def normalize_status_data!
      self.status ||= {}      
      self.status['workers'] ||= {}
      
      self.status['workers'].each do |k,v|
        unless v.is_a?(Hash)
          v = {'state' => v.inspect }
        end
      end
      
      self.databag ||= {}
      self.databag['workers'] ||= {}
    end
def normalize_status_data!
      self.status ||= {}      
      self.status['workers'] ||= {}
      
      self.status['workers'].each do |k,v|
        unless v.is_a?(Hash)
          v = {'state' => v.inspect }
        end
      end
      
      self.databag ||= {}
      self.databag['workers'] ||= {}
    end
This makes sure that:
 All supervisors have a status that is a hash
 If it has something else for whatever reason, the real object is put in a hash under the 'status' key