Vertical Menu Bar too short....need to expand fluidly to match other content

[puffnstuff]

Please help.

I have a left-side vertical menu bar, and the main page content to the right.

The content height will change from week to week, depending on what's in there. I need the left menu bar to expand in height, to match the content, and be fluid so that it will always match the height of the content when that content expands or contracts.

Here's my page, so far:

http://bossteel.com/index09-9.html

As you can see, the left menu bar is not the correct height. (in IE it's too long. In FF, Safari, Netscape it's too short).
I need the background to extend down to match the rest of the page, and then always match, regardless of how much more content on the right side is added or removed.

I have tried various permutations of height: 100%, but I guess I'm still doing something wrong, because nothing has worked so far. I'm sure this is an easy task.

Thanks in advance for helping.

[puffnstuff]

I think I've got it.

Had to move the background image from the #leftmenubar up to #contentwrapper. Have no idea why, though.
I wish I understood this stuff better. Hit and miss is taking up so much time. Hate to say it, but at times I really miss my nested tables.

p.s. where's the button to mark a post as "resolved"?