diff --git a/ball.lua b/ball.lua
index 4f12983..f916929 100644
--- a/ball.lua
+++ b/ball.lua
@@ -4,11 +4,10 @@ class("Ball").extends(Pixie)
 
 function Ball:init(width, height, color, x, y)
    Ball.super.init(self, width, height, color, x, y)
+   -- trying to use a table / array for the direction vector doesn't work for bizarre reasons...
+   -- it fails on the init() call at runtime.
    self.dirX = -1
    self.dirY = 1
-   self.vector = {}
-   self.vector.x = -1
-   self.vector.y = 1
    self.speed = 3
    return self
 end
@@ -18,8 +17,6 @@ function Ball:levelUp()
 end
 
 function Ball:move()
-   -- self:moveBy(self.vector.x * self.speed,
-   --             self.vector.y * self.speed)
    self:moveBy(self.dirX * self.speed,
                self.dirY * self.speed)
 end
@@ -34,11 +31,9 @@ end
 function Ball:_normalizePosition()
    local changeVector = Ball.super._normalizePosition(self)
    if changeVector[1] ~= 0 then
-      -- self.vector.x = changeVector[1]
       self.dirX = changeVector[1]
    end
    if changeVector[2] ~= 0 then
-      -- self.vector.y = changeVector[2]
       self.dirY = changeVector[2]
    end
 end
diff --git a/pixie.lua b/pixie.lua
index 8455346..252b168 100644
--- a/pixie.lua
+++ b/pixie.lua
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ function Pixie:_normalizePosition()
    end
 
    if changedX ~= 0 or changedY ~= 0 then
-      -- call super to avoid the odd possibility that we recurse back into
-      -- this function
       Pixie.super.moveTo(self, newX, newY)
    end