[jQuery] VALIDATE - error labels don't disappear

Using Jorn's awesome validator for the umpteenth time..I'm stumped on
this one issue I'm having.

I made a simple form

<form name="testForm" id="testForm" method="get" action="">
                Firstname <input type="text" name="firstname" id="firstname"
class="required" />
                <br>
                Lastname <input type="text" name="lastname" id="lastname"
class="required" />
                <br>
                <input type="submit" value="submit">
        </form>

with a simple validation rule

$.validator.setDefaults({
                        submitHandler: function() { alert("submitted!"); }
                });
                // FORM VALIDATION //
                //Single Event Form
                $("#testForm").validate();

The problem is that when I hit submit with nothing in the input
fields, I get the error message, but after I fulfill the first name
field, and tab to the last name field, the error message doesn't
disappear.  Even after I submit the valid form, the screen refreshes,
but the error label is still there....i have a big ?? over my head
now.

Help.