diff --git a/lib/app/index.js b/lib/app/index.js
index 624662897a..3bb456a437 100644
--- a/lib/app/index.js
+++ b/lib/app/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Generated by CoffeeScript 1.3.3
-var Guid, content, derby, get, getRoom, ready, view, _ref;
+var Guid, content, debug, derby, get, getRoom, ready, view, _ref;
 
 derby = require('derby');
 
@@ -76,78 +76,79 @@ view.fn("silver", function(num) {
   }
 });
 
+debug = function(obj, message) {
+  return console.log(obj, "[debug] " + message);
+};
+
 get('/:userId?', function(page, model, _arg) {
-  var debuggingUsers, userId;
+  var userId;
   userId = _arg.userId;
-  debuggingUsers = parseInt(userId) < 40;
-  if ((userId != null) && (Guid.isGuid(userId) || debuggingUsers)) {
-    model.set('_session.userId', userId);
-    return getRoom(page, model, userId);
-  }
-  if (userId = model.get('_session.userId')) {
-    return getRoom(page, model, userId);
-  }
-  userId = Guid.raw();
-  model.set('_session.userId', userId);
-  model.set("users." + userId, {});
-  return getRoom(page, model, userId);
+  return model.subscribe("users", function(err, users) {
+    var newUser;
+    userId = model.get('_userId');
+    debug(userId, 'model.get _userId');
+    if (model.get("users." + userId)) {
+      debug(userId, 'model.get userId');
+      return getRoom(page, model, userId);
+    } else {
+      newUser = {
+        tasks: {}
+      };
+      return users.set(userId, newUser, function(err, path, value) {
+        debug({
+          err: err,
+          path: path,
+          value: value
+        }, 'new user');
+        return getRoom(page, model, userId);
+      });
+    }
+  });
 });
 
 getRoom = function(page, model, userId) {
-  return model.subscribe("users." + userId, function(err, user) {
-    var task, _i, _j, _k, _l, _len, _len1, _len2, _len3, _ref1, _ref2, _ref3, _ref4;
-    model.ref('_user', user);
-    /* Set User Defaults
-    */
+  var user;
+  user = model.at("users." + userId);
+  model.ref('_user', user);
+  debug(user, 'user');
+  /* Set User Defaults
+  */
 
-    user.setNull('stats', {
-      money: 0,
-      exp: 0,
-      lvl: 1,
-      hp: 50
-    });
-    user.setNull('items', {
-      itemsEnabled: false,
-      armor: 0,
-      weapon: 0
-    });
-    model.set('_items', {
-      armor: content.items.armor[parseInt(user.get('items.armor')) + 1],
-      weapon: content.items.weapon[parseInt(user.get('items.weapon')) + 1],
-      potion: content.items.potion,
-      reroll: content.items.reroll
-    });
-    model.fn('_tnl', '_user.stats.lvl', function(lvl) {
-      return 50 * Math.pow(lvl, 2) - 150 * lvl + 200;
-    });
-    model.refList("_habitList", "_user.tasks", "_user.habitIds");
-    model.refList("_dailyList", "_user.tasks", "_user.dailyIds");
-    model.refList("_todoList", "_user.tasks", "_user.todoIds");
-    model.refList("_rewardList", "_user.tasks", "_user.rewardIds");
-    if (!model.get('_user.tasks')) {
-      _ref1 = content.defaultTasks.habits;
-      for (_i = 0, _len = _ref1.length; _i < _len; _i++) {
-        task = _ref1[_i];
-        model.push('_habitList', task);
-      }
-      _ref2 = content.defaultTasks.dailys;
-      for (_j = 0, _len1 = _ref2.length; _j < _len1; _j++) {
-        task = _ref2[_j];
-        model.push('_dailyList', task);
-      }
-      _ref3 = content.defaultTasks.todos;
-      for (_k = 0, _len2 = _ref3.length; _k < _len2; _k++) {
-        task = _ref3[_k];
-        model.push('_todoList', task);
-      }
-      _ref4 = content.defaultTasks.rewards;
-      for (_l = 0, _len3 = _ref4.length; _l < _len3; _l++) {
-        task = _ref4[_l];
-        model.push('_rewardList', task);
-      }
-    }
-    return page.render();
+  user.setNull('stats', {
+    money: 0,
+    exp: 0,
+    lvl: 1,
+    hp: 50
   });
+  user.setNull('items', {
+    itemsEnabled: false,
+    armor: 0,
+    weapon: 0
+  });
+  model.set('_items', {
+    armor: content.items.armor[parseInt(user.get('items.armor')) + 1],
+    weapon: content.items.weapon[parseInt(user.get('items.weapon')) + 1],
+    potion: content.items.potion,
+    reroll: content.items.reroll
+  });
+  model.fn('_tnl', '_user.stats.lvl', function(lvl) {
+    return 50 * Math.pow(lvl, 2) - 150 * lvl + 200;
+  });
+  model.refList("_habitList", "_user.tasks", "_user.habitIds");
+  model.refList("_dailyList", "_user.tasks", "_user.dailyIds");
+  model.refList("_todoList", "_user.tasks", "_user.todoIds");
+  model.refList("_rewardList", "_user.tasks", "_user.rewardIds");
+  if (!model.get('_user.tasks')) {
+    model.push('_habitList', {
+      type: 'habit',
+      text: '1h Productive Work',
+      notes: '<u>Habits: Constantly Track</u><br/>For some habits, it only makes sense to <b>gain</b> points (like this one).',
+      value: 0,
+      up: true,
+      down: false
+    });
+  }
+  return page.render();
 };
 
 ready(function(model) {
diff --git a/lib/server/index.js b/lib/server/index.js
index fbd6bfd691..b5ccdda9a2 100644
--- a/lib/server/index.js
+++ b/lib/server/index.js
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ serverError = require('./serverError');
 
 racer = require('derby/node_modules/racer');
 
-racer.set('transports', ['xhr-polling']);
+racer.use(racer.logPlugin);
+
+racer.set('bundle timeout', 10000);
 
 expressApp = express();
 
diff --git a/src/app/index.coffee b/src/app/index.coffee
index 8701faffc2..d89030eea5 100644
--- a/src/app/index.coffee
+++ b/src/app/index.coffee
@@ -44,31 +44,42 @@ view.fn "silver", (num) ->
   
 ## ROUTES ##
 
+debug = (obj, message) ->
+  console.log obj, "[debug] #{message}"
+
 
 get '/:userId?', (page, model, {userId}) ->
-  # Saved session
-  # TODO: this doesn't check that the user at guid exists, and 
-  # will probably error since no user is created. Will only happen if 
-  # first access, but still. model.get(userId) and model.get("users.#{userId}") aren't 
-  # working for some reason
-  debuggingUsers = (parseInt(userId) < 40) #these are users created before guid was in use, need to convert them to guid and get rid of this 
-  if userId? and (Guid.isGuid(userId) or debuggingUsers)# and model.get(userId)?
-    model.set '_session.userId', userId
-    return getRoom page, model, userId
-      
-  # Render page if a userId is already stored in session data
-  if userId = model.get '_session.userId'
-    return getRoom page, model, userId
-
-  # Otherwise, select a new userId and initialize user
-  userId = Guid.raw()
-  model.set '_session.userId', userId
-  model.set "users.#{userId}", {}
-  getRoom page, model, userId
+  # # Saved session
+  # # TODO: this doesn't check that the user at guid exists, and 
+  # # will probably error since no user is created. Will only happen if 
+  # # first access, but still. model.get(userId) and model.get("users.#{userId}") aren't 
+  # # working for some reason
+  # debuggingUsers = (parseInt(userId) < 40) #these are users created before guid was in use, need to convert them to guid and get rid of this 
+  # if userId? and (Guid.isGuid(userId) or debuggingUsers)# and model.get(userId)?
+    # model.set '_userId', userId
+    # return getRoom page, model, userId
+  
+  model.subscribe "users", (err, users) ->
+    # The session middleware will assign a _userId automatically
+    # Render page if a userId is already stored in session data
+    userId = model.get '_userId' 
+    debug userId, 'model.get _userId'
+    if model.get "users.#{userId}"
+      debug userId, 'model.get userId'
+      return getRoom page, model, userId
+    else
+      # Otherwise, select a new userId and initialize user
+      newUser = {
+        tasks: {}
+      }
+      users.set userId, newUser, (err, path, value) ->
+        debug {err:err, path:path, value:value}, 'new user'
+        getRoom page, model, userId
 
 getRoom = (page, model, userId) ->
-  model.subscribe "users.#{userId}", (err, user) ->
+    user = model.at("users.#{userId}")
     model.ref '_user', user
+    debug user, 'user'
     
     ### Set User Defaults ###
     
@@ -90,10 +101,11 @@ getRoom = (page, model, userId) ->
     model.refList "_todoList", "_user.tasks", "_user.todoIds"
     model.refList "_rewardList", "_user.tasks", "_user.rewardIds"
     unless model.get('_user.tasks')
-      model.push '_habitList', task for task in content.defaultTasks.habits
-      model.push '_dailyList', task for task in content.defaultTasks.dailys
-      model.push '_todoList', task for task in content.defaultTasks.todos
-      model.push '_rewardList', task for task in content.defaultTasks.rewards
+      model.push '_habitList', {type: 'habit', text: '1h Productive Work', notes: '<u>Habits: Constantly Track</u><br/>For some habits, it only makes sense to <b>gain</b> points (like this one).', value: 0, up: true, down: false }
+      # model.push '_habitList', task for task in content.defaultTasks.habits
+      # model.push '_dailyList', task for task in content.defaultTasks.dailys
+      # model.push '_todoList', task for task in content.defaultTasks.todos
+      # model.push '_rewardList', task for task in content.defaultTasks.rewards
       
     page.render()  
 
diff --git a/src/server/index.coffee b/src/server/index.coffee
index ac7f49891b..537adf4ee4 100644
--- a/src/server/index.coffee
+++ b/src/server/index.coffee
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ serverError = require './serverError'
 ## RACER CONFIGURATION ##
 
 racer = require 'derby/node_modules/racer'
-racer.set('transports', ['xhr-polling'])
-#racer.set('bundle timeout', 10000)
+racer.use(racer.logPlugin)
+#racer.set('transports', ['xhr-polling'])
+racer.set('bundle timeout', 10000)
 
 ## SERVER CONFIGURATION ##