main categories not showing up. disappeared

Ok i have the shop 1.3.9h set up as with categories on the side box.

those same main categories should show up on the middle column screen too.

SIDE BOX
CATEGORY MAIN 1
CATEGORY MAIN 2
CATEGORY MAIN 3

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN THOSE SAME CATEGORIES SHOULD SHOW UP AND THEY WERE THERE BEFORE. i DO HAVE A CUSTOM TEMPLATE AND IT WORKED BEFORE.

i don't know what got screwed up.

these are the mods i am using

admin login as customer
ceon manual card
corner site seal
edit orders
enhanced who's online
graphical sales report
image handler
local sales tax mod
login box
sales report
testimonial manager
ty package tracker

I am using this template and the template has been checked for the code and it's there

zenflavor.com/premium-9

Using Premium 9a

now a vanilla was installed and this template was installed. test categories were done to make sure they showed up and they did.

i used skipwater's os to zen cart importer and after that fact the main categories do not show up anymore.

skipwater could not figure it out either. so maybe someone here has a clue,

UGH. TIA.