diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 001c27e..52f2984 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,22 +10,22 @@ A good starting place for new github repos.
 ## Template Status
 
 - ✅ [All github community standards are checked off](https://github.com/fini-net/template-repo/community)
-- ✅ [gitattributes](.gitattributes)
+- ✅ [gitattributes](.gitattributes) based on [gitattributes](https://github.com/gitattributes/gitattributes)
 - ✅ [gitignore](.gitignore) with comments
 - ✅ [Issue Templates](.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE)
 - ✅ [PR Template](.github/pull_request_template.md)
 - ✅ [CODEOWNERS](.github/CODEOWNERS)
-- ✅ [justfile](justfile)
+- ✅ [justfile](justfile) with command line workflow for pull requests
 - ✅ [Github Action for Markdownlint](.github/workflows)
 - ✅ [A few extra labels for issues](https://github.com/fini-net/template-repo/labels)
 
 ## Usage
 
-1. Make a new repo and use this repo as your template.
+1. Make a new repo and use this repo as your template.  You might have to fork it first.
 1. Remember to replace any `chicks-net`, `fini-net`, and `template-repo` references
   with the right values for your project.  (Github templates do not offer
-  variable substitution, but we still have to call them templaes for some reason.)
-1. Ditch the "Template Status" and "Usage" sections in the `README.md`.
+  variable substitution, but we still have to call them templates for some reason.)
+1. Ditch the "Template Status", "Usage", and "Kudos" sections in the `README.md`.
 
 ## Contibuting
 
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 9f61bb0..99598d8 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -1,5 +1,107 @@
 # project justfile
 
-default:
+# some useful variables
+host := `uname -n`
+release_branch := "main"
+
+# thanks to https://stackoverflow.com/a/7293026/2002471 for the perfect git incantation
+last_commit_message := `git log -1 --pretty=%B | grep '.'`
+
+# list recipes (default works without naming it)
+[group('example')]
+list:
 	just --list
 	@echo "{{GREEN}}Your justfile is waiting for more scripts and snippets{{NORMAL}}"
+
+# escape from branch, back to starting point
+[group('Process')]
+sync:
+    git checkout main
+    git pull
+    git stp
+
+# PR create 3.0
+[group('Process')]
+pr: on_a_branch
+    #!/usr/bin/env bash
+    set -euxo pipefail # strict mode
+
+    git stp
+    git pushup
+
+    set +x # leave tracing off...
+
+    bodyfile=$(mktemp /tmp/justfile.XXXXXX)
+
+    echo "## Done:" >> $bodyfile
+    echo "" >> $bodyfile
+    echo "- {{ last_commit_message }}" >> $bodyfile
+    echo "" >> $bodyfile
+    echo "" >> $bodyfile
+    echo "(Automated in \`justfile\`.)" >> $bodyfile
+
+    echo ''
+    cat "$bodyfile"
+    echo ''
+
+    gh pr create --title "{{ last_commit_message }}" --body-file "$bodyfile"
+    rm "$bodyfile"
+
+    if [[ ! -e ".github/workflows" ]]; then
+        echo "{{BLUE}}there are no workflows in this repo so there are no PR checks to watch{{NORMAL}}"
+        exit 0
+    fi
+
+    echo "{{BLUE}}sleeping for 10s because github is lazy with their API{{NORMAL}}"
+    sleep 10
+    gh pr checks --watch
+
+# merge PR and return to starting point
+[group('Process')]
+merge:
+    gh pr merge -s -d
+    just sync
+
+# start a new branch
+[group('Process')]
+branch branchname: main_branch
+    #!/usr/bin/env bash
+    NOW=`just utcdate`
+    git co -b "chicks/$NOW-{{ branchname }}"
+
+# view PR in web browser
+[group('Process')]
+prweb: on_a_branch
+    gh pr view --web
+
+# error if not on a git branch
+[group('sanity check')]
+[no-cd]
+on_a_branch:
+    #!/bin/bash
+
+    # thanks to https://stackoverflow.com/a/12142066/2002471
+
+    if [[ $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD) == "main" ]]; then
+      echo "{{RED}}You are on branch '{{ release_branch }}' (the release branch) so you are not ready to start a PR.{{NORMAL}}"
+      exit 100
+    fi
+
+# error if not on the release branch
+[group('sanity check')]
+[no-cd]
+main_branch:
+    #!/bin/bash
+
+    # thanks to https://stackoverflow.com/a/12142066/2002471
+
+    if [[ ! $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD) == "main" ]]; then
+      echo "You are on a branch that is not the release branch so you are not ready to start a new branch."
+      exit 100
+    fi
+
+# print UTC date in ISO format
+[group('Utility')]
+[no-cd]
+@utcdate:
+	TZ=UTC date +"%Y-%m-%d"