     path = "#{@protocol}://#{@host}:#{@port}#{path}"
       
     # create the request object
-    @xhr = new XMLHttpRequest()
-    @xhr.timeout = Carcass.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
+    xhr = new XMLHttpRequest()
+    xhr.timeout = Carcass.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
       
     # this request is always asynchronous (the last argument is always true)
-    @xhr.open(method, path, true, @user, @password)
+    xhr.open(method, path, true, @user, @password)
       
-    return @xhr
+    return xhr
 
   # Set the value of the Lock header
   #

    xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "text/xml; charset=#{charset}")
    
    return charset
    
  # Retrieve the contents of a resource.
  #
  # @param path [String] The path to the requested resource.

        webdavSchema: Carcass.WEBDAV_NAMESPACE_URI,
        haveProperties: properties instanceof Array and properties.length,
        properties: properties,
        namespaces: @readNamespaces(properties)
      }
    ))
    
