diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index a13fe0d..82a9ced 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import gh_gsql_req as ghs
 
 def main():
     # we should discuss whether we're using the 93 day window that seems to be widely used or if we want a longer window
-    early_cutoff = dt.datetime(2013,11, 6)
+    early_cutoff = dt.datetime(2013,11, 8)
     print("Earliest date examined: " + str(early_cutoff))
     #largest_object = {}
     #manifest = '../kaylea_dissertation/lifecycle/package_metadata/jupyter-notebook_manifest.yaml'
@@ -57,35 +57,38 @@ def get_everything(manifest_path, early_cutoff):
             #below lines will probably need to be refactored as tasks expand
             vcs_path = config['Upstream_VCS']
             print("------------------")
-            #print(vcs_path)
-            repo_path = vcs_path[0]
-            largest_object[repo_path] = {}
-            largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"] = pt.main(vcs_path, early_cutoff)
-            if len(largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]) == 0:
-                print("PERCEVAL ERROR")
-                del largest_object[repo_path]
-                return
-            largest_object[repo_path]["gha_obj"] = gha.main(vcs_path, early_cutoff)
-            '''
-            if largest_object[repo_path]["gha_obj"]['milestone_count'] == 0:
-                #del largest_object[repo_path]
-                #return
-                #this is to ensure that projects which don't use milestones are counted
-                largest_object[repo_path]["gha_obj"]['milestone_count'] = 0.1
-            largest_object[repo_path]['new_mmt'] = compute_new_mmt(largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['contributors'], largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['collaborators'])
-            #print('New MMT: ' + str(largest_object[repo_path]['new_mmt']))
-            largest_object[repo_path]['old_mmt'] = compute_old_mmt(largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['contributors'], largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['collaborators'])
-            #print('Old MMT: ' + str(largest_object[repo_path]['old_mmt']))
-            #new mmt formality score
-            largest_object[repo_path]['new_formality'] = compute_formality_score(largest_object[repo_path]['new_mmt'], largest_object[repo_path]["gha_obj"]['milestone_count'], largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['age_of_project'])
-            print(largest_object[repo_path]['new_formality'])
-            '''
-            # testing out beneath:
-            largest_object[repo_path]['ghs_obj'] = ghs.main(vcs_path, early_cutoff)
-            #print(ghs_obj["time_cleaned_comm"])
-            repo_uri_list = repo_path.split('/')
-            with open('/data/users/mgaughan/kkex_data_110823/' + repo_uri_list[-2]  + '_' + repo_uri_list[-1] + '_result.json', 'w') as data_path:
-                json.dump(largest_object[repo_path], data_path)
+            #print(vcs_path) return
+            try:
+                repo_path = vcs_path[0]
+                largest_object[repo_path] = {}
+                largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"] = pt.main(vcs_path, early_cutoff)
+                if len(largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]) == 0:
+                    print("PERCEVAL ERROR")
+                    del largest_object[repo_path]
+                    return
+                largest_object[repo_path]["gha_obj"] = gha.main(vcs_path, early_cutoff)
+                '''
+                if largest_object[repo_path]["gha_obj"]['milestone_count'] == 0:
+                    #del largest_object[repo_path]
+                    #return
+                    #this is to ensure that projects which don't use milestones are counted
+                    largest_object[repo_path]["gha_obj"]['milestone_count'] = 0.1
+                largest_object[repo_path]['new_mmt'] = compute_new_mmt(largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['contributors'], largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['collaborators'])
+                #print('New MMT: ' + str(largest_object[repo_path]['new_mmt']))
+                largest_object[repo_path]['old_mmt'] = compute_old_mmt(largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['contributors'], largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['collaborators'])
+                #print('Old MMT: ' + str(largest_object[repo_path]['old_mmt']))
+                #new mmt formality score
+                largest_object[repo_path]['new_formality'] = compute_formality_score(largest_object[repo_path]['new_mmt'], largest_object[repo_path]["gha_obj"]['milestone_count'], largest_object[repo_path]["perceval_obj"]['age_of_project'])
+                print(largest_object[repo_path]['new_formality'])
+                '''
+                # testing out beneath:
+                largest_object[repo_path]['ghs_obj'] = ghs.main(vcs_path, early_cutoff)
+                #print(ghs_obj["time_cleaned_comm"])
+                repo_uri_list = repo_path.split('/')
+                with open('/data/users/mgaughan/kkex_data_110823_1/' + repo_uri_list[-2]  + '_' + repo_uri_list[-1] + '_result.json', 'w') as data_path:
+                    json.dump(largest_object[repo_path], data_path)
+            except:
+                print("miscellanea error in the main body")
         except yaml.YAMLError as err:
             print(err)
     print("----------------------")
diff --git a/perceval_tasks.py b/perceval_tasks.py
index 519c079..d398a36 100644
--- a/perceval_tasks.py
+++ b/perceval_tasks.py
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ def main(vcs_path, begin_date):
 # this is the primary function for getting the list of commits from perceval
 def get_perceval_log(vcs_path, begin_date):
     print(vcs_path)
-    repo_dir = '/data/users/mgaughan/tmp/' + str(vcs_path[0].split('/')[-1])
     try:
+        repo_dir = '/data/users/mgaughan/tmp/' + str(vcs_path[0].split('/')[-1])
         #gitpath=repo_dir
         repo = Git(uri=vcs_path[0], gitpath=repo_dir)
         # this is a temporary date_from, will need to be more inclusive in the future