diff --git a/Hermes/GUI.rkt b/Hermes/GUI.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8f3ec1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Hermes/GUI.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,322 @@
+#lang racket
+(require racket/gui/base)
+;Author:Douglas Richardson
+;Notes:Our GUI mostly deals with lists of a list of 3 strings and a number
+;although the number is always delt with locally
+;When using user-message you need to give it a list of 3 things
+;The name of the user as a string, what they said as a string,
+;and the color as a string
+
+;Object stuff
+; TODO make different objects threadable send button vs text area vs canvas
+; TODO gui is just a relay remember
+; TODO create a dialog to ask user for his username. This should be wrapped in a
+; function get-username that we can call 
+
+(provide make-gui)
+
+; store input into a message list
+; will create closure later
+(define messages-s (make-semaphore 1))
+(define messages '())
+(define sleep-t 0.1)
+
+; (define-values (gui-in gui-out) (make-pipe #f))
+(define (make-gui)
+    ;;Create the frame/window with title "Example5", width 500 and height 700
+    (define main-frame (new frame%
+                            [label "Hermes"]
+                            [width 500]
+                            [height 700]
+                            ))
+    ;;Editing canvas
+    (define (do-stuff-paint paint-canvas paint-dc)
+      (do-more-stuff-paint listy paint-canvas paint-dc))
+
+    (define (do-more-stuff-paint paint-listy paint-canvas paint-dc)
+      (if (null? paint-listy)
+          '()
+          (begin
+            (re-draw-message (get-username-from-list (car paint-listy))
+                             (get-message-from-list (car paint-listy))
+                             (get-color-from-list (car paint-listy))
+                             (get-height-from-list (car paint-listy)))
+            (do-more-stuff-paint (cdr paint-listy) paint-canvas paint-dc))))
+
+    ; canvas for displaying messages with horizontal and vertical scrollbar.
+    ; on an event it calls do-stuff-paint to redraw things on the screen 
+    ; properly
+    (define read-canvas (new canvas%
+                             [parent main-frame]
+                             [paint-callback do-stuff-paint]
+                             [style '(hscroll vscroll)]
+                             ))
+
+    ; "send" is rackets way of doing object-oriented programming. It calls an
+    ; objects functions in this case "read-canvas" object's init-auto-scrollbars
+    (send read-canvas init-auto-scrollbars #f #f 0 0);Start with no scrollbars
+
+    ; editing area callback. Gets called when enter is pressed.
+    (define (text-field-callback callback-type other-thing)
+      (if (equal? 'text-field-enter (send other-thing get-event-type))
+          (button-do-stuff 'irrelevant 'not-used)
+          '()))
+    
+    ; creates the editing area as part of the parent "main-frame" define above.
+    ; initially labelled "Username:"
+    ; NOTE: we pad label with additional spaces so we don't have to recompute
+    ; the window dimensions to fit the new label (the actual username)
+    ; TODO make label setable
+    (define input (new text-field%
+                       [parent main-frame]
+                       [label "username  "] 
+                       [callback text-field-callback]
+                       ))
+
+    ; It's a callback function activated when the send button is pressed in the
+    ; GUI. It is also called manually when textfield receives an enter key
+    (define (button-do-stuff b e);b and e do nothing :/
+        (if (color-change-request? (send input get-value))
+            (set! my-color (get-color-from-input (send input get-value)))
+            (if (< 0 (string-length (send input get-value)))
+              (begin 
+                ; (send-message (send input get-value) my-color);;
+                (semaphore-wait messages-s)
+                (set! messages (append messages (list (send input get-value))))
+                (semaphore-post messages-s)
+                ; (open-input-string )
+                )
+                '()))
+        (send input set-value "")
+        )
+
+    ; retrieves a message user inputed to the text field
+    (define (get-message)
+      (semaphore-wait messages-s)
+      (define one-message 
+        (if (not (null? messages))
+          (begin 
+            ;(define msg (car messages))
+            (car messages)
+            ;(set! messages (cdr messages))
+            )
+          '()))
+      (semaphore-post messages-s)
+
+      (if (not (string? one-message))
+        (begin 
+          (sleep sleep-t) ; so we don't burn cpu cycles
+          (get-message))
+        (begin
+          (semaphore-wait messages-s)
+          (set! messages (cdr messages))
+          (semaphore-post messages-s)
+          one-message)))
+    ; creates the send button 
+    (define send-button (new button%
+                             [parent main-frame]
+                             [label "Send"]
+                             [callback button-do-stuff]))
+
+    ; get-dc retrieves the canvas' device context. From racket docs. A dc object
+    ; is a drawing context for drawing graphics and text. It represents output 
+    ; devices in a generic way.
+    ; Specifically the line below retrieves our canvas device context object.
+    (define dc (send read-canvas get-dc))
+    (send dc set-scale 1 1) ; set scaling config of output display to 1 to 1
+                            ; no scalling
+    (send dc set-text-foreground "black") ; color of text that gets drawn on the
+                                          ; canvas with "draw-text"
+    ; (send dc set-smoothing 'aligned)
+    ;;messaging stuff
+
+    ; could convert below to regexes
+    (define (user-message-parse string-i start)
+        (define (helper str index)
+          (if (eq? (string-ref str (+ start index)) #\~) ; regexes would allow us
+                                                         ; to avoid this #\~
+              (substring str start (+ start index))
+              (helper str (+ index 1))))
+        (helper string-i 0))
+
+    
+    ;; draws a user input to the screen
+    (define (user-message user-input)
+        (define username (user-message-parse user-input 0))
+        (define input (user-message-parse user-input  (+ 1 (string-length username))))
+        (define color (substring user-input (+ 2 (string-length username) (string-length input))))
+        (send dc set-text-foreground color) ; set dc's text color to user
+                                            ; provided
+        ; (send dc draw-text (string-append username ":" input) 0 height)
+        (send dc draw-text input 0 height)  ;; just print message to string
+
+        (set! listy (appendlist listy (list username input color height)))
+        (set! height (+ height 15))
+        ; redraw overly long text on gui
+        (set! min-v-size (+ min-v-size 15))
+        (if (> (* 20 (string-length input)) min-h-size)
+            (set! min-h-size (* 20 (string-length input)))
+            '())
+        (send read-canvas init-auto-scrollbars min-h-size min-v-size 0 1)
+        )
+    ;;Add a function that parces input from a string-i and extracts elements
+
+    ; actually gets called to send input to the screen. user-message is in effect
+    ; its helper. It uses "~" to delimit the different components of message
+    (define (send-message input color)
+      (user-message (string-append name "~" input "~" color)))
+    
+    ;; draws messages to the screen canvas as text
+    (define (re-draw-message username input color in-height)
+        (send dc set-text-foreground color)
+        ; (send dc draw-text (string-append username ":" input) 0 in-height)
+        (send dc draw-text input 0 in-height)
+        )
+
+    ; used when redrawing the screen along with its helper.
+    (define (update given-list)
+      (set! listy '())
+      (set! height 0)
+      (update-helper given-list))
+
+    (define (update-helper given-list)
+      (if (null? given-list)
+          '()
+          (if (null? (car given-list))
+              '()
+              (begin (user-message
+                      (get-username-from-list (car given-list))
+                      (get-message-from-list (car given-list))
+                      (get-color-from-list (car given-list)))
+                     (update-helper (cdr given-list))))))
+    
+    ;;Variables go below functions
+    ; for interfacing with outside elements
+    (define gui-input-in-s '())
+    (define gui-input-out-s '())
+    (define gui-input-in '())
+    (define gui-input-out '())
+
+    (define name "Me")
+    (define min-h-size 80)
+    (define min-v-size 30)
+    (define listy (list (list "Server" "Connected" "Red" 0))) ; initializes
+      ; listy with first message to be drawn on screen
+    ; wrap in closure
+    (define my-color "black") ; default color of the text messages if none
+                              ; specified
+    ; associated methods to prompt for color, get color and set color
+    (define (set-color new-color)
+      (set! my-color new-color))
+  
+    (define (get-my-color)
+      my-color)
+  
+    ; TODO loop to make sure you get right user input
+    ; not really needed as user can set in window
+    (define (prompt-color)
+        (define returned (get-text-from-user "Color set-up" "Please enter color for text"
+                      main-frame "black" (list 'disallow-invalid)
+                      #:validate
+                      (lambda (input)
+                        (if (and (string? input) (<= (string-length input) 10)
+                                 (>= (string-length input) 3))
+                            #t
+                            #f))))
+      (set! my-color returned)
+      returned)
+    (define height 15) ; height between messages drawn on the screen
+
+     ;; prompt user for username
+    ;; could randomly assign a user
+    ;; after calling get-text set it as new label of text-field
+    (define (get-username)
+            (define returned (get-text-from-user "Username set-up" "Please enter a username"
+                      main-frame "user" (list 'disallow-invalid)
+                      #:validate
+                      (lambda (input)
+                        (if (and (string? input) (<= (string-length input) 10)
+                                 (>= (string-length input) 2))
+                            #t
+                            #f))))
+      (send input set-label returned)
+      returned)
+
+    ;;dispatch goes below that
+    ;; TODO get username function maybe
+    (define (dispatch command)
+      ; show gui should return the users the name as well as its first message
+      ; to be called
+      (cond ((eq? command 'show) (lambda () (send main-frame show #t)))
+            ((eq? command 'get-color) get-my-color)
+            ((eq? command 'set-color) set-color)
+            ((eq? command 'prompt-color) prompt-color)
+            ((eq? command 'get-username) get-username)
+            ((eq? command 'send) send-message) ;; call to show a message in a gui
+            ((eq? command 'set-name) (lambda (newname) (if (string? newname)
+                                                  (set! name newname)
+                                                  (print "Thats not good"))))
+            ; ((eq? command 'recieve-message) user-message)
+            ; ((eq? command 'get-list) listy)
+            ; ((eq? command 'set-list) update)
+            ;;Something up with that
+            ; else should assume a message and output to screen we do not want it
+            ; to fail
+            ((eq? command 'get-message) get-message)
+            (else (error "Invalid Request" command))
+            ))
+    ;;dispatch goes below that
+    dispatch)
+
+
+;This one displays information
+
+
+
+
+
+;Initilize scrolling
+
+;Then we need to find out if we need them or not.
+
+;Listy is going to be a list of lists of strings
+;each element in listy will contain three strings
+;the username the message they said and the color they used
+;The the height the message should display at
+
+; listoflist is listy here, and add-to-end is what gets appended to the end
+; really expensive operation but its important for Doug to showcase some opl
+; concepts
+(define (appendlist listoflist add-to-end)
+  (if (null? listoflist)
+      (cons add-to-end '())
+      (cons (car listoflist) (appendlist (cdr listoflist) add-to-end))))
+
+(define (get-username-from-list in-list)
+  (car in-list))
+
+(define (get-message-from-list in-list)
+  (car (cdr in-list)))
+
+(define (get-color-from-list in-list)
+  (car (cdr (cdr in-list))))
+
+(define (get-height-from-list in-list)
+  (car (cdr (cdr (cdr in-list)))))
+
+
+
+; did user request for color change /
+(define (color-change-request? given-string)
+  (if (> (string-length given-string) 7)
+      (if (equal? (substring given-string 0 6) "/color")
+          #t
+          #f)
+      #f))
+
+; we should use regexes for this.
+(define (get-color-from-input given-string)
+  (substring given-string 7))
+;(define thing1 (make-gui))
+;(define thing2 (make-gui))
+
diff --git a/Hermes/Hermes_Gui1.3.rkt b/Hermes/Hermes_Gui1.3.rkt
deleted file mode 100644
index ba239c3..0000000
--- a/Hermes/Hermes_Gui1.3.rkt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,196 +0,0 @@
-#lang racket
-(require racket/gui/base)
-;Author:Douglas Richardson
-;Notes:Our GUI mostly deals with lists of a list of 3 strings and a number
-;although the number is always delt with locally
-;When using user-message you need to give it a list of 3 things
-;The name of the user as a string, what they said as a string,
-;and the color as a string
-
-;Object stuff
-
-(provide make-gui)
-
-(define (make-gui)
-  (begin
-    ;;Create the frame
-    (define main-frame (new frame%
-                            [label "Example5"]
-                            [width 500]
-                            [height 700]
-                            ))
-    ;;Editing canvas
-    (define (do-stuff-paint paint-canvas paint-dc)
-      (do-more-stuff-paint listy paint-canvas paint-dc))
-
-    (define (do-more-stuff-paint paint-listy paint-canvas paint-dc)
-      (if (null? paint-listy)
-          '()
-          (begin
-            (re-draw-message (get-username-from-list (car paint-listy))
-                             (get-message-from-list (car paint-listy))
-                             (get-color-from-list (car paint-listy))
-                             (get-height-from-list (car paint-listy)))
-            (do-more-stuff-paint (cdr paint-listy) paint-canvas paint-dc))))
-
-    (define read-canvas (new canvas%
-                             [parent main-frame]
-                             [paint-callback do-stuff-paint]
-                             [style '(hscroll vscroll)]
-                             ))
-
-    (send read-canvas init-auto-scrollbars #f #f 0 0);Start with no scrollbars
-    ;;text-field stuff
-    (define (text-feild-callback callback-type other-thing)
-      (if (equal? 'text-field-enter (send other-thing get-event-type))
-          (button-do-stuff 'irrelevant 'not-used)
-          '()))
-    
-    (define input (new text-field%
-                       [parent main-frame]
-                       [label "Username:"]
-                       [callback text-feild-callback]
-                       ))
-    ;;button stuff
-    (define (button-do-stuff b e);b and e do nothing :/
-      (begin
-        (if (color-change-request? (send input get-value))
-            (set! my-color (get-color-from-input (send input get-value)))
-            (if (< 0 (string-length (send input get-value)))
-                (send-message (send input get-value) my-color);;
-                '()))
-        (send input set-value "")
-        ))
-    (define send-button (new button%
-                             [parent main-frame]
-                             [label "Send"]
-                             [callback button-do-stuff]))
-    ;;I forget what these do but don't move them
-    (define dc (send read-canvas get-dc))
-    (send dc set-scale 1 1)
-    (send dc set-text-foreground "black")
-    ;;messaging stuff
-
-    (define (user-message-parse string start)
-      (begin
-        (define (helper str index)
-          (if (eq? (string-ref str (+ start index)) #\~)
-              (substring str start (+ start index))
-              (helper str (+ index 1))))
-        (helper string 0)))
-    
-    (define (user-message onetrueinput)
-      (begin
-        (define username (user-message-parse onetrueinput 0))
-        (define input (user-message-parse onetrueinput  (+ 1(string-length username))))
-        (define color (substring onetrueinput (+ 2 (string-length username) (string-length input))))
-        (send dc set-text-foreground color)
-        (send dc draw-text (string-append username ":" input) 0 height)
-        (set! listy (appendlist listy (list username input color height)))
-        (set! height (+ height 15))
-        (set! min-v-size (+ min-v-size 15))
-        (if (> (* 20 (string-length input)) min-h-size)
-            (set! min-h-size (* 20 (string-length input)))
-            '())
-        (send read-canvas init-auto-scrollbars min-h-size min-v-size 0 1)
-        ))
-    ;;Add a function that parces input from a string and extracts elements
-
-    ;;This probably won't change...
-    (define (send-message input color)
-      (user-message (string-append name "~" input "~" color)))
-    ;;Although re-draw is kind of misleading, it is just print the whole
-    ;;list of strings to the screen
-    (define (re-draw-message username input color in-height)
-      (begin
-        (send dc set-text-foreground color)
-        (send dc draw-text (string-append username ":" input) 0 in-height)
-        ))
-
-    (define (update given-list)
-      (begin (set! listy '())
-             (set! height 0)
-             (update-helper given-list)))
-
-    (define (update-helper given-list)
-      (if (null? given-list)
-          '()
-          (if (null? (car given-list))
-              '()
-              (begin (user-message
-                      (get-username-from-list (car given-list))
-                      (get-message-from-list (car given-list))
-                      (get-color-from-list (car given-list)))
-                     (update-helper (cdr given-list))))))
-    
-    ;;Variables go below functions
-    (define name "Me")
-    (define min-h-size 80)
-    (define min-v-size 30)
-    (define listy (list (list "Server" "Connected" "Red" 0)))
-    (define my-color "black")
-    (define height 15)
-    ;;dispatch goes below that
-    (define (dispatch command)
-      (cond ((eq? command 'show) (send main-frame show #t))
-            ((eq? command 'send) send-message)
-            ((eq? command 'set-name) (lambda (newname) (if (string? newname)
-                                                  (set! name newname)
-                                                  (print "Thats not good"))))
-            ((eq? command 'recieve-message) user-message)
-            ((eq? command 'get-list) listy)
-            ((eq? command 'set-list) update)
-            ;;Something up with that
-            (else (error "Invalid Request" command))
-            ))
-    ;;dispatch goes below that
-    dispatch))
-
-
-;This one displays information
-
-
-
-
-;Initilize scrolling
-
-;Then we need to find out if we need them or not.
-
-;Listy is going to be a list of lists of strings
-;each element in listy will contain three strings
-;the username the message they said and the color they used
-;The the height the message should display at
-
-
-(define (appendlist listoflist add-to-end)
-  (if (null? listoflist)
-      (cons add-to-end '())
-      (cons (car listoflist) (appendlist (cdr listoflist) add-to-end))))
-
-(define (get-username-from-list in-list)
-  (car in-list))
-
-(define (get-message-from-list in-list)
-  (car (cdr in-list)))
-
-(define (get-color-from-list in-list)
-  (car (cdr (cdr in-list))))
-
-(define (get-height-from-list in-list)
-  (car (cdr (cdr (cdr in-list)))))
-
-
-
-;this one is a crap version of justpressing the enter key
-(define (color-change-request? given-string)
-  (if (> (string-length given-string) 7)
-      (if (equal? (substring given-string 0 6) "/color")
-          #t
-          #f)
-      #f))
-
-(define (get-color-from-input given-string)
-  (substring given-string 7))
-;(define thing1 (make-gui))
-;(define thing2 (make-gui))
-
diff --git a/Hermes/TODO b/Hermes/TODO
index bbc2930..db51e46 100644
--- a/Hermes/TODO
+++ b/Hermes/TODO
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 FEATURES
 5. parser in the client side should do something similar (/color, /quit)
 16. plain tcp -> ssl based 
-17. fix breaks for improper disconnects from clients
+***17. fix breaks for improper disconnects from clients
 18. Add topics after project completion
 ** regexes to parse strings for different formats -related to 5
 ** align code better for readability
diff --git a/Hermes/client.rkt b/Hermes/client.rkt
index 9b4e658..91e9991 100644
--- a/Hermes/client.rkt
+++ b/Hermes/client.rkt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #lang racket
 
-(require "modules/general.rkt" "Hermes_Gui1.3.rkt")
+(require "modules/general.rkt" "GUI.rkt")
 (require math/base) ;; for random number generation
 ;; TODO clean up string message output and alignment
 ;; TODO close ports after done
@@ -10,13 +10,19 @@
 ;; notes: output may need to be aligned and formatted nicely
 
 
-; we will  prompt for these in the gui
+(define hermes-gui (make-gui)) ;; our gui
+((hermes-gui 'show))
+;(sleep 0.25)
+
+
 (define host3 "localhost")
 (define port-num 4321)
 (define sleep-t 0.1)
 
+(define hermes-gui-s (make-semaphore 1))
+
 ; we won't need this. Just me being overzealous
-(define hermes-conf (open-output-file "./hermes_client.conf" #:exists'append))
+(define hermes-conf (open-output-file "./hermes_client.conf" #:exists 'append))
 (define hermes-conf-s (make-semaphore 1))
 
 (define convs-out (open-output-file "./convs_client.out" #:exists 'append))
@@ -37,8 +43,16 @@
 
     ; store username to a file for later retrieval along with relevent
     ; info used for authentication with server
-    (displayln "What's your name?")
-    (define username (read-line))
+    ; TODO 
+    ; semaphore for gui object
+    ; could display a bubble and prompt for username in GUI object
+
+    ; create a gui object
+    ; (define hermes-gui (make-gui))
+    ; ((hermes-gui 'show))
+    ;(displayln "What's your name?")
+    ;(define username (read-line))
+    (define username ((hermes-gui 'get-username)))
 
     ;send the username to the server (username in out)
     (displayln username out)
@@ -59,11 +73,14 @@
                     (sleep sleep-t)
                     (loop)))))
     (displayln-safe "Now waiting for sender thread." error-out-s error-out)
-    (thread-wait t) ;; returns prompt back to drracket
+    ; (thread-wait t) ;; returns prompt back to drracket
+    )
+
+  (lambda ()
     (displayln-safe "Closing client ports." error-out-s error-out)
-    (close-input-port in)
-    (close-output-port out))
-    (custodian-shutdown-all main-client-cust))
+    ;(close-input-port in)
+    ;(close-output-port out)
+    (custodian-shutdown-all main-client-cust)))
 
 
 ;; sends a message to the server
@@ -78,18 +95,31 @@
                                     (number->string (date-second date-today))
                                     " | "))
   ;; read, quits when user types in "quit"
-  (define input (read-line))
+  ;; TODO read from GUI instead
+  ;(define input (read-line))
+  ;(semaphore-wait hermes-gui-s)
+  (define input ((hermes-gui 'get-message)))
+  ;(semaphore-post hermes-gui-s)
+  ; TODO prompt for color as well
+  
   ; TODO /quit instead of quit
-  (cond ((string=? input "quit")
+  (cond ((string=? input "/quit")
              (displayln (string-append date-print username " signing out. See ya!") out)
              (flush-output out)
              (close-output-port error-out)
              (close-output-port convs-out)
+             ;(custodian-shutdown-all main-client-cust)
              (exit)))
   
   (displayln (string-append date-print username ": " input) out)
   (flush-output out))
 
+; a wrap around to call ((hermes-gui 'send) zzz yyy) without complaints from
+; drracket
+(define send-to-gui
+  (lambda (message color)
+    ((hermes-gui 'send) message color)))
+
 ; receives input from server and displays it to stdout
 (define (receive-messages in)
   ; retrieve a message from server
@@ -101,9 +131,18 @@
          ;(exit)
          ]
         [(string? evt)
-         (displayln-safe evt convs-out-s convs-out)] ; could time stamp here or to send message
+            (displayln-safe evt convs-out-s convs-out)
+            ; TODO set color to current client if the message is from him
+            ; otherwise set it to the remote
+            ;(semaphore-wait hermes-gui-s)
+            (send-to-gui evt ((hermes-gui 'get-color)))
+            ;(semaphore-post hermes-gui-s)
+            ] ; could time stamp here or to send message
         [else
           (displayln-safe (string-append "Nothing received from server for 2 minutes.") convs-out-s convs-out)]))
 
 (displayln-safe "Starting client." error-out-s error-out)
 (define stop-client (client 4321))
+;(define stop-client (client 4321))
+; we will  prompt for these in the gui
+
diff --git a/Hermes/server.rkt b/Hermes/server.rkt
index 5eb634d..de615a5 100644
--- a/Hermes/server.rkt
+++ b/Hermes/server.rkt
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@
            (define list-count  (regexp-match #px"(.*)/list\\s+count\\s*" evt-t0)) ;; is client asking for number of logged in users
            (define list-users (regexp-match #px"(.*)/list\\s+users\\s*" evt-t0)) ;; user names
            ; do something whether it was a message, a whisper, request for number of users and so on
+           ; TODO if user doesn't exist handle it********
            (cond [whisper
                   (semaphore-wait connections-s)
                   ; get output port for user