diff --git a/eventBindings.go b/eventBindings.go
index 09bdcbe..4f09e79 100644
--- a/eventBindings.go
+++ b/eventBindings.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"syscall"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/awesome-gocui/gocui"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
@@ -76,13 +77,23 @@ func addDropdown() *tree.Node {
 
 // use this to test code ideas // put whatever you want here and hit '2' to activate it
 func theNotsure(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
-	if me.dark {
-		me.dark = false
-	} else {
-		me.dark = true
-	}
 	log.Info("got keypress 2. now what? dark =", me.dark)
-	// findBG()
+	if me.clock.tk == nil {
+		me.clock.tk = makeNewFlagWidget(me.clock.wId)
+		me.clock.tk.dumpWidget("init() clock")
+		w, h := me.baseGui.MousePosition()
+		me.clock.tk.MoveToOffset(w, h)
+		me.clock.tk.labelN = time.Now().Format("15:04:05")
+		me.clock.tk.frame = false
+		me.clock.tk.setColorLabel()
+		me.clock.tk.Show()
+		me.clock.active = true
+		me.clock.tk.dumpWidget("showClock()")
+	} else {
+		me.clock.tk.v.Clear()
+		me.clock.tk.labelN = time.Now().Format("15:04:05")
+		me.clock.tk.v.WriteString(me.clock.tk.labelN)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/help.go b/help.go
index 6a64bc4..984de18 100644
--- a/help.go
+++ b/help.go
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ func showHelp() error {
 	}
 	g.SetViewOnTop("help")
 	me.helpLabel = help
+	if me.clock.tk != nil {
+		g.SetView("help", maxX-(newW+me.FramePadW), 0, maxX-1, len(helpText)+me.FramePadH, 0)
+		me.clock.tk.MoveToOffset(maxX-10, 1)
+		me.clock.tk.Hide()
+		me.clock.tk.Show()
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index fa57a64..d950806 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ func init() {
 	me.dropdown.wId = -77
 	me.textbox.wId = -55
 	me.stdout.wId = -4
+	me.clock.wId = -5
 
 	me.mouse.mouseUp = true
 	me.mouse.clicktime = time.Millisecond * 100
@@ -230,16 +231,24 @@ func refreshGocui() {
 	var lastRefresh time.Time
 	lastRefresh = time.Now()
 	for {
-		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 		// log.Info("refresh checking ok")
 		if !me.ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		if time.Since(lastRefresh) > 100*time.Millisecond {
+		if time.Since(lastRefresh) > 1000*time.Millisecond {
 			if me.mouse.mouseUp {
 				// log.Info("refresh now on mouseUp")
 				// todo: add logic here to see if the application has changed anything
 				me.baseGui.Update(testRefresh)
+				if me.clock.tk != nil && !me.showHelp {
+					// also double check the gocui view exists
+					if me.clock.tk.v != nil {
+						me.clock.tk.v.Clear()
+						me.clock.tk.labelN = time.Now().Format("15:04:05")
+						me.clock.tk.v.WriteString(me.clock.tk.labelN)
+					}
+				}
 			} else {
 				// log.Info("refresh skip on mouseDown")
 				// me.baseGui.Update()
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index bd32005..f49ab46 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -65,12 +65,13 @@ type config struct {
 	depth            int             // used for listWidgets() debugging
 	newWindowTrigger chan *guiWidget // work around hack to redraw windows a bit after NewWindow()
 	stdout           stdout          // information for the STDOUT window
-	showDebug        bool            // todo: move this into config struct
 	dropdown         dropdown        // the dropdown menu
 	textbox          dropdown        // the textbox popup window
+	clock            dropdown        // the textbox popup window
 	allwin           []*guiWidget    // for tracking which window is next
 	dark             bool            // use a 'dark' color palette
 	mouse            mouse           // mouse settings
+	showDebug        bool            // todo: move this into config struct
 }
 
 // stuff controlling how the mouse works