.nil? sometimes throws errors

app/models/story.rb

@@ -75,14 +75,11 @@ class Story < Issue
     end
 
     def points_display(notsized='-')
-        if story_points.nil?
+        # For reasons I have yet to uncover, activerecord will
-            return notsized
+        # sometimes return numbers as Fixnums that lack the nil?
-        end
+        # method. Comparing to nil should be safe.
-
+        return notsized if story_points == nil
-        if story_points == 0
+        return 'S' if story_points == 0
-            return 'S'
-        end
-
         return story_points.to_s
     end