diff --git a/ext/extconf.rb b/ext/extconf.rb
index e5908de..b200c2c 100644
--- a/ext/extconf.rb
+++ b/ext/extconf.rb
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ else
   exit 1
 end
 
+# check for 1.9
 if have_func('rb_thread_blocking_region') and have_macro('RUBY_UBF_IO', 'ruby.h')
-  $CPPFLAGS << " -DHAVE_TBR"
+  $CFLAGS += " -DHAVE_TBR "
+  $CPPFLAGS << " -DHAVE_TBR "
 end
 
 # make mysql constant
diff --git a/ext/mysql.c b/ext/mysql.c
index c6c5b86..fc22491 100644
--- a/ext/mysql.c
+++ b/ext/mysql.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include <ruby.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <stdarg.h> 
 #ifndef RSTRING_PTR
 #define RSTRING_PTR(str) RSTRING(str)->ptr
 #endif
@@ -233,8 +234,71 @@ static VALUE init(VALUE klass)
     return obj;
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_TBR
+
+typedef struct
+{
+ void *func_pointer;
+ int param_count;
+ void *args[10];
+} arg_holder, *arg_holder2;
+
+
+static void call_single_function_rb_thread_blocking_region(void *arg_holder_in);
+
+void *rb_thread_blocking_region_variable_params(int number, ...)
+{
+  va_list param_pt; // TODO handle all the way through 10 args
+  va_start(param_pt, number);
+  int index;
+  arg_holder param_storer;
+  void *func_pointer = va_arg(param_pt, void *);
+  void *interrupter = va_arg(param_pt, void *);
+  param_storer.func_pointer = func_pointer;
+  int real_param_count = number - 2;
+  param_storer.param_count = real_param_count;
+  for(index = 0 ; index < real_param_count ; index++) 
+  {
+	void *arg = va_arg(param_pt, void *);
+	param_storer.args[index] = arg;
+
+  }
+  va_end(param_pt);
+
+  return rb_thread_blocking_region((rb_blocking_function_t *)call_single_function_rb_thread_blocking_region, (void *) &param_storer, interrupter, 0);
+
+}
+
+static void call_single_function_rb_thread_blocking_region(void *arg_holder_in)
+{
+   arg_holder *params_and_func = (arg_holder *) arg_holder_in;
+   int param_count = params_and_func->param_count;
+   void *result;
+   if(param_count == 3)
+   {
+     void * (*pt2Func)(void *, void *, void *) = params_and_func->func_pointer;
+     result = (*pt2Func)(params_and_func->args[0], params_and_func->args[1], params_and_func->args[2]); 
+   }else if(param_count == 6)
+   {
+	void * (*pt2Func)(void *, void *, void *, void *, void *, void *) = params_and_func->func_pointer;
+	result = (*pt2Func)(params_and_func->args[0], params_and_func->args[1], params_and_func->args[2], params_and_func->args[3], params_and_func->args[4], params_and_func->args[5]);
+   }else if(param_count == 8)
+   {
+	void * (*pt2Func)(void *, void *, void *, void *, void *, void *, void *, void *) = params_and_func->func_pointer;
+	result = (*pt2Func)(params_and_func->args[0], params_and_func->args[1], params_and_func->args[2], params_and_func->args[3], params_and_func->args[4], params_and_func->args[5], params_and_func->args[6], params_and_func->args[7]);
+   }else 
+   {
+	printf("UN nonwn param count--please add it! %d\n", param_count);
+        result = Qnil;
+  }
+
+   return result;
+}
+
+#endif
+
 /*	real_connect(host=nil, user=nil, passwd=nil, db=nil, port=nil, sock=nil, flag=nil)	*/
-static VALUE real_connect(int argc, VALUE* argv, VALUE klass)
+static VALUE real_connect(int argc, VALUE* argv, VALUE klass) /* actually gets run */
 {
     VALUE host, user, passwd, db, port, sock, flag;
     char *h, *u, *p, *d, *s;
@@ -260,8 +324,12 @@ static VALUE real_connect(int argc, VALUE* argv, VALUE klass)
 
     obj = Data_Make_Struct(klass, struct mysql, 0, free_mysql, myp);
 #if MYSQL_VERSION_ID >= 32200
-    mysql_init(&myp->handler);
-    if (mysql_real_connect(&myp->handler, h, u, p, d, pp, s, f) == NULL)
+    mysql_init(&myp->handler); /* we get here */
+# ifdef HAVE_TBR
+    if( (int) rb_thread_blocking_region_variable_params(10, &mysql_real_connect, 8, &myp->handler, h, u, p, d, pp, s, f) == NULL) 
+# else
+    if(mysql_real_connect(&myp->handler, h, u, p, d, pp, s, f) == NULL)
+# endif
 #elif MYSQL_VERSION_ID >= 32115
     if (mysql_real_connect(&myp->handler, h, u, p, pp, s, f) == NULL)
 #else
@@ -694,13 +762,38 @@ static VALUE my_stat(VALUE obj)
     return rb_tainted_str_new2(s);
 }
 
+typedef struct
+{
+ MYSQL *mysql_instance;
+ MYSQL_RES **store_it_here;
+
+} mysql_result_to_here_t,
+ *shared_stuff_p;
+
+static VALUE store_result_to_location(void *settings_in)
+{
+   mysql_result_to_here_t *settings = (mysql_result_to_here_t *) settings_in;
+   *(settings->store_it_here) = mysql_store_result(settings->mysql_instance); // this one runs a good long while for very large queries 
+   return Qnil;
+}
+
 /*	store_result()	*/
 static VALUE store_result(VALUE obj)
 {
     MYSQL* m = GetHandler(obj);
-    MYSQL_RES* res = mysql_store_result(m);
+    MYSQL_RES* res = NULL;
+#ifndef HAVE_TBR
+    res = mysql_store_result(m);
+#else
+    mysql_result_to_here_t linker;
+    linker.mysql_instance = m;
+    linker.store_it_here = &res;
+    rb_thread_blocking_region(store_result_to_location, (void *) &linker, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0); /* not sure if this should be RUBY_UBF_IO or RUBY_UBF_PROCESS here -- see Ruby 1.9 ChangeLog */
+#endif
+ 
     if (res == NULL)
 	mysql_raise(m);
+
     return mysqlres2obj(res);
 }
 
@@ -800,12 +893,17 @@ static VALUE socket(VALUE obj)
     MYSQL* m = GetHandler(obj);
     return INT2NUM(m->net.fd);
 }
-/* socket_type */
+/* socket_type --currently returns true or false, needs some work */
 static VALUE socket_type(VALUE obj)
 {
     MYSQL* m = GetHandler(obj);
+    char *answer;
     VALUE description = vio_description( m->net.vio );
-    return (VALUE) NILorSTRING( description );
+    answer =  NILorSTRING( description );
+    if(answer)
+	return Qtrue; // TODO return a ruby string
+    else
+	return Qnil;
 }
 
 /* blocking */
diff --git a/test/test_all_hashes.rb b/test/test_all_hashes.rb
index 3581c04..0f839b0 100644
--- a/test/test_all_hashes.rb
+++ b/test/test_all_hashes.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # shows the effect of using .all_hashes instead of looping on each hash 
 # run it by substiting in a 'long' [many row] query for the query variable and toggling use_all_hashes here at the top
 # note that we load all the rows first, then run .all_hashes on the result [to see more easily the effect of all hashes]
-# on my machine and a 200_000 row table, it took 3.38s versus 3.65s
+# on my machine and a 200_000 row table, it took 3.38s versus 3.65s for the old .each_hash way [note also that .each_hash is 
+# almost as fast, now, as .all_hashes--they've both been optimized]
 require 'rubygems'
 require 'mysqlplus'