diff --git a/decons.lisp b/decons.lisp
index b0217a8..c971dd0 100644
--- a/decons.lisp
+++ b/decons.lisp
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 
 (defpackage :decons
   (:use :common-lisp)
-  (:local-nicknames (:util :scopes/util))
+  (:local-nicknames (:shape :scopes/shape)
+                    (:util :scopes/util))
   (:export #:rapply #:rreduce #:radd #:rmul #:rsub #:rdiv
            #:combine #:default-deviation #:l2-loss
+           #:*trials* #:trial #:try
            #:line
            #:lgx
-           #:obj
+           #:*obj*
            ))
 
 (in-package :decons)
@@ -69,6 +71,18 @@
              (calculated (funcall objective theta)))
         (funcall deviation (cadr dataset) calculated)))))
 
+(defvar *trials* nil)
+
+(defclass trial ()
+  ((theta :reader theta :initarg :theta)
+   (loss :reader loss :initarg :loss)))
+
+(defmethod print-object ((tr trial) stream)
+  (shape:print-slots tr stream 'theta 'loss))
+
+(defun try (obj theta)
+  (push (make-instance 'trial :theta theta :loss (funcall obj theta)) *trials*))
+
 ;;;; logging (printing) functions for debugging purposes
 
 (defun lgx (op)
@@ -84,4 +98,4 @@
 
 ;;;; working area
 
-(defparameter obj nil)
+(defvar *obj* nil)
diff --git a/test-decons.lisp b/test-decons.lisp
index 518a9cf..24bb9b7 100644
--- a/test-decons.lisp
+++ b/test-decons.lisp
@@ -51,20 +51,24 @@
   (== (decons:rreduce #'+ '(1 2 (3 4))) 10)
 )
 
+(defvar *ds1* '((2.0 1.0 4.0 3.0)
+                (1.8 1.2 4.2 3.3)))
+
 (deftest test-line ()
   (let ((p1 (decons:line 0.0))
         (p2 (decons:line 1.0))
-        (ds1 '((2.0 1.0 4.0 3.0)
-               (1.8 1.2 4.2 3.3)))
         ps1 objective)
     (== (funcall p1 '(0.5 2.0)) 2.0)
     (== (funcall p2 '(0.5 2.0)) 2.5)
-    (setf ps1 (decons:line (car ds1)))
+    (setf ps1 (decons:line (car *ds1*)))
     (== (funcall ps1 '(0.5 2.0)) '(3.0 2.5 4.0 3.5))
     (== (funcall ps1 '(1.0 0.0)) '(2.0 1.0 4.0 3.0))
-    (== (decons:default-deviation (cadr ds1) (funcall ps1 '(1.0 0.0))) 
+    (== (decons:default-deviation (cadr *ds1*) (funcall ps1 '(1.0 0.0))) 
         0.20999993) ;0.899999861)
-    (setf objective (funcall (decons:l2-loss #'decons:line) ds1))
-    (setf decons:obj objective)
+    (setf objective (funcall (decons:l2-loss #'decons:line) *ds1*))
+    (setf decons:*obj* objective)
     (== (funcall objective '(0.0 0.0)) 33.21)
+    (setf decons:*trials* nil)
+    (decons:try objective '(0.0 0.0))
+    (decons:try objective '(0.0099 0.0))
 ))