A mountain of nutmeg

Mom: What are you looking for?
A.: Cumin. Do you have any?
Mom: Probably. We have tons of spices.
A.: I've counted at least seven bottles of nutmeg. Why do you buy so much nutmeg?
Mom: Pumpkin bread. I buy it whenever I see it.
A.: It goes bad.
Mom: No it doesn't.
A.: None of these spice racks have cumin.
Mom: Never heard of it. Check the basement.

I go into the basement, past more shampoo and several packages of dried papaya. I go back to where most of the food is. My parents are truly prepared to be snowed in for weeks or months. But there's no cumin.

Mom: It must not be that important if it's not in any spice rack.
A.: I still don't understand why you stockpile nutmeg.

I open the fridge door, to eight logs of portwine cheese.

Mom: It was on sale.
A.: [Sigh]