If you live in or near San Francisco, I hope you'll come see me (even if only to heckle) at the two bookstore signings I'm doing. Tomorrow, I'll be at Not Your Mother's Book Club at 7PM (Books Inc. at Opera Plaza -- 601 Van Ness San Francisco, CA). Then on Friday afternoon at 3:30 I'll be speaking and signing and Rakestraw Books (409 Railroad Avenue, Danville, CA).

As for NAFADOYBIMSCOM (NAtional Finish A Draft Of Your Book I Mean Come On Seriously Month): It officially starts today. But I started two days ago, and already I'm remembering that 1. I like writing, and 2. it is more fun than the other parts of being an author, which have taken a lot of my time lately, and also 3. it is even more fun than googling yourself, which is of course very very fun. But of course NAFADOYBIMSCOM is only beginning, but I hope everyone is getting off to a good start.

And finally, we should briefly talk about the most remarkable eight minutes in the history of sport: I refer of course to Monday's Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship. If you're not from the Southeast, you've probably never eaten a Krystal, but Krystals are square hamburgers (similar to White Castle burgers, except slightly bigger) that are constructed out of the cheapest meat and bread possible. When I was a child, I believe you could buy a dozen Krystals for a halfpence. Anyway, Krystals don't taste particularly good, but they are--and this is important--rather filling.

Before Monday, the world record for Krystal eating was held by Takeru Kobayashi, the greatest eater in the history of the sport. In 2004, he ate 69 Krystals in 8 minutes. (For the purposes of comparison, I consider myself a pretty talented eater, but I couldn't eat 69 Krystals in 8 years.) But no one knew how great Kobayashi might be if pushed, because no one else has ever really challenged him, except maybe Sonya Thomas ("The Mia Hamm of Ham").

But lately a 22-year-old American named Joey Chestnut has been eating like a blue whale. And on Monday, at the Krystal Championships, Chestnut pushed Kobayashi. And Kobayashi responded with the stomach of a champion: In 8 minutes, Takeru Kobayashi ate NINETY-SEVEN KRYSTAL BURGERS!!! (Chestnut finished a heroic second place, with a mind-blowing 91.)

I can only hope that this story of hard work, perseverance, and competitive spirit will inspire us all as we begin NAFADOYBIMSCOM.