diff --git a/src/App.js b/src/App.js
index 2cbe392..7a907b8 100644
--- a/src/App.js
+++ b/src/App.js
@@ -16,15 +16,16 @@ const api = process.env.REACT_APP_API || 'http://localhost:1337'
 console.log('Using api at ' + api)
 
 const defaultState = {
-  user: { name: 'Scott' },
   loading: true,
+  user: { name: 'Scott' },
   tasks: [],
+  projects: [],
+  component: 'projects',
+  // TODO try to get rid of:
   search: '',
   newTask: '',
   newProject: '',
   project: {},
-  projects: [],
-  component: 'projects',
 }
 
 class App extends React.Component {
@@ -89,6 +90,10 @@ class App extends React.Component {
 
   async addTask(e) {
     e.preventDefault()
+    if (!this.state.selectedProjectId) {
+      alert('No project selected, silly!')
+      return
+    }
     const newTask = {
       desc: this.state.newTask,
       projectName: this.state.projects.find(
@@ -124,11 +129,10 @@ class App extends React.Component {
 
   async updateTask(e, updatedTask) {
     e.preventDefault()
-    console.log('updatedTask:', updatedTask)
-    const oldTask = this.state.tasks.find(
-      t => t.id === this.state.selectedTaskId,
-    )
+    //console.log('updatedTask:', updatedTask)
+    const oldTask = this.state.tasks.find(t => t.id === updatedTask.id)
     if (JSON.stringify(oldTask) === JSON.stringify(updatedTask)) return
+    updatedTask['projectId'] = parseInt(updatedTask.projectId)
     try {
       const { data, error } = await axios.put(
         api + `/api/tasks/${oldTask.id}`,
@@ -271,14 +275,9 @@ class App extends React.Component {
       console.log('Trying to update user profile: ', user)
       if (error) {
         alert('Received error when updating user profile: ', error)
-      } else if (data.desc && data.projectId) {
+      } else if (data) {
+        this.setState({ user: data })
         console.log('Successfully updated user profile:', data)
-        // TODO        this.setState({ tasks: this.state.tasks.concat(data), newTask: '' })
-      } else {
-        console.log(
-          'Received malformed data when updating user profile: ',
-          data,
-        )
       }
     } catch (e) {
       alert(`Updating user profile failed: ${e}`)
diff --git a/src/components/task-row.js b/src/components/task-row.js
index fe82fd8..4c4685f 100644
--- a/src/components/task-row.js
+++ b/src/components/task-row.js
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react'
 
 const TaskRow = props => {
   const { task } = props
-  const project = props.projects.find(p => p.id === task.projectId) || 'None'
-  const projectName = project.name || 'None'
+  const project = props.projects.find(p => p.id === task.projectId)
   return (
     <li className="list-group-item" key={task.id} onClick={props.editTask}>
       <button
@@ -14,12 +13,14 @@ const TaskRow = props => {
       </button>
 
       <span onClick={() => props.selectTask(task.id)}>{task.desc}</span>
-      {props.component === 'project' ? null : (
+      {props.component === 'project' ? (
+        ''
+      ) : (
         <button
           className="btn btn-outline-dark ml-5"
           onClick={() => props.selectProject(task.projectId)}
         >
-          {projectName}
+          {project.name}
         </button>
       )}
 
diff --git a/src/components/update-task.js b/src/components/update-task.js
index dcd2748..7801107 100644
--- a/src/components/update-task.js
+++ b/src/components/update-task.js
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ class UpdateTask extends React.Component {
   }
 
   render() {
-    console.log('inside of the task form: ', this.state)
     const oldDesc = this.props.tasks.find(t => t.id === this.state.id)['desc']
     return (
       <div>
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ class UpdateTask extends React.Component {
             <div className="col-sm-10">
               <select
                 className="form-control col-sm-6"
-                name="taskNewProjectId"
+                name="projectId"
                 onChange={this.handleChange}
                 defaultValue={this.state.projectId}
               >