A McDonald’s cheeseburger was the first solid food I’d eaten in eight days. (Oy.)

Hi-de-ho, dear readers, and welcome to the Howdygram.

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It’s 8:17 on a pleasant Tuesday evening here. Sam’s taking a nap, and I’m still celebrating the “craving” I had for lunch today … A GENUINE McDONALD’S CHEESEBURGER WITH A SMALL ORDER OF FRIES. Believe it or not, this was the first solid food I’d eaten in eight days,* and I treasured every boring mouthful. Sam bought me a Filet-o-Fish, too, but I’m saving that for tomorrow. Oh boy, right?

Whenever I’m unable to eat solid food I always fall back on teeny cups of applesauce and Glucerna meal replacement shakes for diabetic senior citizens. At least I won’t starve to death!

In my present condition it’s not always easy or pleasant to eat, a situation that’s aggravated by the fact that I recline in a hospital bed 24 hours a day at a 30° angle! I also frequently have digestive difficulties, such as dead taste buds, severe stomach acid and an inability to swallow food. I take Mylanta and two prescriptions for stomach acid. They work. But there’s nothing I can take for the dead taste buds and the inability to swallow, as both are caused by advanced diabetes and advanced diabetic neuropathy.

Fortunately, there are two flavor profiles I can always taste: 1) hot and spicy; and 2) sweet. And this explains why Sam indulges my “cravings” whenever I have them. Once a week I get a double order of hot and sour soup from China City, and I love the gourmet sugar-free chocolates from Jackie’s Chocolates. I also occasionally send Sam on a snack run to Wal-Mart whenever the mood hits me … such as five minutes ago! He has instructions to buy me one of their mini peach pies (it’s three inches in diameter and the same volume as a regular slice of pie) and a mini lemon pound cake. I’m so excited I almost can’t stand it.

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It’s been quite a day for movie-watching at Howdygram headquarters. So far we’ve seen CHOCOLAT (2000) starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, RAFFLES (1930) starring Ronald Colman and Kay Francis, DISRAELI (1930) starring George Arliss and Joan Bennett, THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934) starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and Noel Coward’s BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945) starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson. In-between I’ve been filling in with “Bar Rescue” reruns.

Of all the movies I saw today, I think my favorite was BRIEF ENCOUNTER. It’s an amazing character study of Alec and Laura, two ordinary middle-aged people from small rural towns in England, both married, who meet by chance in a railroad station coffee shop and fall in love. Displaying incredible determination and restraint, they somehow manage NOT to consummate their affair after six weeks of innocent afternoon trysts that involved little more than a few lunches, tea, going to the movies, rowing on a small river and a mountain of guilt. Finally, to put some distance between them and end the temptation, Alec decides to accept a job offer from a hospital in South Africa (he’s a doctor), and Laura quietly goes home to her loving husband and two children. Noel Coward’s dialog is a work of art, and I love this movie more every time I see it.

Thank you for putting up with me, people. Sometimes I get slobbery about really good movies. This is definitely one of the best.

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I’ve got five terrific freebies for you tonight … a couple of casual scripts (“Caliway” and “Portraits”), two display fonts (“Leonardo da Vincen” and “Power Sell”) and a wonderful layered font (“Paradiso”) that includes hundreds of alternate characters and swashy whatnots. Download links will appear after the graphic in case you want any or all of these for your personal collection. You’re welcome.

Caliway • Portraits • Leonardo da Vincen • Power Sell • Paradiso

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It’s a few minutes before 1 a.m. and I want to wake Sam to ask for a can of tomato soup and a fresh glass of iced tea. Thank you for reading this, and for a change please try not to forget the Alamo, okay?