diff --git a/create.go b/create.go
index f97a575..ab36093 100644
--- a/create.go
+++ b/create.go
@@ -16,18 +16,28 @@ import (
 
 // attempts to create a new virtual machine
 
-func create(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
+func create(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) (string, error) {
 	msg, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r.Body) // Read the body as []byte
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, "ReadAll() error =", err)
-		return err
+		result := fmt.Sprintf("ReadAll() error =", err)
+		log.Info(result)
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, result)
+		return result, err
 	}
 
 	var d *pb.Droplet
 	d = new(pb.Droplet)
 	if err := d.UnmarshalJSON(msg); err != nil {
-		return err
+		log.Info("UnmarshalJSON() failed", err)
+		if err := d.Unmarshal(msg); err != nil {
+			log.Info("droplet protobuf.Unmarshal() failed", err)
+			return "", err
+		}
 	}
+	d.StartState = pb.DropletState_OFF
+	d.CurrentState = pb.DropletState_OFF
+	d.Memory = 2048 * 1024 * 1024
+	d.Cpus = 2
 
 	log.Info("Got msg:", string(msg))
 	log.Info("hostname =", d.Hostname)
@@ -35,8 +45,9 @@ func create(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
 	tmpd := findDroplet(name)
 	if tmpd != nil {
 		result := "create error: Droplet " + name + " is already defined"
+		log.Info(result)
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, result)
-		return errors.New(result)
+		return result, errors.New(result)
 	}
 
 	if d.Uuid == "" {
@@ -55,13 +66,15 @@ func create(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) error {
 
 	result, err := startDroplet(d)
 	if err != nil {
+		log.Info(result)
+		log.Info("startDroplet(d) failed:", err)
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, result)
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, "startDroplet(d) failed:", err)
-		return err
+		return result, err
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, result)
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "START=OK")
-	return nil
+	return result, nil
 }
 
 // for now, because sometimes this should write to stdout and
diff --git a/http.go b/http.go
index a6092a2..971c906 100644
--- a/http.go
+++ b/http.go
@@ -58,7 +58,18 @@ func okHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	if route == "/create" {
-		create(w, r)
+		log.Info("virtigo create starts here")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "virtigo create starts here")
+		result, err := create(w, r)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Info("virtigo create failed")
+			log.Info(result)
+			fmt.Fprintln(w, "virtigo create failed")
+			fmt.Fprintln(w, result)
+			return
+		}
+		log.Info("virtigo create ends here")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "virtigo create ends here")
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/poll.go b/poll.go
index e82fe2e..defb947 100644
--- a/poll.go
+++ b/poll.go
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ func (h *HyperT) pollHypervisor() {
 				if dur > time.Minute*2 {
 					// what this means is the droplet probably wasn't migrated or the migrate failed
 					// where should this be checked? the status needs to be changed to OFF
-					log.Info("UNKNOWN state for more than one minute remove map entry here?", name)
+					s := shell.FormatDuration(dur)
+					log.Info("UNKNOWN state for more than 2 minutes (clearing out ?)", name, s)
 
 					// it might be safe to set the status to OFF here. not really. this poll needs
 					// to be moved somewhere else. there needs to be a new goroutine not tied to the
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 715231a..d8c0823 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ func (b *virtigoT) Enable() {
 // this app's variables
 type virtigoT struct {
 	cluster               *pb.Cluster                // basic cluster settings
+	e                     *pb.Events                 // virtbuf events
 	hmap                  map[*pb.Hypervisor]*HyperT // map to the local struct
 	names                 []string
 	hypers                []*HyperT
diff --git a/validate.go b/validate.go
index 42c9ab6..525f57c 100644
--- a/validate.go
+++ b/validate.go
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func setUniqueSpicePort(check *pb.Droplet) error {
 		// generate change port event
 		log.Info("going to try port", start, "on", check.Hostname)
 		e := check.NewChangeEvent("SpicePort", check.SpicePort, start)
-		me.cluster.Events = append(me.cluster.Events, e)
+		me.cluster.E.Events = append(me.cluster.E.Events, e)
 
 		// set port to start
 		check.SpicePort = start