As Joseph's food intake slowed slightly from 'inhale' to 'gorge', Nate asked him, "So, Joe, what weight are you up to?"
"Dunno," grunted Joseph through a mouthful of French toast, "no scales can hold me this year!"
"Yeah, I didn't used to know either, but my parents bought one that goes to half a ton!"
"What?!?" reacted Joseph in surprise, nearly spitting out a mouthful. "Half a ton? That's like a .. a freight scale!"
"Yup! Though it looks a lot better. You and me, Joe, we got the 'freight' to test it out, too! Why don't you come over later and find out which one of us is bigger?"
"Yeah, sure," said Joseph, and Hillary added, "Me too!"
"Sure," said Nate, his voice as expansive as his waistline, "everybody come, nobody'll overload this one!"
"Well, not for now," said Joseph, smiling.
"What? Joe, you planning to get a lot bigger?" asked Perry, who while big, was not in Nate and Joseph's weight class yet.
"Well," Joe began,...