diff --git a/optim_nn.py b/optim_nn.py
index c23e448..0ac409a 100644
--- a/optim_nn.py
+++ b/optim_nn.py
@@ -195,12 +195,10 @@ class Layer:
 
     def forward(self, lut):
         assert len(self.parents) > 0, self
-        #print("      forwarding", self)
         B = []
         for parent in self.parents:
             # TODO: skip over irrelevant nodes (if any)
             X = lut[parent]
-            #print("collected parent", parent)
             self.validate_input(X)
             B.append(X)
         Y = self.multi(B)
@@ -209,12 +207,10 @@ class Layer:
 
     def backward(self, lut):
         assert len(self.children) > 0, self
-        #print("     backwarding", self)
         dB = []
         for child in self.children:
             # TODO: skip over irrelevant nodes (if any)
             dY = lut[child]
-            #print(" collected child", child)
             self.validate_output(dY)
             dB.append(dY)
         dX = self.dmulti(dB)
@@ -346,11 +342,7 @@ class Model:
         assert isinstance(y, Layer), y
         self.x = x
         self.y = y
-
         self.ordered_nodes = self.traverse([], self.y)
-        node_names = ' '.join([str(node) for node in self.ordered_nodes])
-        print('{} nodes: {}'.format(len(self.ordered_nodes), node_names))
-
         self.make_weights()
 
     def make_weights(self):
@@ -358,7 +350,6 @@ class Model:
         for node in self.ordered_nodes:
             if node.size is not None:
                 self.param_count += node.size
-        print(self.param_count)
         self.W  = np.zeros(self.param_count, dtype=nf)
         self.dW = np.zeros(self.param_count, dtype=nf)
 
@@ -369,8 +360,6 @@ class Model:
                 node.init(self.W[offset:end], self.dW[offset:end])
                 offset += node.size
 
-        #print(self.W, self.dW)
-
     def traverse(self, nodes, node):
         if node == x:
             return [node]
@@ -425,6 +414,11 @@ class Model:
         raise NotImplementedError("unimplemented", self)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import sys
+    lament = lambda *args, **kwargs: print(*args, file=sys.stderr, **kwargs)
+    def log(left, right):
+        lament("{:>20}:   {}".format(left, right))
+
     # Config
 
     from dotmap import DotMap
@@ -446,7 +440,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         nesterov = False, # only used with SGD or Adam
         momentum = 0.33, # only used with SGD
 
-        # learning parameters: SGD with restarts
+        # learning parameters: SGD with restarts (kinda)
         LR = 1e-2,
         epochs = 6,
         LR_halve_every = 2,
@@ -510,6 +504,10 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 
     model = Model(x, y)
 
+    node_names = ' '.join([str(node) for node in model.ordered_nodes])
+    log('{} nodes'.format(len(model.ordered_nodes)), node_names)
+    log('parameters', model.param_count)
+
     training = config.epochs > 0 and config.restarts >= 0
 
     if not training:
@@ -536,26 +534,31 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     LR = config.LR
     LRprod = 0.5**(1/config.LR_halve_every)
 
+    LRE = LR * (LRprod**config.LR_restart_advance)**config.restarts * LRprod**(config.epochs - 1)
+    log("final learning rate", "{:10.8f}".format(LRE))
+
     # Training
 
     def measure_loss():
         predicted = model.forward(inputs / x_scale)
         residual = predicted - outputs / y_scale
         err = loss.mean(residual)
-        print("train loss: {:11.7f}".format(err))
-        print("improvement: {:+7.2f}%".format((0.0007031 / err - 1) * 100))
+        log("train loss", "{:11.7f}".format(err))
+        log("improvement", "{:+7.2f}%".format((0.0007031 / err - 1) * 100))
 
         predicted = model.forward(valid_inputs / x_scale)
         residual = predicted - valid_outputs / y_scale
         err = loss.mean(residual)
-        print("valid loss: {:11.7f}".format(err))
-        print("improvement: {:+7.2f}%".format((0.0007159 / err - 1) * 100))
+        log("valid loss", "{:11.7f}".format(err))
+        log("improvement", "{:+7.2f}%".format((0.0007159 / err - 1) * 100))
 
     for i in range(config.restarts + 1):
         measure_loss()
 
         if i > 0:
-            print("restarting")
+            log("restarting", i)
+            LR *= LRprod**config.LR_restart_advance
+            #optim.reset()
 
         assert inputs.shape[0] % config.batch_size == 0, \
                "inputs is not evenly divisible by batch_size" # TODO: lift this restriction
@@ -567,6 +570,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
             shuffled_outputs = outputs[indices] / y_scale
 
             optim.alpha = LR * LRprod**e
+            #log("learning rate", "{:10.8f}".format(optim.alpha))
 
             cumsum_loss = 0
             for b in range(batch_count):
@@ -581,9 +585,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 
                 # note: we don't actually need this for training, only monitoring.
                 cumsum_loss += loss.mean(residual)
-            print("avg loss: {:10.6f}".format(cumsum_loss / batch_count))
-
-        LR *= LRprod**config.LR_restart_advance
+            log("average loss", "{:11.7f}".format(cumsum_loss / batch_count))
 
     measure_loss()
 
@@ -596,5 +598,5 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     b = (64, 128, 192)
     X = np.expand_dims(np.hstack((a, b)), 0) / x_scale
     P = model.forward(X) * y_scale
-    print("truth:", rgbcompare(a, b))
-    print("network:", np.squeeze(P))
+    log("truth", rgbcompare(a, b))
+    log("network", np.squeeze(P))