diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 9c37924..81b4967 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ version = "0.6"
 
 [dependencies]
 chan = "0.1.18"
+num = "0.1"
 chan-signal = "0.1"
 odds = "0.2"
 toml = "0.2"
diff --git a/src/direction.rs b/src/direction.rs
index 4b5f5f1..258674a 100644
--- a/src/direction.rs
+++ b/src/direction.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 //!   Its actual direction depends on the orientation.
 
 use vec::Vec2;
+use XY;
 
 /// Describes a vertical or horizontal orientation for a view.
 #[derive(Clone,Copy,Debug,PartialEq)]
@@ -31,8 +32,8 @@ impl Orientation {
     ///
     /// (`Horizontal` will return the x value,
     /// and `Vertical` will return the y value.)
-    pub fn get(&self, v: &Vec2) -> usize {
-        *v.get(*self)
+    pub fn get<T: Clone>(&self, v: &XY<T>) -> T {
+        v.get(*self).clone()
     }
 
     /// Returns the other orientation.
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ impl Orientation {
 
     /// Returns a mutable reference to the component of the given vector
     /// corresponding to this orientation.
-    pub fn get_ref<'a, 'b>(&'a self, v: &'b mut Vec2) -> &'b mut usize {
+    pub fn get_ref<'a, 'b, T>(&'a self, v: &'b mut XY<T>) -> &'b mut T {
         match *self {
             Orientation::Horizontal => &mut v.x,
             Orientation::Vertical => &mut v.y,
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f1b2995..cec30e3 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ extern crate toml;
 extern crate unicode_segmentation;
 extern crate unicode_width;
 extern crate odds;
+extern crate num;
 
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate chan;
diff --git a/src/vec.rs b/src/vec.rs
index 31389e6..bd17bb3 100644
--- a/src/vec.rs
+++ b/src/vec.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 use XY;
 use direction::Orientation;
+use num::traits::Zero;
 use std::cmp::{Ordering, max, min};
 
 use std::ops::{Add, Div, Mul, Sub};
@@ -30,81 +31,75 @@ impl PartialOrd for XY<usize> {
     }
 }
 
-impl XY<usize> {
+impl<T: Ord> XY<T> {
+    /// Returns `true` if `self` could fit inside `other`.
+    ///
+    /// Shortcut for `self.x <= other.x && self.y <= other.y`.
+    pub fn fits_in<O: Into<Self>>(&self, other: O) -> bool {
+        let other = other.into();
+        self.x <= other.x && self.y <= other.y
+    }
+
     /// Returns a new Vec2 that is a maximum per coordinate.
-    pub fn max<A: Into<Vec2>, B: Into<Vec2>>(a: A, b: B) -> Self {
+    pub fn max<A: Into<XY<T>>, B: Into<XY<T>>>(a: A, b: B) -> Self {
         let a = a.into();
         let b = b.into();
         a.zip_map(b, max)
     }
 
     /// Returns a new Vec2 that is no larger than any input in both dimensions.
-    pub fn min<A: Into<Vec2>, B: Into<Vec2>>(a: A, b: B) -> Self {
+    pub fn min<A: Into<XY<T>>, B: Into<XY<T>>>(a: A, b: B) -> Self {
         let a = a.into();
         let b = b.into();
         a.zip_map(b, min)
     }
 
     /// Returns the minimum of `self` and `other`.
-    pub fn or_min<T: Into<Vec2>>(self, other: T) -> Self {
-        Vec2::min(self, other)
+    pub fn or_min<O: Into<XY<T>>>(self, other: O) -> Self {
+        Self::min(self, other)
     }
 
     /// Returns the maximum of `self` and `other`.
-    pub fn or_max<T: Into<Vec2>>(self, other: T) -> Self {
-        Vec2::max(self, other)
+    pub fn or_max<O: Into<XY<T>>>(self, other: O) -> Self {
+        Self::max(self, other)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: Ord + Add<Output = T> + Clone> XY<T> {
+    /// Returns (max(self.x,other.x), self.y+other.y)
+    pub fn stack_vertical(&self, other: &Self) -> Self {
+        Self::new(max(self.x.clone(), other.x.clone()),
+                  self.y.clone() + other.y.clone())
     }
 
+    /// Returns (self.x+other.x, max(self.y,other.y))
+    pub fn stack_horizontal(&self, other: &Self) -> Self {
+        Self::new(self.x.clone() + other.x.clone(),
+                  max(self.y.clone(), other.y.clone()))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: Zero + Clone> XY<T> {
     /// Returns a vector with the X component of self, and y=0.
     pub fn keep_x(&self) -> Self {
-        Vec2::new(self.x, 0)
+        Self::new(self.x.clone(), T::zero())
     }
 
     /// Returns a vector with the Y component of self, and x=0.
     pub fn keep_y(&self) -> Self {
-        Vec2::new(0, self.y)
+        Self::new(T::zero(), self.y.clone())
     }
 
-    /// Alias for `Vec2::new(0,0)`.
+    /// Alias for `Self::new(0,0)`.
     pub fn zero() -> Self {
-        Vec2::new(0, 0)
+        Self::new(T::zero(), T::zero())
     }
+}
 
-    /// Returns (max(self.x,other.x), self.y+other.y)
-    pub fn stack_vertical(&self, other: &Vec2) -> Vec2 {
-        Vec2::new(max(self.x, other.x), self.y + other.y)
-    }
-
-    /// Returns (self.x+other.x, max(self.y,other.y))
-    pub fn stack_horizontal(&self, other: &Vec2) -> Vec2 {
-        Vec2::new(self.x + other.x, max(self.y, other.y))
-    }
-
-    /// Returns `true` if `self` could fit inside `other`.
-    ///
-    /// Shortcut for `self.x <= other.x && self.y <= other.y`.
-    pub fn fits_in<T: Into<Vec2>>(&self, other: T) -> bool {
-        let other = other.into();
-        self.x <= other.x && self.y <= other.y
-    }
-
-    /// Returns a new `Vec2` with the axis `o` set to `value`.
-    pub fn with_axis(&self, o: Orientation, value: usize) -> Self {
-        let mut new = *self;
-        *o.get_ref(&mut new) = value;
-        new
-    }
-
-    /// Returns a new `Vec2` with the axis `o` set to the value from `other`.
-    pub fn with_axis_from(&self, o: Orientation, other: &Vec2) -> Self {
-        let mut new = *self;
-        new.set_axis_from(o, other);
-        new
-    }
-
-    /// Sets the axis `o` on `self` to the value from `other`.
-    pub fn set_axis_from(&mut self, o: Orientation, other: &Vec2) {
-        *o.get_ref(self) = o.get(other);
+impl <T: Into<XY<usize>>> From<T> for XY<isize> {
+    fn from(t: T) -> Self {
+        let other = t.into();
+        Self::new(other.x as isize, other.y as isize)
     }
 }
 
@@ -121,27 +116,27 @@ impl From<(u32, u32)> for XY<usize> {
 }
 
 
-impl<T: Into<Vec2>> Add<T> for XY<usize> {
-    type Output = Vec2;
+impl<T: Add<Output=T>, O: Into<XY<T>>> Add<O> for XY<T> {
+    type Output = Self;
 
-    fn add(self, other: T) -> Vec2 {
+    fn add(self, other: O) -> Self {
         self.zip_map(other.into(), Add::add)
     }
 }
 
-impl<T: Into<Vec2>> Sub<T> for XY<usize> {
-    type Output = Vec2;
+impl<T: Sub<Output=T>, O: Into<XY<T>>> Sub<O> for XY<T> {
+    type Output = Self;
 
-    fn sub(self, other: T) -> Vec2 {
+    fn sub(self, other: O) -> Self {
         self.zip_map(other.into(), Sub::sub)
     }
 }
 
-impl Div<usize> for XY<usize> {
-    type Output = Vec2;
+impl <T: Clone + Div<Output=T>> Div<T> for XY<T> {
+    type Output = Self;
 
-    fn div(self, other: usize) -> Vec2 {
-        self.map(|s| s / other)
+    fn div(self, other: T) -> Self {
+        self.map(|s| s / other.clone())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/view/position.rs b/src/view/position.rs
index 524107e..2afca1f 100644
--- a/src/view/position.rs
+++ b/src/view/position.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ impl Position {
     }
 
     /// Returns a position relative to the parent on both axis.
-    pub fn parent<T: Into<Vec2>>(offset: T) -> Self {
+    pub fn parent<T: Into<XY<isize>>>(offset: T) -> Self {
         let offset = offset.into();
         Position::new(Offset::Parent(offset.x), Offset::Parent(offset.y))
     }
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ pub enum Offset {
     /// Offset from the previous layer's top-left corner.
     ///
     /// If this is the first layer, behaves like `Absolute`.
-    Parent(usize), // TODO: use a signed vec for negative offset?
+    Parent(isize),
 }
 
 impl Offset {
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ impl Offset {
                 Offset::Center => (available - size) / 2,
                 Offset::Absolute(offset) => min(offset, available - size),
                 Offset::Parent(offset) => {
-                    min(parent + offset, available - size)
+                    min((parent as isize + offset) as usize, available - size)
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/views/select_view.rs b/src/views/select_view.rs
index e9ce58e..ef9dc6c 100644
--- a/src/views/select_view.rs
+++ b/src/views/select_view.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use Cursive;
 use Printer;
 use With;
+use XY;
 use align::{Align, HAlign, VAlign};
 use direction::Direction;
 use event::{Callback, Event, EventResult, Key};
@@ -425,8 +426,13 @@ impl<T: 'static> View for SelectView<T> {
                     // This is the offset for the label text.
                     // We'll want to show the popup so that the text matches.
                     // It'll be soo cool.
-                    let text_offset =
-                        (self.last_size.x - self.items[focus].label.len()) / 2;
+                    let item_length = self.items[focus].label.len();
+                    let text_offset = if self.last_size.x >= item_length {
+                        (self.last_size.x - item_length) / 2
+                    } else {
+                        // We were too small to show the entire item last time.
+                        0
+                    };
                     // The total offset for the window is:
                     // * the last absolute offset at which we drew this view
                     // * shifted to the top of the focus (so the line matches)
@@ -444,7 +450,7 @@ impl<T: 'static> View for SelectView<T> {
                         // A nice effect is that window resizes will keep both
                         // layers together.
                         let current_offset = s.screen().offset();
-                        let offset = offset - current_offset;
+                        let offset = XY::<isize>::from(offset) - current_offset;
                         // And finally, put the view in view!
                         s.screen_mut()
                             .add_layer_at(Position::parent(offset),
diff --git a/src/xy.rs b/src/xy.rs
index 31a6031..4f30323 100644
--- a/src/xy.rs
+++ b/src/xy.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,27 @@ impl<T> XY<T> {
     }
 }
 
+impl <T: Clone> XY<T> {
+    /// Returns a new `XY` with the axis `o` set to `value`.
+    pub fn with_axis(&self, o: Orientation, value: T) -> Self {
+        let mut new = self.clone();
+        *o.get_ref(&mut new) = value;
+        new
+    }
+
+    /// Returns a new `XY` with the axis `o` set to the value from `other`.
+    pub fn with_axis_from(&self, o: Orientation, other: &Self) -> Self {
+        let mut new = self.clone();
+        new.set_axis_from(o, other);
+        new
+    }
+
+    /// Sets the axis `o` on `self` to the value from `other`.
+    pub fn set_axis_from(&mut self, o: Orientation, other: &Self) {
+        *o.get_ref(self) = o.get(other);
+    }
+}
+
 impl<T> XY<Option<T>> {
     /// Returns a new `XY` by calling `unwrap_or` on each axis.
     pub fn unwrap_or(self, other: XY<T>) -> XY<T> {