Ha, ha, Doug, you made me spit coffee out of my nose!
Dear Friends, I know sending a stone in with so much work is something of an emotional thing. Each stone represents hours and hours of work–especially for Novice stones. Whatever happened, which will likely be discovered eventually, the people in this guild–especially those who step up to help–are good people. This is a good lesson for all of us to understand the most important lesson here: a little communication is a good thing. If you have concerns–go to the one most likely to know. If you don’t know–ask who you should contact. If someone contacts you–give them the best information you have. It’s tough to always know what is best to do, so have a little grace with one another. This forum is hardly a place where people can respond quickly.
Another thing–It takes a while to judge Novice stones, so be patient with turnaround once they’re in. A novice stone usually has many more issues than a more advanced stone, so takes longer to score and comment on. In return you will be rewarded with very helpful guidance from the judges.