[jQuery] jquery google map namespace conflict?

[shameless]

I am toying with this plugin  (http://www.mayzes.org/
googlemaps.jquery.html#examples) and have found what I think is a
namespace conflict (I am by no means expert and I could be wrong...)

Here is how to see it.

I am using Google api loader thus:

<script src="http://www.google.com/jsapi?key=mykey";></script>
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
    google.load("maps", "2");
    google.load("jquery", "1");
</script>

I have some code that was working previously that used loader and was
doing an address lookup using the Geocoder object, like this:

function showAddress(address) {
    geocoder = new google.maps.ClientGeocoder();
  if (geocoder) {
    geocoder.getLatLng(
      address,
      function(point) {
        if (!point) {
          alert(address + " not found");
        } else {
alert('point--'+point);
        }
      }
    );
  }
}


This worked great.  What I am now trying to do is use the plugin to
handle the map update and display.  I have a reference to the plugin
and can instantiate it.  I know this 'cause I have an alert near the
top of the plugin like so:

jQuery.fn.googleMaps = function(options) {
    if (!window.GBrowserIsCompatible || !GBrowserIsCompatible())

    alert('is compat');
...

The issue seems to be that if I leave "google.load("maps", "2");" the
plugin will not load and I will not get my "is compat" alert.  If I
comment out  "// google.load("maps", "2");" then I get the "is compat"
message but I cannot perform my reverse lookup.

Any insight that anyone can provide on overcoming this conflict would
be appreciated.  I have spent the last several hours scouring the web
to see if this is a common jquery / google maps issue and cannot seem
to find any other complaints.

TIA.