diff --git a/carbontrackerjet.rc b/carbontrackerjet.rc
index 3b79020eb03287bab9c3458d0ca42c81549b6a25..41c631ce9557c219ac2aa667f39846db9a8cf050 100644
--- a/carbontrackerjet.rc
+++ b/carbontrackerjet.rc
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 !!! Info for the CarbonTracker data assimilation system
 
-datadir         : /lfs0/projects/co2/input/
-!datadir         : /data/CO2/carbontracker/ct08/
-obs.input.dir   : ${datadir}/obsnc/
+datadir         : /lfs0/projects/co2/input/ct_new_2010
+obs.input.dir   : ${datadir}/obsnc
 obs.input.fname : obs_final
 ocn.covariance  : ${datadir}/covariance_ocn_base.nc
 bio.covariance  : ${datadir}/covariance_bio_olson19.nc
diff --git a/da/ct/obs.py b/da/ct/obs.py
index 6d5e82b5aca4379aa73e5f224df3b21f9b611fd4..4ca95271df470827e5c65d79f28fde8471552830 100755
--- a/da/ct/obs.py
+++ b/da/ct/obs.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class CtObservations(object):
         idates      = ncf.select('date_components').get()
         ids         = ncf.select('id').get()
         sites       = ncf.select('site').get()
-        sites       = [join(s,'').lower() for s in sites]
+        sites       = [s.tostring().lower() for s in sites]
         sites       = map(strip,sites)
         lats        = ncf.select('lat').get()
         lons        = ncf.select('lon').get()
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class CtObservations(object):
         date        = ncf.select('date').get()
         window      = ncf.select('sampling_strategy').get()
         flags       = ncf.select('NOAA_QC_flags').get()
-        flags       = [join(s,'') for s in flags]
+        flags       = [s.tostring().lower() for s in flags]
         flags       = map(strip,flags)
         dummy       = ncf.end()
         msg         = "Successfully read data from obs file (%s)"%self.ObsFilename ; logging.debug(msg)
diff --git a/da/tm5/model.py b/da/tm5/model.py
index 501e1dc2b3336cf0991fc28464d6a13eac3aa239..8277614556b9fd172698c423ad6f65be32f993fb 100755
--- a/da/tm5/model.py
+++ b/da/tm5/model.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ needed_rc_items = [
 
 ################### Begin Class TM5 ###################
 
-class TM5():
+class TM5(object):
     """ This class holds methods and variables that are needed to run the TM5 model. It is initiated with as only argument a TM5 rc-file
         location. This rc-file will be used to figure out the settings for the run. 
         
@@ -100,16 +100,16 @@ class TM5():
         Validate the contents of the tm_settings dictionary and add extra values. The required items for the TM5 rc-file
         are specified in the tm5_tools module, as dictionary variable "needed_rc_items".
         """
-        import datetime
+        from da.tools.general import ToDatetime
 
         for k,v in self.tm_settings.iteritems():
             if v == 'True' : self.tm_settings[k] = True
             if v == 'False': self.tm_settings[k] = False
-            if 'date' in k : self.tm_settings[k] = datetime.datetime.strptime(v,'%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
+            if 'date' in k : self.tm_settings[k] = ToDatetime(v)
             if 'time.start' in k : 
-                self.tm_settings[k]              = datetime.datetime.strptime(v,'%Y%m%d%H')
+                self.tm_settings[k]              = ToDatetime(v,fmt='TM5')
             if 'time.final' in k : 
-                self.tm_settings[k]              = datetime.datetime.strptime(v,'%Y%m%d%H')
+                self.tm_settings[k]              = ToDatetime(v,fmt='TM5')
 
         for key in needed_rc_items:
 
diff --git a/da/tools/general.py b/da/tools/general.py
index d07aaa67486316eeef3b04bc687c7d494267dc69..de29c3a51d539ead5ad5683bc809de63b06f4efc 100755
--- a/da/tools/general.py
+++ b/da/tools/general.py
@@ -380,6 +380,23 @@ def CleanUpCycle(CycleInfo):
         dummy   = f.close()
     msg = "The complete log file is now at: %s"%(joblogfile)   ; logging.info(msg)
 
+def ToDatetime(datestring,fmt=None):
+    """ convert a date string to a datetime object """
+    import datetime
+  
+    print datestring
+    if fmt == 'TM5':
+        datestring = '%04s-%02s-%02s %02s:%02s:00'%(datestring[0:4],datestring[4:6],datestring[6:8],datestring[8:10],datestring[10:12])
+
+    print datestring
+    
+    try:
+        return datetime.datetime.strptime(datestring,'%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
+    except:
+        date,time = datestring.split(' ')
+        year,month,day = map(int,date.split('-'))
+        hour,minute,second = map(int,time.split(':'))
+        return datetime.datetime(year,month,day,hour,minute,second)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     pass
diff --git a/da/tools/initexit.py b/da/tools/initexit.py
index 48b4c39b617f1bb2d4e8c5e51327df8397218b2d..5d5078ce6446dcb9a3c83150373e888fd2215e51 100755
--- a/da/tools/initexit.py
+++ b/da/tools/initexit.py
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ class CycleControl(object):
         """ 
         Validate the contents of the rc-file given a dictionary of required keys
         """
+        from da.tools.general import ToDatetime
 
         for k,v in self.da_settings.iteritems():
             if v == 'True' : self.da_settings[k] = True
@@ -508,17 +509,6 @@ class CycleControl(object):
 
         return None
 
-def ToDatetime(datestring):
-    """ convert a date string to a datetime object """
-    import datetime
-    
-    try:
-        return datetime.datetime.strptime(datestring,'%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
-    except:
-        date,time = datestring.split(' ')
-        year,month,day = map(int,date.split('-'))
-        hour,minute,second = map(int,time.split(':'))
-        return datetime.datetime(year,month,day,hour,minute,second)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
 
diff --git a/dajet.rc b/dajet.rc
index 452bb39e65b371e17a091d90e5644179c8a51588..3e690bd161501ffce442efb89dbecde5d103c461 100644
--- a/dajet.rc
+++ b/dajet.rc
@@ -15,5 +15,5 @@ da.system.rc        : carbontrackerjet.rc
 ! Info on the forward model to be used
 
 forecast.model      : TM5
-forecast.model.rc   : ${HOME}/TM5/TM5_new/ct_new.rc
+forecast.model.rc   : ${HOME}/TM/TM5_new/ct_new.rc
 forecast.nmembers   : 2