categories sidebox layout

I would like to add some 'decoration' to my categories sidebox (or categories list box, I get the same problem in both), but when I turn on display:block every line of text get a blank/empty line under it (category names are in every other line, between them is empty space).

A.category-top {
	font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
	font-size: 12px;
	color: #ffffff;
	width: 100%;
	margin: 5px 0px 0px 0px;
	padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;
	background-color: #222;
	height: 20px;
	display: block; 
	text-decoration: none;
	line-height: 20px;
}

and I cant simply turn off display: block because it is the only way to get the background color to stretch on to the entire line of the sidebox (and not only beneath the text), as far as I know.

If anyone had similar problem, I would appreciate some help

p.s. I would like to avoid using mods and addons (e.g. categories dressing) if possible (although I think I would have the same problem even with it)

bump

p.s. I can't post the url because the page is live and the stylesheet with this problem code is online only for a short time while testing

And why are you afraid of categories dressing? It will do exactly what you want.

Fear not, new challenges were meant to be conquered. It only took me about 30 minutes to understand it the first time I used the mod.

Oh, if you are worried about messing a live site, install xampp and run the zen cart locally on your machine for testing.

If that is too complicated, then install zen cart in a /sandbox directory on your website and play with new stuff.

:)

im just trying to keep it simple...a few lines in stylesheet should be enough for what im trying to do...

to much mods and addons...too messy

p.s. live site is not a problem for me beceause I do my tweaks in the very late hours when I presume there are no customers....but I can't, for the purposes of this post, leave it with the fault in place for a longer time