diff --git a/Backup/models/my_backup.rb b/Backup/models/my_backup.rb
index b6ab575fc..521c4dbd5 100644
--- a/Backup/models/my_backup.rb
+++ b/Backup/models/my_backup.rb
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 #
 require 'yaml'
 Model.new(:my_backup, 'Description for my_backup') do
-  env_file = File.join(Rails.root, 'config', 'local_env.yml')
-  defaults = File.join(Rails.root, 'config', 'sample.local_env.yml')
+  env_file = File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../../config/local_env.yml'
+  defaults = File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../../config/sample.local_env.yml'
 
   YAML.load(File.open(env_file)).each do |key, value|
     ENV[key.to_s] = value
diff --git a/config/deploy.rb b/config/deploy.rb
index a4a7e859f..40ecd9907 100644
--- a/config/deploy.rb
+++ b/config/deploy.rb
@@ -4,12 +4,16 @@
 require 'rvm/capistrano'
 require 'rvm/capistrano/gem_install_uninstall'
 
-#loading environment variables so we can all use the same deployment
+# loading environment variables so we can all use the same deployment
 YAML.load(File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/local_env.yml')).each do |key, value|
   ENV[key.to_s] = value
   puts ENV[key.to_s]
 end if File.exist?(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/local_env.yml')
 
+# loading in defaults
+YAML.load(File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/sample.local_env.yml')).each do |key, value|
+  ENV[key.to_s] = value
+end
 
 set :repository, ENV['GIT_REPOSITORY']
 
diff --git a/config/schedule.rb b/config/schedule.rb
index 0e5a5cb96..00149393d 100644
--- a/config/schedule.rb
+++ b/config/schedule.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 
 # loading our environment variables and defaults
 require 'yaml'
-env_file = File.join(Rails.root, 'config', 'local_env.yml')
-defaults = File.join(Rails.root, 'config', 'sample.local_env.yml')
+env_file = File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/local_env.yml'
+defaults = File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/sample.local_env.yml'
 
 YAML.load(File.open(env_file)).each do |key, value|
   ENV[key.to_s] = value
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 YAML.load(File.open(defaults)).each do |key, value|
   ENV[key.to_s] = value unless ENV[key]
 end
+
 path = File.expand_path(File.dirname(File.dirname(__FILE__)))
+
+# run our jobs in the right time zone
 set :job_template, "TZ=\"#{ENV['TIME_ZONE']}\" bash -l -c ':job'"
 set :output, "#{path}/log/cron_log.log"
 #