diff --git a/nicethings.rkt b/nicethings.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aee50c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nicethings.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+#lang racket
+
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+;; messages
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+(define messages
+  (hash
+  'not-found       "'~a' wasn't found"
+  'repair-prompt   "You will need it to use nicethings\nDo you want to create it? [y/n]"
+  'fake-file-found "The file '~a' was found. Please move this file somewhere else to use nicethings"
+  'not-a-command   "Error: '~a' is not a command"))
+
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+;; helpers
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+(define (displayln-for . strings)
+  (for ([string strings])
+    (displayln string)))
+
+(define-syntax-rule (displayln-format str ...)
+  (displayln (format str ...)))
+
+(define (messages-ref key)
+  (hash-ref messages key))
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+;; repair
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+(define (repair)
+  (let* ([dot-nicethings-string    ".nicethings"]
+         [home-directory           (find-system-path 'home-dir)]
+         [listof-home-contents     (directory-list home-directory)]
+         [dot-nicethings-path      (build-path home-directory dot-nicethings-string)])
+    (when (not (directory-exists? dot-nicethings-path))
+      (displayln-format (messages-ref 'not-found) dot-nicethings-path)
+      (displayln        (messages-ref 'repair-prompt))
+      ;; Check for a "fake" '.nicethings' directory,
+      ;; which is a file named '.nicethings'
+      (if (file-exists? dot-nicethings-path)
+          (displayln-format (messages-ref 'fake-file-found) dot-nicethings-path)
+          (make-directory dot-nicethings-path))
+      ;; TODO: check if file exists. basically the opposite of above
+      ;;       and then create the file
+      )))
+
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+;; random message
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+(define (random)
+  ;; (let* ([home                 (get-environment-variable "HOME")]
+  ;;        [listof-home-contents (directory home #t)])
+  (repair))
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+;; help
+;; ------------------------------------------------
+(define (help)
+  (displayln-for
+   "Usage:"
+   "  town nicethings [<command>] [<args>]"
+   ""
+   "Commands:"
+   "  No command - Print a random message"
+   "  add        - Add a message to the list of messages"
+   "  ls         - Print a numbered list of the messages you have added"
+   "  rm         - Remove a message from the list of messages"
+   ""
+   "Examples:"
+   "  town nicethings"
+   "  town add \"You are beautiful\""
+   "  town ls"
+   "  town rm 2"))
+
+(define (process-args vectorof-args)
+  (match vectorof-args
+    [(or (vector "-h")
+         (vector "--help")
+         (vector "help"))  (help)]
+    [(vector "add" _)      (displayln "todo: make add procedure")]
+    [(vector "ls")         (displayln "todo: make ls procedure")]
+    [(vector "rm" _)       (displayln "todo: make rm procedure")]
+    [(vector _)            (displayln-format (messages-ref 'not-a-command) (vector-ref vectorof-args 0))]
+    [_                     (random)]))
+
+(define (main vectorof-args)
+  (process-args vectorof-args))
+
+(main (current-command-line-arguments))