diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 10b0fd0..d60d645 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,2 +1,12 @@
 # check_sites
 simple python script for checking whether websites are up
+
+uses 2 simple configuration files:
+* "check_sites.conf": specifies the email settings to be used
+* "check_sites.json": specifies the sites to check
+
+takes 2 arguments:
+* -f <file>: specifices the path to "check_sites.json"
+* -v: specifies "verbose" mode (in non-verbose mode, an email is only sent if any sites DO NOT return a status code of 200)
+
+best used w/ cron to check a set of websites automatically
diff --git a/check_sites.py b/check_sites.py
index ed36bd3..d168e97 100644
--- a/check_sites.py
+++ b/check_sites.py
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ def usage():
     try:
         request = urllib2.urlopen(site["url"])
         code = request.code
+        # if you wanted to add more logic or fine-grained detail to the log
+        # here is where you would do it; using a bunch of if statments on 'code'
         site.update({
             "code": code,
             "up": True,