You have to admire Gandhi.

Going on a hunger strike can't be easy.

However, that's almost what several of us hungry Pilgrims at The Times Herald newsroom had to do Monday night.

To backtrack, the Glantz homestead had nothing but leftover ham and there is only so much of it a Jew can eat before his intestines reject it and an ambulance has to be called.

That left me coming into work in desperate need of fuel, i.e. food.

I figured it would be no problem. Online Editor John Berry has become an excellent "runner." He even knows to get me a decaf soda (root beer, birch beer, Sprite) if a place is out of lemonade. But JB had to shoot video in the city (catch it online) of a local band, leaving me in scramble mode.

Sports guy Stuart Christ was willing to go in on an order with me to my new favorite place for pickup, Patti Jean's Diner in Jeffersonville. This was big of Stuart, since he vowed not to go there again after they forgot his salad (or should I daintily say "thalad") the last time we ordered there.

Val Newitt of our features department (the "Pink Suitcase" lady), who is applying for early sainthood by working Monday nights, also wanted in.

But when we called at 8:15 p.m. Patti Jean's was closed. Someone answered the phone, but said they were closed. And you call yourselves a diner?

Next on the list, Main Street Pizza in Norristown. We tried calling 8 times, letting the phone ring 10-12 times each try. No answer.

Next, Anthony's in Bridgeport. They told Stuart they closed early, too.

Was it a conspiracy or just not our night?

I know Mondays are slow, but it wasn't midnight.

All I knew was that I had to eat in order to function. I even considered the unthinkable - McDonald's at Main and Markley - but figured starving would be safer.

We tabbed Michael's Deli in King of Prussia. It meant me driving over there - as we've had some bad experiences with delivery (blintzes with no sour cream????) - but our well had run dry.

We got our grub and got on with our night, although Val ended up giving most of her food away to freeloaders/fellow bloggers Keith Phucas and Kevin O'Brien because it was almost the end of her shift.

I'll blame the early closings on the Chicago-like winds that make even the staunchest Gore supporters wonder if global warming was, in fact, a creation of the left-wing media.

But I want these haunts to know that even us lowly journalists need to eat, too. The next time you think about closing early, call us first (610-272-2501). You may get some business out of the deal.