Live Update: Round 2

Jonathan Lill back onstage. He has correctly spelled "mezzanine." And repeated three zillion times. I'm not sure how to spell his word. A crescent-shaped abnormal red blood cell. " His guess "sicklocyte." I think. Well, whatever he said, it was right. Michael, #2 just spelled "pizzicato." He now must spell a medical word I don't know. Number 3: Josh, enjoying a lollipop. He has just spelled "eucalyptus." Now he has to spell "nyctalopia." Darn it, he misspelled it. Pretty, serene number 4, who looks kind of like Sigourney Weaver. She spelled "pedagogist," but flubbed her second word. Betsey, number 5 must spell "cirrhosis." She has misspelled it, I feel so bad! But on the other hand, I guess she probably has never been close to someone suffering from it, which is awesome. She has just spelled "mosaicist." John G ("h" or no "h" I wonder") just spelled something right, but now has to spell "oxydactyl." He got it right! Yay! Oh, now Kimball, number 7, is here. Since we're doing this Tiger Beat style, I should point out that a friend said he has a serious Keanu-style appeal, but with a less "lachrymose" vibe. (He just forgot the "h" in "lachrymose." He pointed out that he had just missed the "h" in "fahrenheit," it's a theme for him. Drat, I just realized he has 2 outs -- this could be his last! ACK! It was! And now me. Oh, and Bobby is now explaining that the reason the dude in the nice shirt is snapping photos because he's covering the bee for um, a magazine. I forgot which one in the excitement of spelling! I spelled a couple things (correctly, but barely) and Number 7 is now spelling "pyrethrum," correctly. What a star. Now he must spell "spinescent." I hope I just spelled that right. Yay, we both did. Molly, number 11 (because there is no number 10, it's part of the Williamsburg Spelling Bee lore) has just been described by Jen as "the dark horse contestant." It's like she and I share some sort of melodramatic brain part that makes us use that descriptor. (See my Round 1 commentary if this doesn't make sense.) Oooo, she has just misspelled "daiquiri," and a second really hard word that I can't spell either.

We are going directly into Round 3, without a break, I am posting now, Jonathan Lill, contestant Number One is onstage.

- Megan