It's Spelling Bee Time!

Tomorrow's the finals of the National Spelling Bee! We've already got our TiVo set for the semifinals (which happen while we're at work), we've cancelled all our evening plans for the finals (on ABC), we're already practicing not catching any spoilers of the event online throughout the day (your SFist updates tomorrow may be a little slow as a result), and we're trying to find a marimba player to play background music behind us all day, for that extra Spellbound feel. H-double O-R-A-Y!

Today's the preliminary rounds, and we're pleased to report that the Bay Area's doing well. Semi-home-schooled Evan O'Dorney from Walnut Creek spelled "boundary" correctly (he came in 14th last year, tripping on "athyreosis," which means a medical condition caused by the absence of a working thyroid), and John Doner from San Francisco nailed "portrayal." (One contestant from Salinas was eliminated.)