diff --git a/lib/backbone.localStorage-min.js b/lib/backbone.localStorage-min.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..577f6cf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/backbone.localStorage-min.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+/**
+ * Backbone localStorage Adapter
+ * https://github.com/jeromegn/Backbone.localStorage
+ */(function(){function c(){return((1+Math.random())*65536|0).toString(16).substring(1)}function d(){return c()+c()+"-"+c()+"-"+c()+"-"+c()+"-"+c()+c()+c()}var a=this._,b=this.Backbone;b.LocalStorage=window.Store=function(a){this.name=a;var b=this.localStorage().getItem(this.name);this.records=b&&b.split(",")||[]},a.extend(b.LocalStorage.prototype,{save:function(){this.localStorage().setItem(this.name,this.records.join(","))},create:function(a){return a.id||(a.id=d(),a.set(a.idAttribute,a.id)),this.localStorage().setItem(this.name+"-"+a.id,JSON.stringify(a)),this.records.push(a.id.toString()),this.save(),a.toJSON()},update:function(b){return this.localStorage().setItem(this.name+"-"+b.id,JSON.stringify(b)),a.include(this.records,b.id.toString())||this.records.push(b.id.toString()),this.save(),b.toJSON()},find:function(a){return JSON.parse(this.localStorage().getItem(this.name+"-"+a.id))},findAll:function(){return a(this.records).chain().map(function(a){return JSON.parse(this.localStorage().getItem(this.name+"-"+a))},this).compact().value()},destroy:function(b){return this.localStorage().removeItem(this.name+"-"+b.id),this.records=a.reject(this.records,function(a){return a==b.id.toString()}),this.save(),b},localStorage:function(){return localStorage}}),b.LocalStorage.sync=window.Store.sync=b.localSync=function(a,b,c,d){var e=b.localStorage||b.collection.localStorage;typeof c=="function"&&(c={success:c,error:d});var f,g=$.Deferred&&$.Deferred();switch(a){case"read":f=b.id!=undefined?e.find(b):e.findAll();break;case"create":f=e.create(b);break;case"update":f=e.update(b);break;case"delete":f=e.destroy(b)}return f?(c.success(f),g&&g.resolve()):(c.error("Record not found"),g&&g.reject()),g&&g.promise()},b.ajaxSync=b.sync,b.getSyncMethod=function(a){return a.localStorage||a.collection&&a.collection.localStorage?b.localSync:b.ajaxSync},b.sync=function(a,c,d,e){return b.getSyncMethod(c).apply(this,[a,c,d,e])}})();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/git.js b/src/git.js
index af332dd3..3e235904 100644
--- a/src/git.js
+++ b/src/git.js
@@ -314,8 +314,31 @@ GitEngine.prototype.acceptNoGeneralArgs = function() {
   }
 };
 
-GitEngine.prototype.validateArgBounds = function(args, lower, upper) {
-  // TODO
+GitEngine.prototype.validateArgBounds = function(args, lower, upper, option) {
+  // this is a little utility class to help arg validation that happens over and over again
+  var what = 'with ' + (option === undefined) ?
+    'git ' + this.command.get('method') :
+    this.command.get('method') + ' ' + option + ' ';
+
+  if (args.length < lower) {
+    throw new GitError({
+      msg: 'I expect at least ' + String(lower) + ' argument(s) ' + what
+    });
+  }
+  if (args.length > upper) {
+    throw new GitError({
+      msg: 'I expect at most ' + String(upper) + ' argument(s) ' + what
+    });
+  }
+};
+
+GitEngine.prototype.twoArgsImpliedHead = function(args, option) {
+  // our args we expect to be between 1 and 2
+  this.validateArgBounds(args, 1, 2, option);
+  // and if it's one, add a HEAD to the back
+  if (args.length == 1) {
+    args.push('HEAD');
+  }
 };
 
 GitEngine.prototype.revertStarter = function() {
@@ -1012,45 +1035,20 @@ GitEngine.prototype.branchStarter = function() {
 
   if (this.commandOptions['-f']) {
     var args = this.commandOptions['-f'];
-    if (args.length < 1) {
-      throw new GitError({
-        msg: 'Give me an argument with -f so I know which branch to force!'
-      });
-    }
-
-    if (args.length > 2) {
-      throw new GitError({
-        msg: 'Too many args for -f'
-      });
-    }
-
-    if (args.length == 1) {
-      args.push('HEAD');
-    }
+    this.twoArgsImpliedHead(args, '-f');
 
     // we want to force a branch somewhere
     this.forceBranch(args[0], args[1]);
     return;
   }
 
-  var len = this.generalArgs.length;
-  if (len > 2) {
-    throw new GitError({
-      msg: 'git branch with more than two general args does not make sense!'
-    });
-  }
 
-
-  if (len == 0) {
+  if (this.generalArgs.length == 0) {
     this.printBranches();
     return;
   }
-  
-  if (len == 1) {
-    // making a branch from where we are now
-    this.generalArgs.push('HEAD');
-  }
 
+  this.twoArgsImpliedHead(this.generalArgs);
   this.branch(this.generalArgs[0], this.generalArgs[1]);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/index.html b/src/index.html
index 3f1d439e..301d99fe 100644
--- a/src/index.html
+++ b/src/index.html
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
   <script src="../lib/jquery-1.8.0.min.js"></script>
   <script src="../lib/underscore-min.js"></script>
   <script src="../lib/backbone-min.js"></script>
+  <script src="../lib/backbone.localStorage-min.js"></script>
   <script src="../lib/raphael-min.js"></script>
 
   <!-- Templates -->
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index d358ca85..344329cb 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ Big Graphic things:
 
 Medium things:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- Rebuilding trees from a JSON snapshot / blob. this should be easy... i think. if we remove the need for parents
-- gitEngine loads from tree immediately, not the weird thing we have now
+- gitEngine loads from tree immediately, not the weird thing we have now!
 
 Small things to implement:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~