diff --git a/db/migrations.ts b/db/migrations.ts
index cc170cd..25914e2 100644
--- a/db/migrations.ts
+++ b/db/migrations.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { queryArray } from "@/db/mod.ts";
+import { createNote, createUser, queryArray } from "@/db/mod.ts";
 
 const id = "id uuid primary key default generate_ulid()";
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ const tables: Record<string, TableSpec> = {
   "user": {
     prepStatements: [
       "drop type if exists user_status",
-      "create type user_status as enum ('unverified', 'verified', 'owner', 'superadmin')",
+      "create type user_status as enum ('unverified', 'verified', 'superadmin')",
     ],
     columns: [
       id,
@@ -151,36 +151,14 @@ try {
   throw err;
 }
 
-const seedQuery = `
-
-insert into note (content) values ('Hello, notes!');
-
--- TODO: create reserved usernames?
-
-with new_user as (
-  insert into "user" (username, password_digest, status)
-    values ('lytedev', '$2a$10$9fyDAOz6H4a393KHyjbvIe1WFxbhCJhq/CZmlXcEg4d1bE9Ey25WW', 'superadmin')
-    returning id as user_id
-), new_team as (
-  insert into "team" (display_name)
-    values ('superadmins')
-    returning id as team_id
-)
-insert into "team_user" (user_id, team_id, status)
-  values (
-    (select user_id from new_user),
-    (select team_id from new_team),
-    'owner'
-  ) returning user_id;
-
-`;
-
-console.log(seedQuery);
-
 try {
-  const seedResult = await queryArray(seedQuery);
-  console.debug(seedResult);
+  await createNote({ content: "Hello, notes!" });
+  await createUser({
+    username: "lytedev",
+    passwordDigest:
+      "$2a$10$9fyDAOz6H4a393KHyjbvIe1WFxbhCJhq/CZmlXcEg4d1bE9Ey25WW",
+  });
 } catch (err) {
-  console.log("Failed to run migration seed query:", { ...err });
+  console.log("Failed to run seed database:", { ...err });
   throw err;
 }
diff --git a/db/mod.ts b/db/mod.ts
index 7c4bfeb..d6da14c 100644
--- a/db/mod.ts
+++ b/db/mod.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {
   Pool,
+  PoolClient,
   PostgresError,
 } from "https://deno.land/x/postgres@v0.16.1/mod.ts";
 import {
@@ -9,58 +10,62 @@ import {
 } from "https://deno.land/x/postgres@v0.16.1/query/query.ts?s=QueryArguments";
 import { config } from "@/config.ts";
 
-import { type Note } from "@/types.ts";
+import {
+  type Identifiable,
+  type Note,
+  type Timestamped,
+  type User,
+} from "@/types.ts";
 
 export { PostgresError };
 export { type QueryObjectResult };
 
 const pool = new Pool(config.postgres.url, 3, true);
 
+async function dbOp<T>(op: (connection: PoolClient) => Promise<T>) {
+  let result = null;
+  let exception = null;
+  try {
+    const connection = await pool.connect();
+    try {
+      result = await op(connection);
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error("Error querying database:", { ...err });
+      exception = err;
+    } finally {
+      connection.release();
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    exception = err;
+    console.error("Error connecting to database:", err);
+  }
+  if (exception != null) throw exception;
+  return result;
+}
+
 export async function queryObject<T>(
   sql: string,
   args?: QueryArguments,
 ): Promise<QueryObjectResult<T> | null> {
-  let result = null;
-  try {
-    const connection = await pool.connect();
-    try {
-      result = await connection.queryObject<T>({
-        camelcase: true,
-        text: sql,
-        args,
-      });
-    } catch (err) {
-      console.error("Error querying database:", { ...err });
-    } finally {
-      connection.release();
-    }
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error("Error connecting to database:", err);
-  }
-  return result;
+  return await dbOp(async (connection) =>
+    await connection.queryObject<T>({
+      camelcase: true,
+      text: sql.trim(),
+      args,
+    })
+  );
 }
 
-export async function queryArray<T extends unknown>(
+export async function queryArray<T extends []>(
   sql: string,
-  args: QueryArguments[],
-): Promise<QueryArrayResult<T[]> | null> {
-  let result = null;
-  try {
-    const connection = await pool.connect();
-    try {
-      result = await connection.queryArray<T[]>({
-        text: sql,
-        args,
-      });
-    } catch (err) {
-      console.error("Error querying database:", { ...err });
-    } finally {
-      connection.release();
-    }
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error("Error connecting to database:", err);
-  }
-  return result;
+  args?: QueryArguments,
+): Promise<QueryArrayResult<T> | null> {
+  return await dbOp(async (connection) =>
+    await connection.queryArray<T>({
+      text: sql.trim(),
+      args,
+    })
+  );
 }
 
 export async function listNotes() {
@@ -78,9 +83,45 @@ export async function getNote(id: string | { id: string }) {
   );
 }
 
-export async function createNote({ content }: Omit<Note, "id" | "createdAt">) {
+type Ungenerated<T> = Omit<T, keyof Identifiable | keyof Timestamped>;
+
+export async function createNote({ content }: Ungenerated<Note>) {
   return await queryObject<Note>(
     "insert into note (content) values ($1) returning *",
     [content],
   );
 }
+
+export async function createUser(
+  { username, passwordDigest }: Ungenerated<User>,
+) {
+  return await queryObject<{ user_id: string }>(
+    `
+    with new_user as (
+      insert into "user" (username, password_digest, status)
+        values ($username, $passwordDigest, 'unverified')
+        returning id as user_id
+    ), new_team as (
+      insert into "team" (display_name)
+        values ($teamName)
+        returning id as team_id
+    )
+    insert into "team_user" (user_id, team_id, status)
+      values (
+        (select user_id from new_user),
+        (select team_id from new_team),
+        'owner'
+      ) returning user_id
+    `,
+    { username, passwordDigest, teamName: `${username}'s First Team` },
+  );
+}
+
+export async function getUser({ id, username }: Partial<User>) {
+  if (!id && !username) throw "getUser called without id or username";
+  const column = id ? "id" : "username";
+  return await queryObject<User>(
+    `select * from "user" where "${column}" = $1`,
+    [id || username],
+  );
+}
diff --git a/routes/login.tsx b/routes/login.tsx
index 342d7f9..565c4ba 100644
--- a/routes/login.tsx
+++ b/routes/login.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { HandlerContext, Handlers, PageProps } from "$fresh/server.ts";
 import { compare } from "https://deno.land/x/bcrypt@v0.4.1/mod.ts";
 import { Page } from "@/components/Page.tsx";
-import { queryObject } from "@/db/mod.ts";
+import { getUser } from "@/db/mod.ts";
 
 type UserID = string;
 
@@ -25,17 +25,12 @@ export const handler: Handlers<UserID | LoginError | null> = {
       return await context.render({ message: "no password provided" });
     }
 
-    const result = await queryObject<
-      { id: string; username: string; password_digest: string }
-    >(
-      `select id, username, password_digest from "user" where username = $1`,
-      [username],
-    );
+    const result = await getUser({ username: username.toString() });
     if (result == null || result.rows.length < 1) {
       return await invalidLogin(context);
     }
-    const { rows: [{ id, password_digest }] } = result;
-    if (await compare(password.toString(), password_digest)) {
+    const { rows: [{ id, passwordDigest }] } = result;
+    if (await compare(password.toString(), passwordDigest)) {
       return await context.render(id);
     } else {
       return await invalidLogin(context);
diff --git a/routes/register.tsx b/routes/register.tsx
index d3059d3..1fe56d7 100644
--- a/routes/register.tsx
+++ b/routes/register.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export const handler: Handlers<UserID | RegistrationError | null> = {
     }
     const password_digest = await hash(password.toString());
     try {
-      const result = await queryObject<{ user_id: string }>(
+      const result = await queryObject<{ userId: string }>(
         `
         with new_user as (
           insert into "user" (username, password_digest, status)
@@ -45,10 +45,9 @@ export const handler: Handlers<UserID | RegistrationError | null> = {
       );
       console.debug(result);
       if (!result) throw "insert failed";
-      const { rows: [{ user_id: id }] } = result;
+      const { rows: [{ userId: id }] } = result;
       return await context.render(id);
     } catch (err) {
-      console.log("Error fields:", { ...err });
       if (
         err instanceof PostgresError && err.fields.code == "23505" &&
         err.fields.constraint == "user_username_key"
@@ -62,7 +61,7 @@ export const handler: Handlers<UserID | RegistrationError | null> = {
       ) {
         return await context.render({
           message:
-            `Username must ONLY be comprised of letters, number, dashes, and underscores and must be 2 to 79 characters long`,
+            `Username must ONLY be comprised of letters, number, dashes, and underscores`,
         });
       }
       throw err;
diff --git a/types.ts b/types.ts
index 9d6bf44..54298e5 100644
--- a/types.ts
+++ b/types.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,27 @@
-export interface Note {
+export interface Identifiable {
   id: string;
+}
+
+export interface Creatable {
   createdAt: Date;
+}
+
+export interface Updatable {
+  updatedAt: Date;
+}
+
+export type Timestamped = Creatable & Updatable;
+
+export interface Note extends Identifiable, Timestamped {
   content: string;
 }
+
+export type UserStatus = "unverified" | "verified" | "superadmin";
+
+export interface User extends Identifiable, Timestamped {
+  username: string;
+  email?: string;
+  passwordDigest: string;
+  displayName?: string;
+  status: UserStatus;
+}