diff --git a/stepmania/TODO.chris b/stepmania/TODO.chris
index 7205d02472..68e00b1a61 100644
--- a/stepmania/TODO.chris
+++ b/stepmania/TODO.chris
@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@
 Fix
 /////////////////////////
 
+Ready, here we go closer to start of notes
+
+off center backgrounds
+
+"How to Play" explanation with the freeze arrows nearly takes up the entire screen.
+
+KeepAlive doesn't fold during how to play
+
+"try extra stage" swoop instead of cleared
+
 Wow!  pngcrush takes off 50% on some of these paletted pngs.  I'll look into making a script that we can check into CVS and run periodically.
 
 disable modifiers in extra stage
diff --git a/stepmania/src/MenuElements.cpp b/stepmania/src/MenuElements.cpp
index 181bfe992a..2786bea287 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MenuElements.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/MenuElements.cpp
@@ -120,10 +120,13 @@ void MenuElements::TweenTopLayerOnScreen()
 	m_textHelp.SetTweenZoomY( fOriginalZoom );
 }
 
-void MenuElements::TweenOnScreenFromMenu( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone )
+void MenuElements::TweenOnScreenFromMenu( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone, bool bLeaveKeepAliveOn )
 {
 	TweenTopLayerOnScreen();
-	m_KeepAlive.OpenWipingRight( smSendWhenDone );
+	if( !bLeaveKeepAliveOn )
+		m_KeepAlive.OpenWipingRight( smSendWhenDone );
+	else
+		m_KeepAlive.SetClosed();
 	m_soundSwoosh.Play();
 }
 
@@ -170,7 +173,10 @@ void MenuElements::TweenOffScreenToMenu( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone )
 {
 	m_MenuTimer.StopTimer();
 	TweenTopLayerOffScreen();
-	m_KeepAlive.CloseWipingRight( smSendWhenDone );
+	if( !m_KeepAlive.IsClosed() )
+		m_KeepAlive.CloseWipingRight( smSendWhenDone );
+	else
+		SCREENMAN->SendMessageToTopScreen( smSendWhenDone, m_KeepAlive.GetTransitionTime() );
 	m_soundSwoosh.Play();
 }
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/MenuElements.h b/stepmania/src/MenuElements.h
index 57ce931c39..685fd1f8a2 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MenuElements.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/MenuElements.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public:
 	void DrawTopLayer();
 	void DrawBottomLayer();
 
-	void TweenOnScreenFromMenu( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone );
+	void TweenOnScreenFromMenu( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone, bool bLeaveKeepAliveOn = false );
 	void TweenOffScreenToMenu( ScreenMessage smSendWhenDone );
 	void ImmedOffScreenToMenu();
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp b/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
index 2d4c8989ef..2f6e110e45 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ScreenHowToPlay.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ ScreenHowToPlay::ScreenHowToPlay()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	m_Menu.TweenOnScreenFromMenu( SM_None );
+	m_Menu.TweenOnScreenFromMenu( SM_None, true );
 
 	CString sHowToPlayPath;
 	switch( GAMESTATE->m_PlayMode )
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ void ScreenHowToPlay::Update( float fDeltaTime )
 void ScreenHowToPlay::DrawPrimitives()
 {
 	m_Menu.DrawBottomLayer();
-	Screen::DrawPrimitives();
 	m_Menu.DrawTopLayer();
+	Screen::DrawPrimitives();	// draw How To Play graphic on top of all the others!
 }
 
 void ScreenHowToPlay::Input( const DeviceInput& DeviceI, const InputEventType type, const GameInput &GameI, const MenuInput &MenuI, const StyleInput &StyleI )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/StepMania.dsp b/stepmania/src/StepMania.dsp
index f0b034ab3d..d86f281f0a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/StepMania.dsp
+++ b/stepmania/src/StepMania.dsp
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ LINK32=link.exe
 # ADD LINK32 $(intdir)\verstub.obj /nologo /subsystem:windows /map /debug /machine:I386
 # Begin Special Build Tool
 IntDir=.\../Release6
-TargetDir=\temp\stepmania
+TargetDir=\stepmania\stepmania
 TargetName=StepMania
 SOURCE="$(InputPath)"
-PreLink_Cmds=disasm\verinc        	cl         /Zl         /nologo         /c         verstub.cpp         /Fo$(IntDir)\ 
+PreLink_Cmds=disasm\verinc         	cl          /Zl          /nologo          /c          verstub.cpp          /Fo$(IntDir)\ 
 PostBuild_Cmds=disasm\mapconv $(IntDir)\$(TargetName).map $(TargetDir)\StepMania.vdi ia32.vdi
 # End Special Build Tool
 
@@ -77,8 +77,7 @@ PostBuild_Cmds=disasm\mapconv $(IntDir)\$(TargetName).map $(TargetDir)\StepMania
 # PROP Ignore_Export_Lib 0
 # PROP Target_Dir ""
 # ADD BASE CPP /nologo /W3 /Gm /GX /ZI /Od /D "WIN32" /D "_DEBUG" /D "_WINDOWS" /D "_MBCS" /YX /FD /GZ /c
-# ADD CPP /nologo /MTd /W3 /Gm /GX /Zi /Od /D "WIN32" /D "_DEBUG" /D "_WINDOWS" /D "_MBCS" /D "DEBUG" /YX"stdafx.h" /FD /GZ /c
-# SUBTRACT CPP /Fr
+# ADD CPP /nologo /MTd /W3 /Gm /GX /Zi /Od /D "WIN32" /D "_DEBUG" /D "_WINDOWS" /D "_MBCS" /D "DEBUG" /Fr /YX"stdafx.h" /FD /GZ /c
 # ADD BASE MTL /nologo /D "_DEBUG" /mktyplib203 /win32
 # ADD MTL /nologo /D "_DEBUG" /mktyplib203 /win32
 # ADD BASE RSC /l 0x409 /d "_DEBUG"
@@ -92,10 +91,10 @@ LINK32=link.exe
 # SUBTRACT LINK32 /profile /incremental:no /nodefaultlib
 # Begin Special Build Tool
 IntDir=.\../Debug6
-TargetDir=\temp\stepmania
+TargetDir=\stepmania\stepmania
 TargetName=StepMania-debug
 SOURCE="$(InputPath)"
-PreLink_Cmds=disasm\verinc        	cl         /Zl         /nologo         /c         verstub.cpp         /Fo$(IntDir)\ 
+PreLink_Cmds=disasm\verinc         	cl          /Zl          /nologo          /c          verstub.cpp          /Fo$(IntDir)\ 
 PostBuild_Cmds=disasm\mapconv $(IntDir)\$(TargetName).map $(TargetDir)\StepMania.vdi ia32.vdi
 # End Special Build Tool
 
@@ -351,6 +350,10 @@ SOURCE=.\NotesLoaderSM.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
 
+SOURCE=.\NotesLoaderSM.h
+# End Source File
+# Begin Source File
+
 SOURCE=.\NotesWriterDWI.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
@@ -359,10 +362,6 @@ SOURCE=.\NotesWriterDWI.h
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
 
-SOURCE=.\NotesLoaderSM.h
-# End Source File
-# Begin Source File
-
 SOURCE=.\NoteTypes.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Transition.h b/stepmania/src/Transition.h
index 24e37603b5..0c744ff252 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Transition.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/Transition.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public:
 	bool IsClosing()	{ return m_TransitionState == closing_right  ||  m_TransitionState == closing_left; };
 
 	void SetTransitionTime( float fNewTransitionTime ) { m_fTransitionTime = fNewTransitionTime; };
+	float GetTransitionTime() { return m_fTransitionTime; };
 
 protected: