diff --git a/src/influx.rs b/src/influx.rs
index 4f7bf6b..109a405 100644
--- a/src/influx.rs
+++ b/src/influx.rs
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 //! 
 
 use std::iter::FromIterator;
-use std::io::Read;
+use std::io::{Write, Read};
 use std::sync::mpsc::{Sender, Receiver, channel};
 use std::thread;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::fs::{self, OpenOptions};
 
 use hyper::status::StatusCode;
 use hyper::client::response::Response;
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@ use chrono::{DateTime, Utc, TimeZone};
 use super::nanos;
 use warnings::Warning;
 
-const WRITER_ADDR: &'static str = "ipc://mm-influx";
+const WRITER_ADDR: &'static str = "ipc:///tmp/mm/influx";
 //const WRITER_ADDR: &'static str = "tcp://127.0.0.1:17853";
 const DB_NAME: &'static str = "mm";
 const DB_HOST: &'static str = "http://localhost:8086/write";
@@ -39,9 +41,8 @@ pub fn push(ctx: &zmq::Context) -> Result<zmq::Socket, zmq::Error> {
 }
 
 fn escape(s: &str) -> String {
-    s
-        .replace(" ", "\\ ")
-        .replace(",", "\\,")
+    s.replace(" ", "\\ ")
+     .replace(",", "\\,")
 }
 
 fn as_string(s: &str) -> String {
@@ -130,24 +131,53 @@ pub fn serialize(measurement: &Measurement, line: &mut String) {
     }
 }
 
+pub fn serialize_owned(measurement: &OwnedMeasurement, line: &mut String) {
+    line.push_str(&escape(measurement.key));
 
-pub fn writer(warnings: Sender<Warning>) -> thread::JoinHandle<()> {
+    for (tag, value) in measurement.tags.iter() {
+        line.push_str(",");
+        line.push_str(&escape(tag));
+        line.push_str("=");
+        line.push_str(&escape(value));
+    }
 
-    let ctx = zmq::Context::new();
+    let mut was_spaced = false;
 
-    let socket = pull(&ctx).expect("influx::writer failed to create pull socket");
+    for (field, value) in measurement.fields.iter() {
+        line.push_str({if !was_spaced { was_spaced = true; " " } else { "," }});
+        line.push_str(&escape(field));
+        line.push_str("=");
 
-    let url = Url::parse_with_params(DB_HOST, &[("db", DB_NAME), ("precision", "ns")]).expect("influx writer url should parse");
+        match value {
+            &OwnedValue::String(ref s)  => line.push_str(&as_string(s)),
+            &OwnedValue::Integer(ref i) => line.push_str(&as_integer(i)),
+            &OwnedValue::Float(ref f)   => line.push_str(&as_float(f)),
+            &OwnedValue::Boolean(ref b) => line.push_str(as_boolean(b))
+        };
+    }
 
-    let client = Client::new();
+    match measurement.timestamp {
+        Some(t) => {
+            line.push_str(" ");
+            line.push_str(&t.to_string());
+        }
+        _ => {}
+    }
+}
 
-    let mut buf = String::with_capacity(4096);
 
-    let mut server_resp = String::with_capacity(4096);
 
-    let mut count = 0;
 
+pub fn writer(warnings: Sender<Warning>) -> thread::JoinHandle<()> {
     thread::spawn(move || {
+        let _ = fs::create_dir("/tmp/mm");
+        let ctx = zmq::Context::new();
+        let socket = pull(&ctx).expect("influx::writer failed to create pull socket");
+        let url = Url::parse_with_params(DB_HOST, &[("db", DB_NAME), ("precision", "ns")]).expect("influx writer url should parse");
+        let client = Client::new();
+        let mut buf = String::with_capacity(4096);
+        let mut server_resp = String::with_capacity(4096);
+        let mut count = 0;
         loop {
             if let Ok(bytes) = socket.recv_bytes(0) {
                 if let Ok(msg) = String::from_utf8(bytes) {
@@ -171,18 +201,11 @@ pub fn writer(warnings: Sender<Warning>) -> thread::JoinHandle<()> {
                                 Ok(Response { status, .. }) if status == StatusCode::NoContent => {}
 
                                 Ok(mut resp) =>  {
-                                    //let mut body = String::with_capacity(4096);
-                                    //let _ = 
                                     resp.read_to_string(&mut server_resp); //.unwrap_or(0);
-                                    //println!("Influx write error: Server responded {} (sent '{}' to {}):\n{}", 
-                                    //warnings.send(Warning::Error(buf.clone()));
-                                    //print!("\n\n\n\n\n{}", buf);
                                     warnings.send(
                                         Warning::Error(
                                             format!("Influx server: {}", server_resp)));
                                     server_resp.clear();
-
-                                    //resp.status, String::from_utf8_lossy(&bytes), url, body);
                                 }
 
                                 Err(why) => {
@@ -201,6 +224,143 @@ pub fn writer(warnings: Sender<Warning>) -> thread::JoinHandle<()> {
     })
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub enum OwnedValue {
+    String(String),
+    Float(f64),
+    Integer(i64),
+    Boolean(bool)
+}
+
+pub struct OwnedMeasurement {
+    pub key: &'static str,
+    pub timestamp: Option<i64>,
+    pub fields: HashMap<&'static str, OwnedValue>,
+    pub tags: HashMap<&'static str, &'static str>
+}
+
+impl OwnedMeasurement {
+    pub fn new(key: &'static str) -> Self {
+        OwnedMeasurement {
+            key,
+            timestamp: None,
+            fields: HashMap::new(),
+            tags: HashMap::new()
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn add_tag(mut self, key: &'static str, value: &'static str) -> Self {
+        self.tags.insert(key, value);
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn add_field(mut self, key: &'static str, value: OwnedValue) -> Self {
+        self.fields.insert(key, value);
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_timestamp(mut self, timestamp: i64) -> Self {
+        self.timestamp = Some(timestamp);
+        self
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn dur_nanos(d: ::std::time::Duration) -> i64 {
+    (d.as_secs() * 1_000_000_000_u64 + (d.subsec_nanos() as u64)) as i64
+}
+
+//pub fn now() -> i64 { ::latency::dt_nanos(Utc::now()) }
+
+/// exactly like `writer`, but also returns a `Sender<Measurement>` and accepts
+/// incoming `Measurement`s that way *in addition* to the old socket/`String`
+/// method
+///
+pub fn writer_str_or_meas(warnings: Sender<Warning>) -> (thread::JoinHandle<()>, Sender<OwnedMeasurement>) {
+    let (tx, rx) = channel();
+    let thread = thread::spawn(move || {
+        let _ = fs::create_dir("/tmp/mm");
+        let ctx = zmq::Context::new();
+        let socket = pull(&ctx).expect("influx::writer failed to create pull socket");
+        let url = Url::parse_with_params(DB_HOST, &[("db", DB_NAME), ("precision", "ns")]).expect("influx writer url should parse");
+        let client = Client::new();
+        let mut meas_buf = String::with_capacity(4096);
+        let mut buf = String::with_capacity(4096);
+        let mut server_resp = String::with_capacity(4096);
+        let mut count = 0;
+
+        let next = |prev: u8, s: &str, buf: &mut String| -> u8 {
+            match prev {
+                0 => { 
+                    buf.push_str(s);
+                    1
+                }
+                n @ 1...40 => {
+                    buf.push_str("\n");
+                    buf.push_str(s);
+                    n + 1
+                }
+                _ => {
+                    buf.push_str("\n");
+                    buf.push_str(s);
+                    match client.post(url.clone())
+                                .body(buf.as_str())
+                                .send() {
+
+                        Ok(Response { status, .. }) if status == StatusCode::NoContent => {}
+
+                        Ok(mut resp) =>  {
+                            let mut server_resp = String::with_capacity(1024);
+                            server_resp.push_str(&format!("sent at {}:\n", Utc::now()));
+                            server_resp.push_str(&buf);
+                            server_resp.push_str("\nreceived:\n");
+                            resp.read_to_string(&mut server_resp); //.unwrap_or(0);
+                            OpenOptions::new()
+                                .create(true)
+                                .append(true)
+                                .open("/home/jstrong/src/market-maker/influx-errors.txt")
+                                .map_err(|e| {
+                                    warnings.send(Warning::Error(format!("failed to save influx error: {}", e)));
+                                }).map(|mut file| {
+                                    write!(file, "{}", server_resp);
+                                });
+                            server_resp.truncate(120);
+                            warnings.send(
+                                Warning::Error(
+                                    format!("Influx server: {}", server_resp)));
+                        }
+
+                        Err(why) => {
+                            warnings.send(
+                                Warning::Error(
+                                    format!("Influx write error: {}", why)));
+                        }
+                    }
+                    buf.clear();
+                    0
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
+        loop {
+            rx.try_recv()
+                .map(|meas| {
+                    serialize_owned(&meas, &mut meas_buf);
+                    count = next(count, &meas_buf, &mut buf);
+                    meas_buf.clear();
+                });
+
+            socket.recv_bytes(0).ok()
+                .and_then(|bytes| {
+                    String::from_utf8(bytes).ok()
+                }).map(|s| {
+                    count = next(count, &s, &mut buf);
+                });
+        }
+    });
+    (thread, tx)
+}
+
+
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
@@ -270,4 +430,40 @@ mod tests {
 
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn it_serializes_a_hard_to_serialize_message_from_owned() {
+        let raw = r#"error encountered trying to send krkn order: Other("Failed to send http request: Other("Resource temporarily unavailable (os error 11)")")"#;
+        let mut buf = String::new();
+        let mut server_resp = String::new();
+        let mut m = OwnedMeasurement::new("rust_test")
+            .add_field("s", OwnedValue::String(raw.to_string()))
+            .set_timestamp(now());
+        serialize_owned(&m, &mut buf);
+        println!("{}", buf);
+        buf.push_str("\n");
+        let buf_copy = buf.clone();
+        buf.push_str(&buf_copy);
+        println!("{}", buf);
+
+        let url = Url::parse_with_params(DB_HOST, &[("db", DB_NAME), ("precision", "ns")]).expect("influx writer url should parse");
+        let client = Client::new();
+        match client.post(url.clone())
+                    .body(&buf)
+                    .send() {
+
+            Ok(Response { status, .. }) if status == StatusCode::NoContent => {}
+
+            Ok(mut resp) =>  {
+                resp.read_to_string(&mut server_resp); //.unwrap_or(0);
+                panic!("{}", server_resp);
+            }
+
+            Err(why) => {
+                panic!(why)
+            }
+        }
+
+    }
+
+
 }
diff --git a/src/latency.rs b/src/latency.rs
index 084e578..17803ba 100644
--- a/src/latency.rs
+++ b/src/latency.rs
@@ -239,9 +239,9 @@ impl LatencyManager<WTen> {
             let mut plnx_priv = DurationWindow::new(w.duration());
             let mut plnx_order = DurationWindow::new(w.duration());
 
-            /// yes I am intentionally breaking from the hard-typed duration
-            /// window ... that was a stupid idea
-            ///
+            // yes I am intentionally breaking from the hard-typed duration
+            // window ... that was a stupid idea
+            //
             let mut krkn_trade_30 = DurationWindow::new(Duration::from_secs(30));
             let mut krkn_trade_300 = DurationWindow::new(Duration::from_secs(300));
             //let mut gdax_ws_nolock = DurationWindow::new(w.duration());