[Jim]

do you have a mailmerge where 12/14/2008 in the spreadsheet is turning into
39800 in your word document?

first, make sure that all of your spreadsheet cells are in general format
(format, cells, choose the general format).

then, do NOT use just the date or other info that excel automatically
changes to a pre-set format (without even showing it to you). so for example,
for 12/14/2008--change it to: On 12/14/2008

close your excel and word merge documents.

reopen them.

it will now work.