diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2e22c6d..b6dcbb1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,2 +1,61 @@
 # botany
-command line virtual plant buddy
+
+by Jake Funke - jifunks@gmail.com - tilde.town/~curiouser -
+http://jakefunke.online/
+
+A command line, realtime, community plant buddy.
+
+You've been given a seed that will grow into a beautiful plant.
+Check in and water your plant every 24h to keep it growing. 5 days without water = death. Your plant depends on you to live!
+
+*(work in progress)*
+
+## getting started
+botany is designed for unix-based systems. Clone into a local directory using
+`git clone https://github.com/jifunks/botany.git`. Run with `python
+botany.py`. Water your seed to get started. You can come and go as you please
+and your plant continues to grow. Make sure to come back and water every 24 hours or your plant won't grow.
+If your plant goes 5 days without water, it will die!
+
+## features
+* Beautiful curses-based menu system
+* Persistent aging system that allows your plant to grow even when app is closed
+* Community leaderboard (for shared unix servers) created in program directory `garden_file.json`
+* Data file is created in your home (~) directory, along with a JSON file that you can use in your own apps.
+```
+{
+"description":"common singing blue seed-bearing poppy",
+"file_name":"/Users/jakefunke/.botany/jakefunke_plant.dat",
+"age":"0d:2h:3m:16s",
+"score":1730,
+"owner":"jakefunke",
+"is_dead":false,
+"last_watered":1489113197
+}
+```
+
+###testing features
+* *In current alpha status, you can kill your plant with the kill command. This is permanent!*
+* *Plant lifecycle is currently extremely short for testing - bear with me!*
+
+###to-dos
+* Add ASCII plant display
+* Add plant inspection ('look' function)
+* Add garden display ('garden' function)
+ * Show other plants living in neighborhood
+ * Allows you to water plants
+* Plant end of life (seeding/pollination
+ * Plant pollination - cross-breed with neighbor plants to unlock second-gen plants
+* Global events
+ * Server API to have rain storms, heat waves, insects
+
+
+## requirements
+* Unix-based OS (Mac, Linux)
+* Python 2.x
+
+## credits
+* thank you tilde.town for inspiration!
+* Thank you @etkirsch for [this
+gist](https://gist.github.com/etkirsch/53505478f53aeeac24a5) - python curses
+can be nightmarish!
diff --git a/botany.py b/botany.py
index d7c7918..dad1886 100644
--- a/botany.py
+++ b/botany.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ from menu_screen import *
 #     myscreen.getch()
 #
 #     curses.endwin()
-
+# TODO: garden file json should be prettier.
 
 class Plant(object):
     # This is your plant!
diff --git a/menu_screen.pyc b/menu_screen.pyc
deleted file mode 100644
index 26c648c..0000000
Binary files a/menu_screen.pyc and /dev/null differ