us of a certain age know the frozen, chocolatey treats as fudgesicles.  The ones made by Best Choice are simple.  They taste like a good brand of chocolate milk that has been frozen onto sticks.  That's all, just frozen chocolate milk with nothing added to the mixture to detract from its perfection.

Several months ago I was digging through the freezer at my sister's house when I discovered that she, too, had a couple of boxes of Best Choice Fudge Bars.  I commented to her about the fact that those were my favorites, and she said, "They're the best, aren't they?"  Yes, they are, and they are also among the least expensive.  Since then I have run into a couple of other people who have also gravitated to that brand of fudgesicle.

With that background, imagine my horror a few weeks ago when the local grocery was suddenly out of this delicious treat.  My hopes that the situation was only temporary were crushed when several days went by and still no Best Choice Fudge Bars.  Finally, I became assertive and asked one of the stockers about the issue, and she told me that the store had been unable to get them from "the factory," and that other customers were complaining also.

Egads!

This past weekend I was back at my sister's in northwestern Arkansas, and I asked her if she was still able to get her fix of the good fudgesicles.    She became very agitated and told me that her store had quit carrying them, so she tried several other stores in Fayetteville, and none of them had Best Choice Fudge Bars either.

It's the height of summer and there isn't a decent fudgesicle to be found anywhere in the Ozarks!  It's outrageous!  It's insufferable!  It's diabolical! 

I blame Trump.

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