Mike C,
thanks for the above and beyond trouble-shooting...........
I resorted to re=intalling outlook, and it seems to have worked. I still get error messages, but at least I can look at my contacts on my desktop, and activesync says "syncrhonized"
I'll consider my issue closed.
Moral? Re-install everything if the first couple suggestions from this forum don't work. To coin a phrase from the PGA commercials, "These guys are good."
Kevin :) :P