Apple applications won't restart from dock

Question

I've had this problem with Lion since day one, and although I am now running 10.7.4, the problem persists.
I run a MacBook Pro with mostly standard software. The exceptions are Adobe Flash Player, Flip4Mac WMV, Growl, Perian, Synergy, and Logitech Control Center. Most recent versions of all these products are installed.
I keep all of the applications I use most frequently on my dock. Most of the time I have Mail, iCal, Safari, System Preferences, Address Book, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint, Adobe Reader, and Dictionary open. Filemaker Pro, Skype, and Stickies are often open as well. iPhoto, iPhoto Library Manager, and iTunes are only occasionally open.
I generally sleep my computer when not using it. I restart about once a week on average.
If I want to bring one of these applications to the front, I click on the Dock icon. Mail, Safari, and the non-Apple applications ALWAYS come to the front.
iCal, System Preferences, Address Book, and Dictionary hardly ever do. In order to access them, I have to launch Launchpad, then click on the dock icon again since Launchpad does not bring them to the front.
If I minimize the applications instead of hiding them, the minimized icon works, but then my dock has two versions of each application.

Answer 1

What happens if you go to office preferences (from your pulldown menu with Word or Excel open) >> general >> "show project gallery at startup" and deselect that item?
It's also possible that it could be a font that Office does not care for. Try dragging ~(yourhome)/library/fonts to the desktop and logging out and back in or restarting.
-mj
[email protected]