diff --git a/src/sheet.js b/src/sheet.js
index a22a867..c488506 100644
--- a/src/sheet.js
+++ b/src/sheet.js
@@ -12,22 +12,27 @@ Abstract character/resume sheet representation.
     , moment = require('moment');
 
   /**
-  Initialize a new Sheet instance.
+  The Sheet class represent a specific JSON character sheet. When Sheet.open
+  is called, we merge the loaded JSON sheet properties onto the Sheet instance
+  via extend(), so a full-grown sheet object will have all of the methods here,
+  plus a complement of JSON properties from the backing JSON file. That allows
+  us to treat Sheet objects interchangeably with the loaded JSON model.
+  @class Sheet
   */
   function Sheet() {
-    this.id = null;
-    this.title = "New";
-    this.fileName = null;
+    this.meta = { };
   }
 
   /**
-  Open and parse the specified JSON resume sheet.
+  Open and parse the specified JSON resume sheet. Validate any dates present in
+  the sheet and convert them to a safe/consistent format. Then sort each section
+  on the sheet by startDate descending.
   */
   Sheet.prototype.open = function( file, title ) {
     var rep = JSON.parse( FS.readFileSync( file, 'utf8' ) );
     extend( true, this, rep );
-    this.fileName = file;
-    this.title = title || this.basics.name;
+    this.meta.fileName = file;
+    this.meta.title = title || this.basics.name;
     _parseDates.call( this );
     this.sort();
     this.computed = this.computed || { };
@@ -40,8 +45,8 @@ Abstract character/resume sheet representation.
   */
   Sheet.prototype.hasProfile = function( socialNetwork ) {
     socialNetwork = socialNetwork.trim().toLowerCase();
-    return this.basics.profiles && _.some( this.basics.profiles, function(prof) {
-      return prof.network.trim().toLowerCase() === socialNetwork;
+    return this.basics.profiles && _.some( this.basics.profiles, function(p) {
+      return p.network.trim().toLowerCase() === socialNetwork;
     });
   };
 
@@ -58,10 +63,11 @@ Abstract character/resume sheet representation.
   };
 
   /**
-  Validate the sheet against a specific JSON schema.
+  Validate the sheet against the JSON Resume schema.
   */
   Sheet.prototype.isValid = function( ) {
-    var schemaObj = JSON.parse( FS.readFileSync( __dirname + '/resume-schema.json', 'utf8' ) );
+    var schema = FS.readFileSync( __dirname + '/resume-schema.json', 'utf8' );
+    var schemaObj = JSON.parse( schema );
     var validator = require('is-my-json-valid')
     var validate = validator( schemaObj );
     return validate( this );
@@ -69,37 +75,53 @@ Abstract character/resume sheet representation.
 
   /**
   Calculate the total duration of the sheet. Assumes this.work has been sorted
-  by start date descending.
+  by start date descending, perhaps via a call to Sheet.sort().
+  @returns The total duration of the sheet's work history, that is, the number
+  of years between the start date of the earliest job on the resume and the
+  *latest end date of all jobs in the work history*. This last condition is for
+  sheets that have overlapping jobs.
   */
   Sheet.prototype.duration = function() {
     var careerStart = this.work[ this.work.length - 1].safeStartDate;
-    var careerLast = _.max( this.work, function( w ) { return w.safeEndDate.unix(); }).safeEndDate;
+    var careerLast = _.max( this.work, function( w ) {
+      return w.safeEndDate.unix();
+    }).safeEndDate;
     return careerLast.diff( careerStart, 'years' );
   };
 
   /**
-  Sort dated things by start date descending.
+  Sort dated things on the sheet by start date descending.
   */
   Sheet.prototype.sort = function( ) {
-    this.work && this.work.length > 1 && this.work.sort( function(a, b) {
-      return( a.safeStartDate.isBefore(b.safeStartDate) ) ? 1 : ( a.safeStartDate.isAfter(b.safeStartDate) && -1 ) || 0;
+
+    this.work && this.work.sort( byDateDesc );
+    this.education && this.education.sort( byDateDesc );
+    this.volunteer && this.volunteer.sort( byDateDesc );
+
+    this.awards && this.awards.sort( function(a, b) {
+      return( a.safeDate.isBefore(b.safeDate) ) ? 1
+        : ( a.safeDate.isAfter(b.safeDate) && -1 ) || 0;
     });
-    this.education && this.education.length > 1 && this.education.sort( function(a, b) {
-      return( a.safeStartDate.isBefore(b.safeStartDate) ) ? 1 : ( a.safeStartDate.isAfter(b.safeStartDate) && -1 ) || 0;
-    });
-    this.volunteer && this.volunteer.length > 1 && this.volunteer.sort( function(a, b) {
-      return( a.safeStartDate.isBefore(b.safeStartDate) ) ? 1 : ( a.safeStartDate.isAfter(b.safeStartDate) && -1 ) || 0;
-    });
-    this.awards && this.awards.length > 1 && this.awards.sort( function(a, b) {
-      return( a.safeDate.isBefore(b.safeDate) ) ? 1 : ( a.safeDate.isAfter(b.safeDate) && -1 ) || 0;
-    });
-    this.publications && this.publications.length > 1 && this.publications.sort( function(a, b) {
-      return( a.safeReleaseDate.isBefore(b.safeReleaseDate) ) ? 1 : ( a.safeReleaseDate.isAfter(b.safeReleaseDate) && -1 ) || 0;
+    this.publications && this.publications.sort( function(a, b) {
+      return( a.safeReleaseDate.isBefore(b.safeReleaseDate) ) ? 1
+        : ( a.safeReleaseDate.isAfter(b.safeReleaseDate) && -1 ) || 0;
     });
+
+    function byDateDesc(a,b) {
+      return( a.safeStartDate.isBefore(b.safeStartDate) ) ? 1
+        : ( a.safeStartDate.isAfter(b.safeStartDate) && -1 ) || 0;
+    }
+
   };
 
   /**
-  Format a human-friendly FluentCV date to a Moment.js-compatible date.
+  Format a human-friendly FluentCV date to a Moment.js-compatible date. There
+  are a few date formats to be aware of here.
+  - The words "Present" and "Now", referring to the current date.
+  - The default "YYYY-MM-DD" format used in JSON Resume ("2015-02-10").
+  - The friendly FluentCV "mmm YYYY" format ("Mar 2015" or "Dec 2008").
+  - Year-only "YYYY" ("2015").
+  - Any other date format that Moment.js can parse from.
   */
   function _fmt( dt ) {
     dt = dt.toLowerCase().trim();
@@ -108,7 +130,8 @@ Abstract character/resume sheet representation.
     }
     else if( /^\D+/.test(dt) ) { // "Mar 2015"
       var parts = dt.split(' ');
-      return moment( parts[1] + '-' + (months[ parts[0] ] || abbr[ parts[0] ] || ( parts[0] === 'sept' && '09' )) + '-' + '01', 'YYYY-MM-DD' );
+      var dt = parts[1] + '-' + (months[parts[0]] || abbr[parts[0]]) + '-01';
+      return moment( dt, 'YYYY-MM-DD' );
     }
     else if( /^\d+$/.test(dt) ) { // "2015"
       return moment( dt, 'YYYY' );
@@ -123,6 +146,10 @@ Abstract character/resume sheet representation.
 
   /**
   Convert human-friendly dates into formal Moment.js dates for all collections.
+  We don't want to lose the raw textual date as entered by the user, so we store
+  the Moment-ified date as a separate property with a prefix of .safe. For ex:
+  job.startDate is the date as entered by the user. job.safeStartDate is the
+  parsed Moment.js date that we actually use in processing.
   */
   function _parseDates() {
     this.work.forEach( function(job) {
@@ -146,8 +173,9 @@ Abstract character/resume sheet representation.
   }
 
   var months = {}, abbr = {};
-  moment.months().forEach( function(m, idx) { months[ m.toLowerCase() ] = idx + 1; });
-  moment.monthsShort().forEach( function(m, idx) { abbr[ m.toLowerCase() ] = idx + 1; });
+  moment.months().forEach(function(m,idx){months[m.toLowerCase()]=idx+1;});
+  moment.monthsShort().forEach(function(m,idx){abbr[m.toLowerCase()]=idx+1;});
+  abbr.sept = 9;
 
   /**
   Export the Sheet function/ctor.