diff --git a/eventBindings.go b/eventBindings.go
index 4f09e79..29e669c 100644
--- a/eventBindings.go
+++ b/eventBindings.go
@@ -69,26 +69,11 @@ func theSuperMouse(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-/*
-func addDropdown() *tree.Node {
-	return addDropdownNew(-222)
-}
-*/
-
 // 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 {
 	log.Info("got keypress 2. now what? dark =", me.dark)
 	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()")
+		makeClock()
 	} else {
 		me.clock.tk.v.Clear()
 		me.clock.tk.labelN = time.Now().Format("15:04:05")
diff --git a/eventBindingsStdout.go b/eventBindingsStdout.go
index 1347c5c..4feca78 100644
--- a/eventBindingsStdout.go
+++ b/eventBindingsStdout.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 func theStdout(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 	// me.stdout.pager = 0
-	infos := fmt.Sprintf("stdout moved off screen pager=%d len(%d) ", me.stdout.pager, len(me.stdout.outputS))
+	infos := fmt.Sprintf("pager=%d len(%d) ", me.stdout.pager, len(me.stdout.outputS))
 	infos += fmt.Sprintf("last(%d,%d)", me.stdout.lastW, me.stdout.lastH)
 
 	if me.stdout.outputOnTop {
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func theStdout(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 			return nil
 		} else {
 			me.stdout.outputOffscreen = true
-			log.Info("stdout moved on screen", infos)
+			log.Info("stdout moved on  screen", infos)
 		}
 		// move the stdout window back onscreen
 		me.stdout.tk.relocateStdout(me.stdout.lastW, me.stdout.lastH)
diff --git a/eventMouseClick.go b/eventMouseClick.go
index 27c6f80..67c877a 100644
--- a/eventMouseClick.go
+++ b/eventMouseClick.go
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ func doMouseClick(w int, h int) {
 			}
 			me.myTree.SendUserEvent(tk.node)
 		case widget.Button:
+			tk.dumpWidget("click()") // enable this to debug widget clicks
 			me.myTree.SendFromUser(tk.node)
 			return
 		case widget.Combobox:
diff --git a/help.go b/help.go
index 984de18..8ae7d7b 100644
--- a/help.go
+++ b/help.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/awesome-gocui/gocui"
 	log "go.wit.com/log"
@@ -85,8 +86,13 @@ func showHelp() error {
 	}
 	g.SetViewOnTop("help")
 	me.helpLabel = help
+	if me.clock.tk == nil {
+		makeClock()
+		me.clock.tk.MoveToOffset(maxX-10, 1)
+		me.clock.tk.Hide()
+		me.clock.tk.Show()
+	}
 	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()
@@ -94,6 +100,19 @@ func showHelp() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func makeClock() {
+	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()")
+}
+
 // in the very end of redrawing things, this will place the help and stdout on the top or botton
 // depending on the state the user has chosen
 func setThingsOnTop() {
@@ -102,6 +121,9 @@ func setThingsOnTop() {
 	} else {
 		me.baseGui.SetViewOnTop("help")
 	}
+	if me.clock.tk != nil {
+		me.baseGui.SetViewOnTop(me.clock.tk.v.Name())
+	}
 
 	if me.dark {
 		me.stdout.tk.v.FgColor = gocui.ColorWhite
@@ -116,6 +138,11 @@ func setThingsOnTop() {
 	} else {
 		me.baseGui.SetViewOnBottom("msg")
 	}
+	if me.stdout.startOnscreen {
+		log.Info("attempting to locate stdout on screen for the first time")
+		me.stdout.tk.relocateStdout(me.stdout.lastW, me.stdout.lastH)
+		me.stdout.startOnscreen = false
+	}
 	setBottomBG()
 }
 
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index d950806..e290c8a 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@ func init() {
 	me.myTree.PluginName = "gocui"
 	go refreshGocui()
 
+	// read in defaults from config protobuf
+	if val, err := me.myTree.ConfigFind("stdout"); err == nil {
+		if val == "true" {
+			me.stdout.startOnscreen = true
+			me.stdout.Write([]byte("starting with stdout onscreen\n"))
+		} else {
+			me.stdout.Write([]byte("starting with stdout offscreen\n"))
+		}
+	}
 	if val, err := me.myTree.ConfigFind("dark"); err == nil {
 		if val == "true" {
 			me.dark = true
@@ -202,6 +211,7 @@ func gocuiMain() {
 	// registered event handlers still have the events sent to gocuiEvent() above
 	registerHandlers(g)
 
+	me.stdout.Write([]byte("begin gogui.MainLoop()\n"))
 	if err := g.MainLoop(); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, gocui.ErrQuit) {
 		log.Log(NOW, "g.MainLoop() panic err =", err)
 		// normally panic here
diff --git a/stdoutShow.go b/stdoutShow.go
index f74bf80..5f980bd 100644
--- a/stdoutShow.go
+++ b/stdoutShow.go
@@ -95,6 +95,13 @@ func makeOutputWidget(g *gocui.Gui, stringFromMouseClick string) *gocui.View {
 	me.stdout.tk.v = v
 	me.stdout.tk.DrawAt(me.stdout.lastW, me.stdout.lastH)
 	relocateStdoutOffscreen()
+	/*
+		if me.stdout.outputOffscreen {
+			me.stdout.tk.relocateStdout(me.stdout.lastW, me.stdout.lastH)
+		} else {
+			relocateStdoutOffscreen()
+		}
+	*/
 	return v
 }
 
@@ -135,12 +142,24 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) relocateStdout(w int, h int) {
 // of functions like fmt.Fprintf, fmt.Fprintln, io.Copy, etc. Clear must
 // be called to clear the view's buffer.
 
+func (w stdout) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	me.writeMutex.Lock()
+	defer me.writeMutex.Unlock()
+
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(string(p)), "\n")
+	me.stdout.outputS = append(me.stdout.outputS, lines...)
+
+	return len(p), nil
+}
+
 func (w *guiWidget) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	w.tainted = true
 	me.writeMutex.Lock()
 	defer me.writeMutex.Unlock()
 
 	tk := me.stdout.tk
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(string(p)), "\n")
+	me.stdout.outputS = append(me.stdout.outputS, lines...)
 
 	if tk.v == nil {
 		// optionally write the output to /tmp
@@ -154,9 +173,6 @@ func (w *guiWidget) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 		}
 	} else {
 		// display the output in the gocui window
-		lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(string(p)), "\n")
-		me.stdout.outputS = append(me.stdout.outputS, lines...)
-
 		var cur []string
 		// chop off the last lines in the buffer
 		chop := len(me.stdout.outputS) - (me.stdout.h - 1)
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index f49ab46..f096e2a 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ type stdout struct {
 	h               int        // the height
 	outputOnTop     bool       // is the STDOUT window on top?
 	outputOffscreen bool       // is the STDOUT window offscreen?
+	startOnscreen   bool       // start the output window onscreen?
 	lastW           int        // the last 'w' location (used to move from offscreen to onscreen)
 	lastH           int        // the last 'h' location (used to move from offscreen to onscreen)
 	// mouseOffsetW    int        // the current 'w' offset