diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 198623d..a69c456 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
         "recharts": "^2.12.7",
         "tailwind-merge": "^2.3.0",
         "tailwindcss-animate": "^1.0.7",
+        "text-encoding": "^0.7.0",
         "zod": "^3.23.8"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
@@ -9625,6 +9626,12 @@
         "node": ">=10"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/text-encoding": {
+      "version": "0.7.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/text-encoding/-/text-encoding-0.7.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-oJQ3f1hrOnbRLOcwKz0Liq2IcrvDeZRHXhd9RgLrsT+DjWY/nty1Hi7v3dtkaEYbPYe0mUoOfzRrMwfXXwgPUA==",
+      "deprecated": "no longer maintained"
+    },
     "node_modules/text-table": {
       "version": "0.2.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/text-table/-/text-table-0.2.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7238b8b..92133d8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     "recharts": "^2.12.7",
     "tailwind-merge": "^2.3.0",
     "tailwindcss-animate": "^1.0.7",
+    "text-encoding": "^0.7.0",
     "zod": "^3.23.8"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/src/app/api/auth/actions.ts b/src/app/api/auth/actions.ts
index 5a3f1d3..61885d9 100644
--- a/src/app/api/auth/actions.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/auth/actions.ts
@@ -4,20 +4,30 @@ import { jwtVerify, JWTPayload, decodeJwt, SignJWT } from 'jose';
 import { cookies } from 'next/headers';
 import { loginSchema, LoginSchema } from 'app/login/schema';
 import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
-import { TextEncoder } from 'util';
 
-export async function getJWTSecretKey() {
+export async function getJWTSecretKey<Uint8Array>() {
+	console.log('getJWTSecretKey called!')
 	const secret = process.env.JWT_SECRET
+	console.log('secret: ' + secret)
 	if (!secret) throw new Error("There is no JWT secret key")
-	const enc: Uint8Array = new TextEncoder().encode(secret)
-	return enc
+	console.log('encoding...')
+	try {
+		const enc: Uint8Array = new TextEncoder().encode(secret)
+		console.log('enc')
+		return enc
+	} catch (error) {
+		console.error('aw shit: ' + error.message)
+	}
 }
 
 export async function verifyJwt(token: string): Promise<JWTPayload | null> {
+	console.log('verifyJwt called for token: ' + token)
+	const key = await getJWTSecretKey()
+	console.log('key: ' + key)
+	const { payload } = await jwtVerify(token, key)
+	console.log('payload: ' + payload)
+	return payload
 	try {
-		//the curly braces here are used because you can't access the result of an await using dot notation
-		const { payload } = await jwtVerify(token, getJWTSecretKey)
-		return payload
 	} catch {
 		return null
 	}
diff --git a/src/middleware.ts b/src/middleware.ts
index 4703e6b..db2b509 100644
--- a/src/middleware.ts
+++ b/src/middleware.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ export default async function(request: NextRequest) {
 	url.pathname = "/login"
 	if (protectedRoutes.some(pattern => matchesWildcard(request.nextUrl.pathname, pattern))) {
 		const token = request.cookies.get('token')
-		console.log(`token: ${JSON.stringify(token)}`)
 		//NOTE - may need to add logic to return 401 for api routes
 
 		if (!token) {