Come join the spell-abration at annual adult bee

It seems everybody has a spelling bee memory.

Maybe it’s just be me, but comparing notes with friends and family it seems most of those memories revolve around standing up in front of your classmates and being tossed a word that you had no clue was even a word.

For me, the word was hemorrhoid. Yeah, hemorrhoid.

I was in sixth grade and wouldn’t have spelled it correctly 10 times out of 10 times even if the judges would have spotted me the h and the e. In fact, I am not sure I can even spell it correctly these days.

In all my years of reporting and editing, hemorrhoid has never popped up in a story so I have never had to deal with it — until this column.

Funny thing about working at a newspaper. Below average spellers think they have won the lottery when they find a typo in the Bee.

Recently an eager reader called me up early in the morning to proudly proclaim that Carr Creek has two rs and not one as we reported. Made his day.

This brings me to this Friday’s adult spelling bee.

As I am writing this, Billie from Keokee is busily studying the Scripps spelling bee guide. She has already held several spelling parties and is doing her level best to bring the trophy back to Keokee.

The defending champs — D.A. Davidson — has another strategy. Jim Zuberbuhler’s only job is to make sure his lovely wife shows up Friday night.

Titina Zuberbuhler is pound for pound the best speller in the region. She is so good she relegated the rest of the DADavidson team to just offering her moral support last year.

My money is on Washington Elementary. They probably won’t win, but they have challenged the other schools in the district to field a team to fight it out in the “no vowel left behind” category.

The fun starts at Panhandle State Bank’s community room at 6:30 p.m. There will be pizza and drinks as well as costume judging and all sorts of other merriment.

It’s not too late to join the fun. If you are a good speller, want to have a night of fun and even win prizes, why not join in?

If you think you are the best speller around, why not surround yourself with average spellers — and, in fact marry one — so you can shine? See DADavidson.

If you are tempted to join in, drop me a line at the Bee at 263-9534 to get your spell on!

David Keyes is the emcee at the adult spelling bee. Please remind him to keep his day job.