[PD] pool and pack+route

[Star Morin]

pool: anyone know how i can get [pool] to retrieve a negtive int from a
text file?  it will store and retrieve them readily, and writes them out
to file ok, but consistantly returns 0 when read back from a text file. 
windows && linux  pool 0.1.0

pack+route: this is not really a functional problem as there is an easy
workaround, but it is an anoyance (and makes litte sense).
the following produces an error:

[pack f s f]
|
[route 1 2 3]
|
| $1 $2 (

$2 out of range unless i 

[pack f s f]
|
[route 1 2 3]
|
[unpack s f]
|	|
[pack s f]
|
| $1 $2 (

what's up with that?

thanks!
-s