diff --git a/fitnesstrax/app/src/app.rs b/fitnesstrax/app/src/app.rs
index 8482fd1..f8de8fc 100644
--- a/fitnesstrax/app/src/app.rs
+++ b/fitnesstrax/app/src/app.rs
@@ -14,80 +14,113 @@ General Public License for more details.
 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with FitnessTrax. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
 
-use emseries::Series;
+use chrono::NaiveDate;
+use emseries::{time_range, Record, RecordId, Series, Timestamp};
 use ft_core::TraxRecord;
 use std::{
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     sync::{Arc, RwLock},
 };
+use tokio::runtime::Runtime;
 
-/// Invocations are how parts of the application, primarily the UI, will send requests to the core.
-#[derive(Debug)]
-pub enum AppInvocation {
-    /// Tell the core to try to open a database.
-    OpenDatabase(PathBuf),
-
-    /// Request a set of records from the core.
-    // Note: this will require a time range, but doesn't yet.
-    RequestRecords,
-}
-
-/// Responses are messages that the core sends to the UI. Though they are called responses, the
-/// could actually be pre-emptively sent, such as notifications. The UI will need to be able to
-/// process those any time they arrive.
-///
-/// A typical use would be for the UI to send an [AppInvocation::RequestRecords] request and
-/// receive [AppResponse::Records].
-#[derive(Debug)]
-pub enum AppResponse {
-    /// No database is available. The UI should typically display a placeholder, such as the
-    /// welcome view.
+pub enum AppError {
     NoDatabase,
-
-    /// The database is open and here is a set of records. Typically, the set of records will be
-    /// all of the records within a time frame, but this can actually be any set of records.
-    Records,
-
-    /// The database has been changed. This message is useful for telling the UI that a significant
-    /// change has happened. Further, the UI needs to save PathBuf to settings, because the
-    /// gio::Settings system can't be run in the fully async background.
-    DatabaseChanged(PathBuf),
+    FailedToOpenDatabase,
+    Unhandled,
 }
 
 /// The real, headless application. This is where all of the logic will reside.
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct App {
+    runtime: Arc<Runtime>,
     database: Arc<RwLock<Option<Series<TraxRecord>>>>,
 }
 
 impl App {
     pub fn new(db_path: Option<PathBuf>) -> Self {
         let database = db_path.map(|path| Series::open(path).unwrap());
+        let runtime = Arc::new(
+            tokio::runtime::Builder::new_multi_thread()
+                .enable_all()
+                .build()
+                .unwrap(),
+        );
+
         let s = Self {
+            runtime,
             database: Arc::new(RwLock::new(database)),
         };
 
         s
     }
 
-    pub async fn process_invocation(&self, invocation: AppInvocation) -> AppResponse {
-        match invocation {
-            AppInvocation::OpenDatabase(db_path) => {
-                self.open_db(&db_path);
-                AppResponse::DatabaseChanged(db_path)
-            }
-            AppInvocation::RequestRecords => {
-                if self.database.read().unwrap().is_none() {
-                    AppResponse::NoDatabase
+    pub async fn records(
+        &self,
+        start: NaiveDate,
+        end: NaiveDate,
+    ) -> Result<Vec<Record<TraxRecord>>, AppError> {
+        let db = self.database.clone();
+        self.runtime
+            .spawn_blocking(move || {
+                if let Some(ref db) = *db.read().unwrap() {
+                    let records = db
+                        .search(time_range(
+                            Timestamp::Date(start),
+                            true,
+                            Timestamp::Date(end),
+                            true,
+                        ))
+                        .map(|record| record.clone())
+                        .collect::<Vec<Record<TraxRecord>>>();
+                    Ok(records)
                 } else {
-                    AppResponse::Records
+                    Err(AppError::NoDatabase)
                 }
-            }
-        }
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
     }
 
-    fn open_db(&self, path: &Path) {
-        let db = Series::open(path).unwrap();
-        *self.database.write().unwrap() = Some(db);
+    pub async fn put_record(&self, record: TraxRecord) -> Result<RecordId, AppError> {
+        let db = self.database.clone();
+        self.runtime
+            .spawn_blocking(move || {
+                if let Some(ref mut db) = *db.write().unwrap() {
+                    let id = db.put(record).unwrap();
+                    Ok(id)
+                } else {
+                    Err(AppError::NoDatabase)
+                }
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+            .map_err(|_| AppError::Unhandled)
+    }
+
+    pub async fn save_record(&self, record: Record<TraxRecord>) -> Result<(), AppError> {
+        let db = self.database.clone();
+        self.runtime
+            .spawn_blocking(move || {
+                if let Some(ref mut db) = *db.write().unwrap() {
+                    db.update(record).map_err(|_| AppError::Unhandled)
+                } else {
+                    Err(AppError::NoDatabase)
+                }
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+            .map_err(|_| AppError::Unhandled)
+    }
+
+    pub async fn open_db(&self, path: PathBuf) -> Result<(), AppError> {
+        let db_ref = self.database.clone();
+        self.runtime
+            .spawn_blocking(move || {
+                let db = Series::open(path).map_err(|_| AppError::FailedToOpenDatabase)?;
+                *db_ref.write().unwrap() = Some(db);
+                Ok(())
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
     }
 }
diff --git a/fitnesstrax/app/src/app_window.rs b/fitnesstrax/app/src/app_window.rs
index dba2366..7a51efc 100644
--- a/fitnesstrax/app/src/app_window.rs
+++ b/fitnesstrax/app/src/app_window.rs
@@ -15,25 +15,20 @@ You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with Fit
 */
 
 use crate::{
-    app::{AppInvocation, AppResponse},
+    app::App,
     views::{HistoricalView, PlaceholderView, View, ViewName, WelcomeView},
 };
 use adw::prelude::*;
-use async_channel::Sender;
-use chrono::{NaiveDate, TimeZone};
-use chrono_tz::America::Anchorage;
-use dimensioned::si::{KG, M, S};
-use ft_core::{Steps, TimeDistance, TraxRecord, Weight};
+use chrono::{Duration, Local};
 use gio::resources_lookup_data;
 use gtk::STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIORITY_USER;
-use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::{cell::RefCell, rc::Rc};
 
 /// The application window, or the main window, is the main user interface for the app. Almost
 /// everything occurs here.
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct AppWindow {
-    app_tx: Sender<AppInvocation>,
+    app: App,
     layout: gtk::Box,
     current_view: Rc<RefCell<View>>,
     settings: gio::Settings,
@@ -51,7 +46,7 @@ impl AppWindow {
         app_id: &str,
         resource_path: &str,
         adw_app: &adw::Application,
-        app_tx: Sender<AppInvocation>,
+        ft_app: App,
     ) -> AppWindow {
         let window = adw::ApplicationWindow::builder()
             .application(adw_app)
@@ -103,13 +98,25 @@ impl AppWindow {
         window.present();
 
         let s = Self {
-            app_tx,
+            app: ft_app,
             layout,
             current_view: Rc::new(RefCell::new(initial_view)),
             settings: gio::Settings::new(app_id),
             navigation,
         };
 
+        glib::spawn_future_local({
+            let s = s.clone();
+            async move {
+                let end = Local::now().date_naive();
+                let start = end - Duration::days(7);
+                match s.app.records(start, end).await {
+                    Ok(_) => s.change_view(ViewName::Historical),
+                    Err(_) => s.change_view(ViewName::Welcome),
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
         s
     }
 
@@ -117,23 +124,6 @@ impl AppWindow {
         self.swap_main(self.construct_view(view));
     }
 
-    pub fn process_response(&self, response: AppResponse) {
-        match response {
-            AppResponse::DatabaseChanged(db_path) => {
-                self.settings
-                    .set_string("series-path", db_path.to_str().unwrap())
-                    .unwrap();
-                self.change_view(ViewName::Historical);
-            }
-            AppResponse::NoDatabase => {
-                self.change_view(ViewName::Welcome);
-            }
-            AppResponse::Records => {
-                self.change_view(ViewName::Historical);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     // Switch views.
     //
     // This function only replaces the old view with the one which matches the current view state.
@@ -149,13 +139,9 @@ impl AppWindow {
     fn construct_view(&self, view: ViewName) -> View {
         match view {
             ViewName::Welcome => View::Welcome(
-                WelcomeView::new({
+                WelcomeView::new(self.app.clone(), {
                     let s = self.clone();
-                    Box::new(move |path: PathBuf| {
-                        s.app_tx
-                            .send_blocking(AppInvocation::OpenDatabase(path))
-                            .unwrap();
-                    })
+                    move || s.change_view(ViewName::Historical)
                 })
                 .upcast(),
             ),
diff --git a/fitnesstrax/app/src/main.rs b/fitnesstrax/app/src/main.rs
index 6bcd8e7..6310834 100644
--- a/fitnesstrax/app/src/main.rs
+++ b/fitnesstrax/app/src/main.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ fn main() {
     };
 
     let settings = gio::Settings::new(app_id);
-    let app = app::App::new({
+    let ft_app = app::App::new({
         let path = settings.string("series-path");
         if path.is_empty() {
             None
@@ -63,23 +63,9 @@ fn main() {
         .unwrap();
 
     adw_app.connect_activate(move |adw_app| {
-        // These channels are used to send messages to the UI. Anything that needs to send a
-        // message to the UI will send it via `ui_tx`. We will have one single process that owns
-        // `ui_rx`. That process will read messages coming in and send them to [AppWindow] for proper
-        // processing.
-        //
-        // The core app will usually only send messages in response to a request, but this channel
-        // can also be used to tell the UI that something happened in the background, such as
-        // detecting a watch, detecting new tracks to import, and so forth.
-        let (ui_tx, ui_rx) = async_channel::unbounded::<app::AppResponse>();
-
-        // These channels are used for communicating with the app. Already I can see that a lot of
-        // different event handlers will need copies of app_tx in order to send requests into the
-        // UI.
-        let (app_tx, app_rx) = async_channel::unbounded::<app::AppInvocation>();
-
-        let window = AppWindow::new(app_id, RESOURCE_BASE_PATH, adw_app, app_tx.clone());
+        AppWindow::new(app_id, RESOURCE_BASE_PATH, adw_app, ft_app.clone());
 
+        /*
         // Spawn a future where the UI will receive messages for the app window. Previously, this
         // would have been done by creating a glib::MainContext::channel(), but that has been
         // deprecated since gtk 4.10 in favor of using `async_channel`.
@@ -105,6 +91,7 @@ fn main() {
                 }
             }
         });
+        */
     });
 
     let args: Vec<String> = env::args().collect();
diff --git a/fitnesstrax/app/src/views/welcome_view.rs b/fitnesstrax/app/src/views/welcome_view.rs
index 5156c9c..7febb64 100644
--- a/fitnesstrax/app/src/views/welcome_view.rs
+++ b/fitnesstrax/app/src/views/welcome_view.rs
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ General Public License for more details.
 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with FitnessTrax. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
 
-use crate::components::FileChooserRow;
+use crate::{app::App, components::FileChooserRow};
 use glib::Object;
 use gtk::{prelude::*, subclass::prelude::*};
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::rc::Rc;
 
 /// This is the view to show if the application has not yet been configured. It will walk the user
 /// through the most critical setup steps so that we can move on to the other views in the app.
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ glib::wrapper! {
 }
 
 impl WelcomeView {
-    pub fn new<F>(on_save: Box<F>) -> Self
+    pub fn new<OnSave>(app: App, on_save: OnSave) -> Self
     where
-        F: Fn(PathBuf) + 'static,
+        OnSave: Fn() + 'static,
     {
         let s: Self = Object::builder().build();
         s.set_orientation(gtk::Orientation::Vertical);
@@ -80,12 +80,23 @@ impl WelcomeView {
         content.append(&gtk::Label::new(Some("Welcome to FitnessTrax. The application has not yet been configured, so I will walk you through that. Let's start out by selecting your database.")));
         content.append(&db_row);
 
-        let on_save = on_save;
         save_button.connect_clicked({
+            let on_save = Rc::new(on_save);
+            let app = app.clone();
+            let db_row = db_row.clone();
             move |_| {
-                if let Some(path) = db_row.path() {
-                    on_save(path)
-                }
+                println!("save button clicked. Do something");
+                let app = app.clone();
+                let db_row = db_row.clone();
+                let on_save = on_save.clone();
+                glib::spawn_future_local(async move {
+                    println!("{:?}", db_row.path());
+                    if let Some(path) = db_row.path() {
+                        if app.open_db(path).await.is_ok() {
+                            on_save();
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
             }
         });