diff --git a/app/db/src/app/app-routing.module.ts b/app/db/src/app/app-routing.module.ts
index c6dc2ff8..baded72a 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/app-routing.module.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/app-routing.module.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
 import { Routes, RouterModule } from '@angular/router';
 import { SearchPage } from './pages/search/search.page';
 import { SavedPagesAdminPage } from './pages/saved-pages-admin/saved-pages-admin.page';
-import { HelpPage } from './components/help/help.page';
 
 const routes: Routes = [
   {
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/app.component.html b/app/db/src/app/app.component.html
index e66fe055..e312ec0e 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/app.component.html
+++ b/app/db/src/app/app.component.html
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@
     >
       <mat-toolbar>Pages</mat-toolbar>
       <mat-nav-list>
-        <a
-          *ngFor="let p of mainPages$ | async"
-          mat-list-item
-          [routerLink]="[p.route]"
-          ><mat-icon color="accenovert">{{ p.icon }}</mat-icon> {{ p.title }}</a
+        <a mat-list-item [routerLink]="['search']"
+          ><mat-icon color="accenovert">search</mat-icon> Search</a
+        >
+        <a mat-list-item [routerLink]="['saved', 'admin']"
+          ><mat-icon color="accenovert">library_books</mat-icon> Page Admin</a
         >
         <a mat-list-item (click)="showHelp()"
           ><mat-icon color="accenovert">help</mat-icon>Help</a
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/app.component.ts b/app/db/src/app/app.component.ts
index deac3f87..e8fe362c 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/app.component.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/app.component.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import { MatDialog } from '@angular/material/dialog';
 })
 export class AppComponent extends SubscriberBase implements AfterViewInit {
   savedPages$ = this.appService.select((state) => (state.savedPages === null ? null : state.savedPages.value));
-  mainPages$ = this.appService.select((state) => state.mainPages);
   fontSize$ = this.appService.select((state) => state.displaySettings.value.cardFontSize + 'pt');
   cardFont$ = this.appService.select((state) => state.displaySettings.value.cardFontFamily);
   error$ = this.appService.select((state) => state.error);
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/components/words/words-card.component.html b/app/db/src/app/components/words/words-card.component.html
index ef182d2d..8d1a26ee 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/components/words/words-card.component.html
+++ b/app/db/src/app/components/words/words-card.component.html
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@
     <mat-icon>cancel</mat-icon>
   </button>
 </div>
-<div class="card-content" *ngIf="cardItem" #words>
+<div
+  class="card-content"
+  *ngIf="cardItem && cardItem.data && cardItem.data.refs"
+  #words
+>
   <span *ngFor="let ref of cardItem.data.refs" class="passage-button-wrapper"
     ><a class="passage-button" (click)="openPassage(ref)">{{
       makePassage(ref)
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/constants.ts b/app/db/src/app/constants.ts
index 03e77081..19328708 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/constants.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/constants.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,3 @@
-export const PageTitles = {
-  Search: 'Search',
-  PageAdmin: 'Page Admin',
-  Help: 'Help',
-};
-
-export const PageIcons = {
-  Search: 'search',
-  PageAdmin: 'library_books',
-  Help: 'help',
-};
-
 export const CardIcons = {
   Words: 'font_download',
   Passage: 'menu_book',
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/models/app-state.ts b/app/db/src/app/models/app-state.ts
index 4b386495..c6b00770 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/models/app-state.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/models/app-state.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { IStorable } from '../common/storable';
 import { NoteItem } from './note-state';
 import { Overlap } from '../common/bible-reference';
 import { CardItem, CardIcons } from './card-state';
-import { SavedPage, Page } from './page-state';
+import { SavedPage } from './page-state';
 
 export interface AppState {
   readonly currentSavedPage: SavedPage;
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ export interface AppState {
   readonly displaySettings: IStorable<DisplaySettings>;
   readonly pageSettings: IStorable<PageSettings>;
   readonly savedPagesLoaded: boolean;
-  readonly mainPages: readonly Page[];
   readonly cards: readonly CardItem[];
   readonly autocomplete: readonly string[];
   readonly error: Error;
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/models/page-state.ts b/app/db/src/app/models/page-state.ts
index f20716d3..9c4092e9 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/models/page-state.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/models/page-state.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,3 @@ export interface SavedPage {
   readonly title: string;
   readonly id: string;
 }
-
-export class Page {
-  readonly title: string;
-  readonly icon?: string;
-  readonly route: string;
-}
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/pages/saved-pages-admin/saved-pages-admin.page.ts b/app/db/src/app/pages/saved-pages-admin/saved-pages-admin.page.ts
index 8d5a5dc8..fa16c068 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/pages/saved-pages-admin/saved-pages-admin.page.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/pages/saved-pages-admin/saved-pages-admin.page.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
-import { MatDialog } from '@angular/material/dialog';
 import { AppService } from '../../services/app.service';
 import { NavService } from '../../services/nav.service';
 import { SubscriberBase } from '../../common/subscriber-base';
@@ -12,9 +11,11 @@ import { SubscriberBase } from '../../common/subscriber-base';
 export class SavedPagesAdminPage extends SubscriberBase implements OnInit {
   savedPages$ = this.appService.select((state) => (state.savedPages === null ? null : state.savedPages.value));
 
-  constructor(public navService: NavService, private appService: AppService, private dialog: MatDialog) {
+  constructor(public navService: NavService, private appService: AppService) {
     super();
   }
 
-  ngOnInit() {}
+  ngOnInit() {
+    this.navService.closeNav(); // close the nav immediately.
+  }
 }
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.html b/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.html
index e213d2f2..91050777 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.html
+++ b/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.html
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       class="search-bar-input"
       type="text"
       aria-label="Search"
-      placeholder="Search"
+      placeholder="Search e.g. John 3:16; Jesus; G25"
       type="search"
       autocomplete="off"
       matInput
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.scss b/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.scss
index 332b3abb..29142da0 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.scss
+++ b/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.scss
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ mat-card {
 .search-bar-input {
   width: 100%;
   border: 0;
-  padding: 6px 55px;
+  padding: 6px 6px 6px 55px;
   border-radius: 0.2rem;
   height: auto;
   font-size: 1.2rem;
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.ts b/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.ts
index fb6176a3..1fac21b1 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/pages/search/search.page.ts
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ export class SearchPage extends SubscriberBase implements OnInit {
       // if this is a saved page
       const id = this.activatedRoute.snapshot.paramMap.get('id');
       this.onSavedPagedLoaded(id);
-      this.navService.closeNav(); // close the nav immediately.
     }
+    this.navService.closeNav(); // close the nav immediately.
   }
 
   // monitor the saved paged loaded property, and fire the action once it turns true, then stop.
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/services/app-state-initial-state.ts b/app/db/src/app/services/app-state-initial-state.ts
index d3cabce7..891ced5c 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/services/app-state-initial-state.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/services/app-state-initial-state.ts
@@ -1,39 +1,17 @@
-import { UUID } from 'angular2-uuid';
-
 import { AppState } from '../models/app-state';
-import { PageTitles, PageIcons } from '../constants';
 import { Overlap } from '../common/bible-reference';
-import { CardType, CardItem } from '../models/card-state';
-import { NoteItem } from '../models/note-state';
-
-const note: NoteItem = {
-  id: UUID.UUID(),
-  xref: '1 pe 2:16; jn 3:16',
-  title: 'Title Here',
-  content: '# Content Here\nIn Markdown format.',
-} as NoteItem;
 
 export const initialState: AppState = {
   user: null,
-  cards: [
-    {
-      qry: 'UUIDGOESHERE',
-      type: CardType.Note,
-      data: note,
-    } as CardItem,
-  ],
+  cards: [],
   autocomplete: [],
   currentSavedPage: null,
   savedPages: null,
   notes: {
     createdOn: new Date(0).toISOString(),
-    value: [note],
+    value: [],
   },
   savedPagesLoaded: false,
-  mainPages: [
-    { title: PageTitles.Search, icon: PageIcons.Search, route: 'search' },
-    { title: PageTitles.PageAdmin, icon: PageIcons.PageAdmin, route: 'saved/admin' },
-  ],
   error: null,
   displaySettings: {
     createdOn: new Date(0).toISOString(),
diff --git a/app/db/src/app/services/app.service.ts b/app/db/src/app/services/app.service.ts
index c34ecd0a..f7c243c3 100644
--- a/app/db/src/app/services/app.service.ts
+++ b/app/db/src/app/services/app.service.ts
@@ -213,6 +213,9 @@ export class AppService extends createStateService(reducer, initialState) {
 
   async getStrongs(strongsNumber: string, dict: StrongsDictionary, nextToItem: CardItem = null) {
     const card = await this.getStrongsCard(strongsNumber, dict);
+    if (!card) {
+      return; // nothing was returned. so an error occurred.
+    }
 
     this.dispatch({
       type: 'ADD_CARD',
@@ -325,6 +328,10 @@ export class AppService extends createStateService(reducer, initialState) {
 
   async getPassage(ref: BibleReference, nextToItem: CardItem = null) {
     const card = await this.composeBiblePassageCardItem(ref);
+    if (!card) {
+      return; // nothing was returned. so an error occurred.
+    }
+
     this.dispatch({
       type: 'ADD_CARD',
       card,
@@ -502,6 +509,10 @@ export class AppService extends createStateService(reducer, initialState) {
   async getWords(qry: string, nextToItem: CardItem = null) {
     const result = await this.getWordsFromApi(qry);
 
+    if (!result) {
+      return; // nothing was returned. so an error occurred.
+    }
+
     const card = {
       qry,
       type: CardType.Word,