diff --git a/checkout.go b/checkout.go
index 4b46841..eb4d98b 100644
--- a/checkout.go
+++ b/checkout.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package gitpb
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"os/user"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"go.wit.com/log"
@@ -42,12 +43,20 @@ func (repo *Repo) CheckoutDevel() bool {
 
 func (repo *Repo) CheckoutUser() error {
 	bName := repo.GetUserBranchName()
-	// log.Info("attempting checkout user", repo.GetGoPath(), bName)
-	err := repo.createUserBranchNew(bName)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Info("attempting checkout user error", repo.GetGoPath(), bName, err)
+	if bName == "uerr" {
+		usr, _ := user.Current()
+		repo.SetUserBranchName(usr.Username)
+		bName = usr.Username
+		log.Info("gitpb CheckoutUser() somehow got user 'uerr'")
 	}
-	return err
+
+	return repo.createUserBranch(bName)
+	/*
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Info("attempting checkout user error", repo.GetGoPath(), bName, err)
+		}
+		return err
+	*/
 }
 
 func (repo *Repo) BranchExists(bName string) bool {
@@ -83,15 +92,16 @@ func (repo *Repo) checkoutBranch(bName string) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func (repo *Repo) createUserBranchNew(branch string) error {
-	if branch == "" || branch == "uerr" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("forge.gitpb logic err. branch name was: %s", branch)
+// actually creates a local user branch
+func (repo *Repo) createUserBranch(branch string) error {
+	if branch == "" {
+		// get the username here?
+		return fmt.Errorf("gitpb createuserBranch() logic err. git branch name can not be blank")
 	}
 	if repo.IsDirty() {
 		// never change repos on dirty branches
 		return fmt.Errorf("repo is dirty")
 	}
-	// log.Info("forge.gitpb look for branch name was:", branch, repo.GetGoPath())
 
 	if repo.Exists(filepath.Join(".git/refs/heads", branch)) {
 		var err error
@@ -125,8 +135,6 @@ func (repo *Repo) createUserBranchNew(branch string) error {
 		// return fmt.Errorf("repo must be on devel branch %s", repo.GetGoPath())
 	}
 
-	// log.Info("forge.gitpb try to create", branch, repo.GetGoPath())
-
 	// create the branch from devel
 	cmd := []string{"git", "branch", branch}
 	if _, err := repo.RunVerboseOnError(cmd); err != nil {
diff --git a/goDep.parseGoSum.go b/goDep.parseGoSum.go
index 00ed073..c8a219f 100644
--- a/goDep.parseGoSum.go
+++ b/goDep.parseGoSum.go
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
-// reads and parses the go.sum file
-// does not change anything
+// reads and parses the go.sum file into a protobuf struct
+// this function isn't supposed to change anything, just parse the existing files
 func (repo *Repo) ParseGoSum() bool {
 	// empty out what was there before
 	repo.GoDeps = nil
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func (repo *Repo) ParseGoSum() bool {
 
 // attempt to parse go.* files in a directory
 func GoSumParseDir(moddir string) (*GoDeps, error) {
-	isprim, err := computePrimitiveNew(moddir)
+	isprim, err := computePrimitive(moddir)
 	if err != nil {
 		// "go mod init" failed
 		return nil, err
@@ -85,14 +85,14 @@ func GoSumParseDir(moddir string) (*GoDeps, error) {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 	// go.sum exists. parse the go.sum file
-	return parseGoSumNew(moddir)
+	return parseGoSum(moddir)
 }
 
 // Detect a 'Primitive' package. Sets the isPrimitive flag
 // will return true if the repo is truly not dependent on _anything_ else
 // like spew or lib/widget
 // it assumes 'go mod init' and 'go mod tidy' ran without error
-func computePrimitiveNew(moddir string) (bool, error) {
+func computePrimitive(moddir string) (bool, error) {
 	// go mod init & go mod tidy ran without errors
 	log.Log(INFO, "isPrimitiveGoMod()", moddir)
 	gomod, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(moddir, "go.mod"))
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ func computePrimitiveNew(moddir string) (bool, error) {
 	return true, nil
 }
 
-func parseGoSumNew(moddir string) (*GoDeps, error) {
+// parse the go.sum file into a protobuf
+func parseGoSum(moddir string) (*GoDeps, error) {
 	godeps := new(GoDeps)
 
 	tmp, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(moddir, "go.sum"))