--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 *.pyc
+config.py
--- a/__init__.py
+++ b/__init__.py
@@ -1,10 +1,4 @@
 from user import User
 from group import Group
 from membership import Membership
-
-from flask import g
-
-def setup_app(app):
-    db = app.db
-    g.db = db
--- a/group.py
+++ b/group.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 from datetime import datetime
 
+from .config import db
+
 class Group(db.Model):
     """
     docstring
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@
     created = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)
     created_by = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey('users.id'))
 
-    creator = db.relationship('User', backref='groups', lazy='dynamic')
+    creator = db.relationship('User', backref='groups')
 
     def __init__(self, name, creator):
         self.name = name
--- a/membership.py
+++ b/membership.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 from datetime import datetime
 
+from .config import db
+
 class Membership(db.Model):
     """ docstring """
 
@@ -13,8 +15,8 @@
     gid = db.Column(db.Integer, db.ForeignKey('groups.id'))
     created = db.Column(db.DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)
 
-    user = db.relationship('User', backref='memberships', lazy='dynamic')
-    group = db.relationship('Group', backref='memberships', lazy='dynamic')
+    user = db.relationship('User', backref='memberships')
+    group = db.relationship('Group', backref='memberships')
 
     def __init__(self, user, group):
         self.user = user
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sample_config.py
@@ -1 +1,15 @@
+# Copy the contents of this file to config.py
+
+# Import the SQLAlchemy database (db) object from your application
+# the object which has he Model and Column classes
+# Even if your application calls it something else, import it, and assign it to
+# db: like:
+# from yourapp import database
+# db = database
+
+from yourapp import db
+
+# keep this line as it is..this passes the database object to the user
+# management modules
+__all__ = ['db']
--- a/user.py
+++ b/user.py
@@ -2,12 +2,11 @@
 # User Management::User
 
 from datetime import datetime
-from flask import current_app, g
+from flask import session
+from hashlib import md5
 
+from .config import db
 
-db = g.db
-
-
 class User(db.Model):
     """ docstring """
 
@@ -23,6 +22,15 @@
         self.username = username
         self.email = email
 
+    def update(self, **kwargs):
+        if kwargs.get('username'):
+            self.username = kwargs.get('username')
+        if kwargs.get('last_active'):
+            print 'Updated last_active timestamp for user %s' % self
+            self.last_active = kwargs.get('last_active')
+
+        self.persist()
+
     # persist current object in the database
     def persist(self):
         db.session.add(self)

@@ -33,6 +41,23 @@
         db.session.delete(self)
         db.session.commit()
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def getCurrentUser():
+        if 'email' in session:
+            user = User.query.filter_by(email=session['email']).first()
+            user.update(last_active=datetime.utcnow())
+            return user
+        return None
+
+    def to_dict(self):
+        return {
+            'id': self.id,
+            'username': self.username,
+            'email': self.email,
+            'created': self.created.isoformat(),
+            'last_active': self.last_active.isoformat()
+        }
+
     def __repr__(self):
-        return '<User %r %r>' % (self.username, self.email)
+        return '<User:: %r %r>' % (self.username, self.email)