diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 2912aad..1874018 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <cstddef>  // size_t
 #include <cstring>  // memset
+#include <ctime>
 #include <iostream> // cout
 #include <vector>   // vector
 
@@ -52,6 +53,8 @@ void *thread_task_increment(const struct thread_data &thread) {
                 << "! (inside run loop, before mutex)" << std::endl;
     }
 
+    usleep(rand() % 20);
+
     // mutex
     {
 
@@ -60,6 +63,7 @@ void *thread_task_increment(const struct thread_data &thread) {
         ;
       // say we want the mutex
       (*thread.wants_mutex) = true;
+      usleep(rand() % 20);
       // block until we have the mutex
       while (!*thread.has_mutex)
         ;
@@ -69,6 +73,8 @@ void *thread_task_increment(const struct thread_data &thread) {
       std::cout << "Hello from thread " << thread.id
                 << "! (inside run loop, inside mutex)" << std::endl;
 
+      usleep(rand() % 20);
+
       *static_cast<int *>(thread.data) += 1;
 
       // tell the thread manager we don't need the mutex
@@ -123,9 +129,11 @@ void do_threading(struct thread_group threads) {
 
   // spawn threads (none will enter the mutex yet)
   for (size_t tid = 0; tid < threads.total_threads; ++tid) {
+    usleep(rand() % 20);
     pthread_create(&my_pthreads[tid], NULL,
                    reinterpret_cast<PthreadFun>(thread_task_increment),
                    &thread_data[tid]);
+    usleep(rand() % 20);
   }
 
   std::cout << "Threads have been spawned." << std::endl;
@@ -133,14 +141,17 @@ void do_threading(struct thread_group threads) {
   // loop until all threads are done
   for (size_t finished_threads = 0; finished_threads < threads.total_threads;) {
 
+    usleep(rand() % 20);
     // TODO: make sure we cycle the mutex through threads round-robin style
 
     // hand off the mutex to threads that want it
     for (size_t tid_wants = 0; tid_wants < threads.total_threads; ++tid_wants) {
+      usleep(rand() % 20);
 
       if (threads.wants_mutex[tid_wants]) {
         // in case the mutex isn't used at all
         bool mutex_was_found = false;
+        usleep(rand() % 20);
 
         // find which thread has the mutex and hand it off if it's done
         for (size_t tid_has = 0; tid_has < threads.total_threads; ++tid_has) {
@@ -148,16 +159,22 @@ void do_threading(struct thread_group threads) {
           if (threads.has_mutex[tid_has]) {
             // we found who has the mutex!
             mutex_was_found = true;
+            usleep(rand() % 20);
 
             // is the thread still using the mutex?
             if (!threads.wants_mutex[tid_has]) {
 
+              usleep(rand() % 20);
               // take the mutex from the thread that has it
               threads.has_mutex[tid_has] = false;
+              usleep(rand() % 20);
               threads.can_ask_for_mutex[tid_has] = true;
+              usleep(rand() % 20);
               // give the mutex to the thread that wants it
               threads.can_ask_for_mutex[tid_wants] = false;
+              usleep(rand() % 20);
               threads.has_mutex[tid_wants] = true;
+              usleep(rand() % 20);
             }
 
             break; // no need to look at the rest if we found who has the mutex
@@ -166,8 +183,10 @@ void do_threading(struct thread_group threads) {
 
         // give the thread the mutex if it wasn't found to be in use
         if (!mutex_was_found) {
+          usleep(rand() % 20);
           threads.has_mutex[tid_wants] = true;
         }
+        usleep(rand() % 20);
       }
     }
 
@@ -176,6 +195,7 @@ void do_threading(struct thread_group threads) {
     for (size_t tid = 0; tid < threads.total_threads; ++tid) {
       if (threads.threads_finished[tid])
         finished_threads += 1;
+      usleep(rand() % 20);
     }
   }
 
@@ -190,6 +210,8 @@ void do_threading(struct thread_group threads) {
 int main(void) {
   struct thread_group mythreads;
 
+  srand(time(NULL));
+
   // the count
   int count = 0;