diff --git a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
index c96b1ae29..c86c4673e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
@@ -22,54 +22,6 @@ class NotificationsController < ApplicationController
     end
   end
 
-  # GET /notifications/new
-  # GET /notifications/new.json
-  def new
-    @notification = Notification.new
-
-    respond_to do |format|
-      format.html # new.html.erb
-      format.json { render json: @notification }
-    end
-  end
-
-  # GET /notifications/1/edit
-  def edit
-    @notification = Notification.find(params[:id])
-  end
-
-  # POST /notifications
-  # POST /notifications.json
-  def create
-    @notification = Notification.new(params[:notification])
-
-    respond_to do |format|
-      if @notification.save
-        format.html { redirect_to @notification, notice: 'Notification was successfully created.' }
-        format.json { render json: @notification, status: :created, location: @notification }
-      else
-        format.html { render action: "new" }
-        format.json { render json: @notification.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity }
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
-  # PUT /notifications/1
-  # PUT /notifications/1.json
-  def update
-    @notification = Notification.find(params[:id])
-
-    respond_to do |format|
-      if @notification.update_attributes(params[:notification])
-        format.html { redirect_to @notification, notice: 'Notification was successfully updated.' }
-        format.json { head :no_content }
-      else
-        format.html { render action: "edit" }
-        format.json { render json: @notification.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity }
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
   # DELETE /notifications/1
   # DELETE /notifications/1.json
   def destroy
diff --git a/app/models/ability.rb b/app/models/ability.rb
index 51fcdbddf..581924f1c 100644
--- a/app/models/ability.rb
+++ b/app/models/ability.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class Ability
 
       # can read/delete notifications that were sent to them
       can :read, Notification, :to_id => member.id
-      can :delete, Notification, :to_id => member.id
+      can :destroy, Notification, :to_id => member.id
       # note we don't support create/update for notifications
 
       # for now, anyone can create/edit/destroy crops
diff --git a/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
index 5e6cd5ad2..48b277c2d 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/notifications_controller_spec.rb
@@ -1,35 +1,13 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
-# This spec was generated by rspec-rails when you ran the scaffold generator.
-# It demonstrates how one might use RSpec to specify the controller code that
-# was generated by Rails when you ran the scaffold generator.
-#
-# It assumes that the implementation code is generated by the rails scaffold
-# generator.  If you are using any extension libraries to generate different
-# controller code, this generated spec may or may not pass.
-#
-# It only uses APIs available in rails and/or rspec-rails.  There are a number
-# of tools you can use to make these specs even more expressive, but we're
-# sticking to rails and rspec-rails APIs to keep things simple and stable.
-#
-# Compared to earlier versions of this generator, there is very limited use of
-# stubs and message expectations in this spec.  Stubs are only used when there
-# is no simpler way to get a handle on the object needed for the example.
-# Message expectations are only used when there is no simpler way to specify
-# that an instance is receiving a specific message.
-
 describe NotificationsController do
 
-  # This should return the minimal set of attributes required to create a valid
-  # Notification. As you add validations to Notification, be sure to
-  # update the return value of this method accordingly.
+  login_member
+
   def valid_attributes
-    { "to_id" => "1" }
+    { "to_id" => subject.current_member.id }
   end
 
-  # This should return the minimal set of values that should be in the session
-  # in order to pass any filters (e.g. authentication) defined in
-  # NotificationsController. Be sure to keep this updated too.
   def valid_session
     {}
   end
@@ -37,7 +15,7 @@ describe NotificationsController do
   describe "GET index" do
     it "assigns all notifications as @notifications" do
       notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-      get :index, {}, valid_session
+      get :index, {}
       assigns(:notifications).should eq([notification])
     end
   end
@@ -45,118 +23,22 @@ describe NotificationsController do
   describe "GET show" do
     it "assigns the requested notification as @notification" do
       notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-      get :show, {:id => notification.to_param}, valid_session
+      get :show, {:id => notification.to_param}
       assigns(:notification).should eq(notification)
     end
   end
 
-  describe "GET new" do
-    it "assigns a new notification as @notification" do
-      get :new, {}, valid_session
-      assigns(:notification).should be_a_new(Notification)
-    end
-  end
-
-  describe "GET edit" do
-    it "assigns the requested notification as @notification" do
-      notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-      get :edit, {:id => notification.to_param}, valid_session
-      assigns(:notification).should eq(notification)
-    end
-  end
-
-  describe "POST create" do
-    describe "with valid params" do
-      it "creates a new Notification" do
-        expect {
-          post :create, {:notification => valid_attributes}, valid_session
-        }.to change(Notification, :count).by(1)
-      end
-
-      it "assigns a newly created notification as @notification" do
-        post :create, {:notification => valid_attributes}, valid_session
-        assigns(:notification).should be_a(Notification)
-        assigns(:notification).should be_persisted
-      end
-
-      it "redirects to the created notification" do
-        post :create, {:notification => valid_attributes}, valid_session
-        response.should redirect_to(Notification.last)
-      end
-    end
-
-    describe "with invalid params" do
-      it "assigns a newly created but unsaved notification as @notification" do
-        # Trigger the behavior that occurs when invalid params are submitted
-        Notification.any_instance.stub(:save).and_return(false)
-        post :create, {:notification => { "from_id" => "invalid value" }}, valid_session
-        assigns(:notification).should be_a_new(Notification)
-      end
-
-      it "re-renders the 'new' template" do
-        # Trigger the behavior that occurs when invalid params are submitted
-        Notification.any_instance.stub(:save).and_return(false)
-        post :create, {:notification => { "from_id" => "invalid value" }}, valid_session
-        response.should render_template("new")
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
-  describe "PUT update" do
-    describe "with valid params" do
-      it "updates the requested notification" do
-        notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-        # Assuming there are no other notifications in the database, this
-        # specifies that the Notification created on the previous line
-        # receives the :update_attributes message with whatever params are
-        # submitted in the request.
-        Notification.any_instance.should_receive(:update_attributes).with({ "from_id" => "1" })
-        put :update, {:id => notification.to_param, :notification => { "from_id" => "1" }}, valid_session
-      end
-
-      it "assigns the requested notification as @notification" do
-        notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-        put :update, {:id => notification.to_param, :notification => valid_attributes}, valid_session
-        assigns(:notification).should eq(notification)
-      end
-
-      it "redirects to the notification" do
-        notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-        put :update, {:id => notification.to_param, :notification => valid_attributes}, valid_session
-        response.should redirect_to(notification)
-      end
-    end
-
-    describe "with invalid params" do
-      it "assigns the notification as @notification" do
-        notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-        # Trigger the behavior that occurs when invalid params are submitted
-        Notification.any_instance.stub(:save).and_return(false)
-        put :update, {:id => notification.to_param, :notification => { "from_id" => "invalid value" }}, valid_session
-        assigns(:notification).should eq(notification)
-      end
-
-      it "re-renders the 'edit' template" do
-        notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-        # Trigger the behavior that occurs when invalid params are submitted
-        Notification.any_instance.stub(:save).and_return(false)
-        put :update, {:id => notification.to_param, :notification => { "from_id" => "invalid value" }}, valid_session
-        response.should render_template("edit")
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
   describe "DELETE destroy" do
     it "destroys the requested notification" do
       notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
       expect {
-        delete :destroy, {:id => notification.to_param}, valid_session
+        delete :destroy, {:id => notification.to_param}
       }.to change(Notification, :count).by(-1)
     end
 
-    it "redirects to the notifications list" do
+    it "redirects to the notifications page" do
       notification = Notification.create! valid_attributes
-      delete :destroy, {:id => notification.to_param}, valid_session
+      delete :destroy, {:id => notification.to_param}
       response.should redirect_to(notifications_url)
     end
   end