encouragement
Hello again. I just wanted to report back that I'm finally up and running again. It was a rough couple days but I just didn't give up. I wish I had a solution to share, but all I did was keep trying...
For the contacts and calendar sync issue (between Eris and Outlook); I un-installed HTC Sync from my PC, restarted my PC, re-installed HTC Sync, restarted my PC again and made sure HTC Sync was running, powered my Eris off and back on, then plugged the cable in and tried to sync. The first attempts didn't work - the phone and HTC Sync just wouldn't see each other. But I kept trying it over and over again for 2 days and finally it just worked like it's supposed to. Since then, it works beautifully every time.
The other (less annoying) oddities I was noticing have disappeared too, and the speed is back, battery life is great, etc. It's like it needed time to "heal" from the upgrade. :huh:
I *love* my Eris again. Hang in there, everybody!