mail queue configuration help

hello - i am using MAIL_QUEUE for the first time and i've run into something that has me scratching my head. i set up a test php script that when invoked build one email message, puts it in the queue and then starts the queue. the email is successfully placed in the database but it is not sent when the code to start the queue is called. so, with that one email in the database, i invoke the script again. this second email is put in the database and the 1st email is sent (but the 2nd one is still in the database). it feels as if the the sendMailsInQueue is called before the put command is called, but my code doesn't read this way. or there is a delay between when i put the mail in the queue and when i can send? (i have $seconds_to_send set to 0.) thanks: STEPHEN ] stephen@musgrave.org ] http://stephen.musgrave.org/