diff --git a/mytwitter.py b/mytwitter.py
index c7f3dd4..35caa11 100755
--- a/mytwitter.py
+++ b/mytwitter.py
@@ -162,39 +162,10 @@ class MyTwitter():
 
     # This code modified from create_custom_tab in:
     # http://www.daa.com.au/pipermail/pygtk/2006-April/012216.html
-    #
-    # fixme: this code is pretty heinous, all clumped together like this.
-    #        a CloseTabLabel class would be nice, maybe...
     def add_to_notebook(self, widget, name):
-        #create a custom tab for notebook containing a 
-        #label and a button with STOCK_ICON
-        eventBox = gtk.EventBox()
-        tabBox = gtk.HBox(False, 2)
-        tabLabel = gtk.Label(name)
-        tabButton=gtk.Button()
-        tabButton.connect('clicked', self.remove_view, name)
-
-        #Add a picture on a button
-        iconBox = gtk.HBox(False, 0)        
-        image = gtk.Image()
-        image.set_from_stock(gtk.STOCK_CLOSE,gtk.ICON_SIZE_MENU)
-        gtk.Button.set_relief(tabButton,gtk.RELIEF_NONE)
-        settings = gtk.Widget.get_settings(tabButton)
-        (w,h) = gtk.icon_size_lookup_for_settings(settings,gtk.ICON_SIZE_MENU)
-        gtk.Widget.set_size_request(tabButton, w + 4, h + 4);
-        iconBox.pack_start(image, True, False, 0)
-        tabButton.add(iconBox)
-
-        tabBox.pack_start(tabLabel, False)       
-        tabBox.pack_start(tabButton, False)
-
-        # needed, otherwise even calling show_all on the notebook won't
-        # make the hbox contents appear.
-        tabBox.show_all()
-        eventBox.add(tabBox)
-
-        # Now, add this convoluted eventBox to the new pane
-        self.tweet_notebook.append_page(widget, eventBox)
+        tab_label = CloseTabLabel(name)
+        self.tweet_notebook.append_page(widget, tab_label)
+        tab_label.connect('clicked', self.remove_view, name)
 
 
 ### end class MyTwitter
@@ -220,6 +191,7 @@ class TweetPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
         # These handle determining which tweets are unread
         self.last_tweet_read = None
         self.latest_tweet = None
+        self.num_new_tweets = 0
 
         self.tweets = []
 
@@ -249,13 +221,13 @@ class TweetPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
             self.last_tweet_read = statuses[0].id
 
         # Keep count of the new tweets for posting a status message
-        num_new_tweets = 0
+        self.num_new_tweets = 0
 
         for i in range(0, self.mytwitter.num_entries):
             read = True
             if i < len(statuses):
                 if statuses[i].id > self.last_tweet_read:
-                    num_new_tweets += 1
+                    self.num_new_tweets += 1
                     read = False
                 self.tweets[i].set_status(statuses[i], read)
             else:
@@ -263,9 +235,6 @@ class TweetPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
 
         self.latest_tweet = statuses[0].id
 
-        if num_new_tweets > 0:
-            pass # fixme: change the label here, or maybe in mytwitter?
-
 
     def get_list_name(self):
         return self.list_name
@@ -279,6 +248,10 @@ class TweetPane(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
     def set_tweets_read_callback(self, event):
         self.set_tweets_read()
 
+
+    def get_num_new_tweets(self):
+        return self.num_new_tweets
+
 ### end class TweetPane
 
 
@@ -380,10 +353,10 @@ class TweetBox(gtk.VBox):
     def set_read(self, read=True):
         if read:
             self.text_eb.modify_bg(gtk.STATE_NORMAL,
-                                   gtk.gdk.color_parse("#ffffff"))            
+                                   gtk.gdk.color_parse("#f2f1f0"))
         else:
             self.text_eb.modify_bg(gtk.STATE_NORMAL,
-                                   gtk.gdk.color_parse("#ddffdd"))
+                                   gtk.gdk.color_parse("#"))
 
 
     def on_reply_clicked(self, widget):
@@ -403,10 +376,66 @@ class TweetBox(gtk.VBox):
 # end class TweetBox
 
 
+class CloseTabLabel(gtk.EventBox):
+    '''
+    This class holds a label and a button with an 'I' in it.  This button causes the CloseTabLabel
+    to emit a clicked signal
+    '''
+
+    def __init__(self, name=None):
+        gtk.EventBox.__init__(self)
+        self.init_widgets(name)
+
+
+    # This code is still heinous, but at least it is
+    # isolated to its own class
+    def init_widgets(self, name):
+        #create a custom tab for notebook containing a 
+        #label and a button with STOCK_ICON
+        tabBox = gtk.HBox(False, 2)
+        tabButton=gtk.Button()
+        tabButton.connect('clicked', self.on_clicked)
+
+        self.label = gtk.Label(name)
+
+        #Add a picture on a button
+        iconBox = gtk.HBox(False, 0)
+        image = gtk.Image()
+        image.set_from_stock(gtk.STOCK_CLOSE,gtk.ICON_SIZE_MENU)
+        gtk.Button.set_relief(tabButton,gtk.RELIEF_NONE)
+        settings = gtk.Widget.get_settings(tabButton)
+        (w,h) = gtk.icon_size_lookup_for_settings(settings,gtk.ICON_SIZE_MENU)
+        gtk.Widget.set_size_request(tabButton, w + 4, h + 4);
+        iconBox.pack_start(image, True, False, 0)
+        tabButton.add(iconBox)
+
+        tabBox.pack_start(self.label, False)
+        tabBox.pack_start(tabButton, False)
+
+        # needed, otherwise even calling show_all on the notebook won't
+        # make the hbox contents appear.
+        tabBox.show_all()
+        self.add(tabBox)
+
+
+    def set_label_text(self, new_text):
+        self.label.set_text(new_text)
+
+
+    def on_clicked(self, event):
+        self.emit('clicked')
+
+
+### end class CloseTabLabel
+
+
 
 # main
 
 # Create custom events for TweetBox
+gobject.signal_new("clicked", CloseTabLabel,
+                   gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
+                   gobject.TYPE_NONE, ())
 gobject.signal_new("reply", TweetBox,
                    gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
                    gobject.TYPE_NONE, ())