I'm also hindered by my IE8- it takes me 2 minutes to type a sentence on AB- in fact it's quicker to type it in word and then paste it in- and then it freezes when I submit.
I have heard of a shift- wasn't it like a Freudian slip?
I've been out all afternoon too- I've only been back half an hour. We need agree a shift pattern tomorrow so I can have a chance of getting some answers in before you.