diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 206234a..dea0e61 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ all: install
 	@echo build worked
 	virtigo list droplets
 	virtigo list droplets --on
-	virtigo droplet start --name coriolis
 	virtigo droplet show --name coriolis
+	virtigo droplet start --name coriolis
 
 build: goimports vet
 	GO111MODULE=off go build \
diff --git a/doAdminGui.go b/doAdminGui.go
index fba8b5e..6418d9b 100644
--- a/doAdminGui.go
+++ b/doAdminGui.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func doLocalhostAdminGui() *adminT {
 			log.Info("droplets not initialized")
 			return
 		}
-		admin.dwin = newDropletsWindow()
+		admin.dwin = newDropletsWindow(admin)
 		admin.dwin.win.Custom = func() {
 			log.Info("hiding droplet table window")
 		}
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func (admin *adminT) doAdminGui() {
 			log.Info("droplets not initialized")
 			return
 		}
-		admin.dwin = newDropletsWindow()
+		admin.dwin = newDropletsWindow(admin)
 		admin.dwin.win.Custom = func() {
 			log.Info("hiding droplet table window")
 		}
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ func (admin *adminT) makeClusterGroup(c *virtpb.Cluster) {
 			log.Info("droplets not initialized")
 			return
 		}
-		admin.dwin = newDropletsWindow()
+		admin.dwin = newDropletsWindow(admin)
 		admin.dwin.win.Custom = func() {
 			log.Info("hiding droplet table window")
 		}
@@ -382,3 +382,28 @@ func postData(url string, data []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 
 	return body, nil
 }
+
+func (admin *adminT) postEvent(e *virtpb.Event) error {
+	var result *virtpb.Event
+	result = new(virtpb.Event)
+
+	msg, err := e.Marshal()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Info("postEvent() marshal() failed", err, e)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// update the droplet list
+	if data, err := postData(admin.url.String()+"/event", msg); err != nil {
+		log.Info("postEvent() /event Error:", err)
+		return err
+	} else {
+		if err := result.Unmarshal(data); err != nil {
+			log.Println("postEvent() result marshal failed", err, "len(dat) =", len(data))
+			log.Println("postEvent() data =", string(data))
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	log.Printf("Event type: %s\n", result.DropletUuid)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/doDroplet.go b/doDroplet.go
index 804897e..38d9903 100644
--- a/doDroplet.go
+++ b/doDroplet.go
@@ -71,10 +71,25 @@ func doDroplet() (string, error) {
 		for all.Scan() {
 			vm := all.Next()
 			if argv.Droplet.Name == vm.Hostname {
-				log.Info(vm.SprintHeader())
-				txt := vm.FormatTEXT()
-				log.Info(txt)
-				return "droplet found", nil
+				if argv.Droplet.Show != nil {
+					log.Info(vm.SprintHeader())
+					txt := vm.FormatTEXT()
+					log.Info(txt)
+					return "droplet status", nil
+				}
+				if argv.Droplet.Start != nil {
+					log.Info("should start droplet here")
+					log.Info(vm.SprintHeader())
+					e := new(virtpb.Event)
+					e.Etype = virtpb.EventType_POWERON
+					e.DropletUuid = vm.Uuid
+
+					if err := admin.postEvent(e); err != nil {
+						return "droplet start err", err
+					}
+					return "droplet start", nil
+				}
+				return "droplet found", fmt.Errorf("do what to the droplet?")
 			}
 			found.Append(vm)
 		}
@@ -82,3 +97,16 @@ func doDroplet() (string, error) {
 	}
 	return "", fmt.Errorf("droplet %s not found", argv.Droplet.Name)
 }
+
+func doEvent(e *virtpb.Event) *virtpb.Event {
+	result := new(virtpb.Event)
+	if e.Etype == virtpb.EventType_POWERON {
+		log.Println("power on droplet on local cluster here", e.DropletUuid)
+		result.State = virtpb.Event_DONE
+		rs, err := Start(e.DropletUuid)
+		log.Println("Start() returned", rs)
+		log.Println("Start() returned err", err)
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
diff --git a/http.go b/http.go
index 452ff74..6afff8b 100644
--- a/http.go
+++ b/http.go
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ func cleanURL(url string) string {
 func okHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	var route string
 	route = cleanURL(r.URL.Path)
-	log.HttpMode(w)
-	defer log.HttpMode(nil)
+	// log.HttpMode(w)
+	// defer log.HttpMode(nil)
 
 	msg, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body) // Read the body as []byte
 	if err != nil {
@@ -70,26 +70,24 @@ func okHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if route == "/start" {
-		hostname := r.URL.Query().Get("hostname")
-		if hostname == "" {
-			log.Warn("start failed. hostname is blank", cleanURL(r.URL.Path))
+	if route == "/event" {
+		var e *virtpb.Event
+		e = new(virtpb.Event)
+		if err := e.Unmarshal(msg); err != nil {
+			log.Info("proto.Unmarshal() failed on wire message len", len(msg))
+			log.Info("error =", err)
 			return
 		}
-		log.Warn("hostname is", hostname)
-
-		// log.Warn("Handling URL:", tmp, "start droplet", start)
-		result, err := Start(hostname)
-		if err == nil {
-			log.Info(result)
-			log.Info(hostname, "started output ok")
-			log.Info(hostname, "need to parse the output here")
-			log.Info(hostname, "todo: switch to protobuf here")
-		} else {
-			log.Info(result)
-			log.Info(err)
-			log.Info(hostname, "start failed")
+		log.Info("/event proto.Unmarshal() worked on msg len", len(msg), "hostname =", e.DropletUuid)
+		result := doEvent(e)
+		data, err := result.Marshal()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Info("/event marshal failed", err, "len(data) =", len(data))
+			fmt.Fprintln(w, "/event failed", err)
+			return
 		}
+		w.Write(data)
+		// fmt.Fprintln("droplet marshal failed", err)
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f02df52..d570322 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ func main() {
 
 	if argv.Server != "" {
 		log.Info("start admin interface")
-		me.admin = new(adminT)
+		admin := new(adminT)
 		var err error
-		me.admin.url, err = url.Parse(argv.Server)
+		admin.url, err = url.Parse(argv.Server)
 		if err != nil {
 			badExit(err)
 		}
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func main() {
 			badExit(err)
 		}
 
-		me.admin.doAdminGui()
+		admin.doAdminGui()
 		okExit("admin close")
 	}
 
diff --git a/start.go b/start.go
index 5426471..e5bf0fd 100644
--- a/start.go
+++ b/start.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func isClusterStable() (string, error) {
 
 // for now, because sometimes this should write to stdout and
 // sometimes to http socket, it returns a string
-func Start(name string) (string, error) {
+func Start(id string) (string, error) {
 	var result string
 
 	if s, err := isClusterStable(); err != nil {
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ func Start(name string) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// lookup the droplet by name
-	d := me.cluster.FindDropletByName(name)
+	d := me.cluster.FindDropletByName(id)
 	if d == nil {
-		result = "can't start unknown droplet: " + name
+		result = "can't start unknown droplet: " + id
 		return result, errors.New(result)
 	}
 
@@ -66,12 +66,12 @@ func Start(name string) (string, error) {
 			if ok {
 				return result + b, nil
 			}
-			return result + b, errors.New("start " + name + " on hypervisor " + h.pb.Hostname)
+			return result + b, errors.New("start " + d.Hostname + " on hypervisor " + h.pb.Hostname)
 		}
 
 		// skip hypervisors marked inactive
 		if h.pb.Active != true {
-			result += fmt.Sprintln("hypervisor is inactive:", name, "for", h.pb.Hostname, h.pb.Active)
+			result += fmt.Sprintln("hypervisor is inactive:", d.Hostname, "for", h.pb.Hostname, h.pb.Active)
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -82,10 +82,10 @@ func Start(name string) (string, error) {
 			if ok {
 				return result + b, nil
 			}
-			return result + b, errors.New("start " + name + " on hypervisor " + h.pb.Hostname)
+			return result + b, errors.New("start " + d.Hostname + " on hypervisor " + h.pb.Hostname)
 		}
 
-		result += fmt.Sprintln("hypervisor ready:", name, "for", h.pb.Hostname, h.pb.Active)
+		result += fmt.Sprintln("hypervisor ready:", d.Hostname, "for", h.pb.Hostname, h.pb.Active)
 		pool = append(pool, h)
 	}
 
@@ -106,5 +106,5 @@ func Start(name string) (string, error) {
 	if ok {
 		return result + output, nil
 	}
-	return result + output, errors.New("start " + name + " on hypervisor " + h.pb.Hostname)
+	return result + output, errors.New("start " + d.Hostname + " on hypervisor " + h.pb.Hostname)
 }
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 9a00e35..7534360 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ func (b *virtigoT) Enable() {
 // this app's variables
 type virtigoT struct {
 	pp                    *arg.Parser                    // go-arg parser
-	cluster               *virtpb.OldCluster             // basic cluster settings
 	myGui                 *gui.Node                      // the gui toolkit handle
 	e                     *virtpb.Events                 // virt protobuf events
 	hmap                  map[*virtpb.Hypervisor]*HyperT // map to the local struct
@@ -40,10 +39,11 @@ type virtigoT struct {
 	missingDropletTimeout time.Duration                  // how long a droplet can be missing for
 	status                *gui.Node                      // the cluster status
 	lastuptime            *gui.Node                      // the last time uptime was checked by Kuma
-	admin                 *adminT                        // the admin struct
 	clusters              *virtpb.Clusters               // clusters protobuf
 	cmap                  map[*virtpb.Cluster]*adminT    // map to local GUI objects and the protobuf
 	gwin                  *gadgets.GenericWindow         // main window
+	cluster               *virtpb.OldCluster             // basic cluster settings
+	// admin                 *adminT                        // the admin struct
 }
 
 // cluster "admin" mode
diff --git a/windowDroplets.go b/windowDroplets.go
index 3fc1bab..807ff41 100644
--- a/windowDroplets.go
+++ b/windowDroplets.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func (w *stdDropletTableWin) Toggle() {
 	w.win.Toggle()
 }
 
-func newDropletsWindow() *stdDropletTableWin {
+func newDropletsWindow(admin *adminT) *stdDropletTableWin {
 	dwin := new(stdDropletTableWin)
 	dwin.win = gadgets.NewGenericWindow("virtigo current droplets", "Options")
 	dwin.win.Custom = func() {
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func newDropletsWindow() *stdDropletTableWin {
 	grid.NewButton("Active", func() {
 		var found *virtpb.Droplets
 		found = virtpb.NewDroplets()
-		all := me.admin.cluster.Droplets.All()
+		all := admin.cluster.Droplets.All()
 		for all.Scan() {
 			vm := all.Next()
 			if vm.Current.State != virtpb.DropletState_ON {
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func newDropletsWindow() *stdDropletTableWin {
 	grid.NewButton("Inactive", func() {
 		var found *virtpb.Droplets
 		found = virtpb.NewDroplets()
-		all := me.admin.cluster.Droplets.All()
+		all := admin.cluster.Droplets.All()
 		for all.Scan() {
 			vm := all.Next()
 			if vm.Current.State == virtpb.DropletState_ON {