diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 3d590c1..ea27b89 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Condvar, Mutex};
 use std::thread;
 use std::thread::JoinHandle;
-use std::time::SystemTime;
+use std::time::{Duration, SystemTime};
 
 pub struct Scheduler {
   running: Arc<AtomicBool>,
@@ -158,6 +158,10 @@ impl JobStore {
   fn signal(&self) {
     self.signal.notify_one()
   }
+
+  fn next_fire(&self) -> Option<Duration> {
+    Some(Duration::from_millis(1))
+  }
 }
 
 impl Default for JobStore {
diff --git a/src/threading/mod.rs b/src/threading/mod.rs
index 86e6deb..069ba5a 100644
--- a/src/threading/mod.rs
+++ b/src/threading/mod.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,85 @@
 mod thread_pool;
 
+use crate::JobStore;
 use std::num::NonZeroUsize;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
+use std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Acquire;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::thread;
+use std::thread::JoinHandle;
+use std::time::Duration;
 use thread_pool::WorkerPool;
 
+const DEFAULT_WAIT_NO_WORK: Duration = Duration::from_secs(1);
+
 pub(super) struct SchedulerThread {
-  workers: WorkerPool,
+  halted: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+  workers: Arc<WorkerPool<()>>,
+  store: Arc<JobStore>,
+  handle: JoinHandle<()>,
 }
 
 impl SchedulerThread {
-  pub fn new(pool_size: NonZeroUsize) -> Self {
+  pub fn new(pool_size: NonZeroUsize, store: Arc<JobStore>) -> Self {
+    let halted = Arc::new(AtomicBool::default());
+    let workers = Arc::new(WorkerPool::new(pool_size));
+    let handle = {
+      let workers = workers.clone();
+      let halted = halted.clone();
+      let store = store.clone();
+
+      thread::spawn(move || {
+        while !halted.load(Acquire) {
+          let available_workers = workers.available_workers();
+          // todo delete this!
+          if cfg!(test) {
+            println!("We have {} workers available", available_workers);
+          }
+          let next_fire = store.next_fire().unwrap_or(DEFAULT_WAIT_NO_WORK);
+          thread::sleep(next_fire);
+        }
+      })
+    };
+
+    // todo delete this!
+    if cfg!(test) {
+      workers.submit(()).unwrap();
+      thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1));
+      workers.submit(()).unwrap();
+      thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1));
+      workers.submit(()).unwrap();
+    }
+
     Self {
-      workers: WorkerPool::new(pool_size),
+      halted,
+      workers,
+      store,
+      handle,
     }
   }
+
+  pub fn shutdown(self) {
+    self.halted.store(true, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Release);
+    self.handle.join().expect("Scheduler thread panicked");
+    Arc::try_unwrap(self.workers)
+      .expect("worker pool is still being used!")
+      .shutdown();
+  }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+  use crate::threading::SchedulerThread;
+  use crate::JobStore;
+  use std::num::NonZeroUsize;
+  use std::sync::Arc;
+  use std::thread;
+  use std::time::Duration;
+
+  #[test]
+  fn api() {
+    let t = SchedulerThread::new(NonZeroUsize::new(3).unwrap(), Arc::new(JobStore::new()));
+    thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(3));
+    t.shutdown();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/threading/thread_pool.rs b/src/threading/thread_pool.rs
index 69ef4c5..5569c78 100644
--- a/src/threading/thread_pool.rs
+++ b/src/threading/thread_pool.rs
@@ -4,19 +4,22 @@ use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Condvar, Mutex};
 use std::thread;
 use std::thread::JoinHandle;
+use std::time::Duration;
 
-pub(super) struct WorkerPool {
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(super) struct WorkerPool<T> {
   running: Arc<AtomicBool>,
-  workers: Vec<(Arc<Worker>, JoinHandle<()>)>,
+  workers: Vec<(Arc<Worker<T>>, JoinHandle<()>)>,
 }
 
-struct Worker {
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct Worker<T> {
   busy: AtomicBool,
-  task: Mutex<Option<()>>,
+  task: Mutex<Option<T>>,
   cvar: Condvar,
 }
 
-impl WorkerPool {
+impl<T: Send + 'static> WorkerPool<T> {
   pub fn new(size: NonZeroUsize) -> Self {
     let size = size.get();
 
@@ -25,10 +28,10 @@ impl WorkerPool {
 
     for _ in 0..size {
       let running = running.clone();
-      let worker: Arc<Worker> = Arc::default();
+      let worker: Arc<Worker<T>> = Arc::default();
       let w = worker.clone();
       let jh = thread::spawn(move || {
-        while running.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
+        while running.load(Ordering::Acquire) {
           worker.do_work();
         }
       });
@@ -38,8 +41,24 @@ impl WorkerPool {
     Self { running, workers }
   }
 
+  pub fn submit(&self, task: T) -> Result<(), T> {
+    match self
+      .workers
+      .iter()
+      .find(|(w, _)| !w.busy.load(Ordering::Acquire))
+      .map(|(w, _)| w)
+    {
+      Some(w) => w.assign(task),
+      None => Err(task),
+    }
+  }
+
+  pub fn available_workers(&self) -> usize {
+    self.workers.iter().filter(|w| !w.0.busy()).count()
+  }
+
   pub fn shutdown(mut self) {
-    self.running.store(false, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    self.running.store(false, Ordering::Release);
     for (worker, handle) in self.workers.drain(..) {
       worker.wake_up();
       handle.join().expect("Worker thread panicked");
@@ -47,15 +66,22 @@ impl WorkerPool {
   }
 }
 
-impl Drop for WorkerPool {
+impl<T> Drop for WorkerPool<T> {
   fn drop(&mut self) {
     if !self.workers.is_empty() {
-      eprintln!("WorkerPool hasn't been shutdown prior to being Dropped!");
+      if cfg!(test) {
+        assert!(
+          self.workers.is_empty(),
+          "WorkerPool hasn't been shutdown prior to being Dropped!"
+        );
+      } else {
+        eprintln!("WorkerPool hasn't been shutdown properly!");
+      }
     }
   }
 }
 
-impl Worker {
+impl<T> Worker<T> {
   fn new() -> Self {
     Self {
       busy: Default::default(), // todo non atomic? if only accessed from within the scheduler's lock
@@ -64,9 +90,9 @@ impl Worker {
     }
   }
 
-  fn assign(&self, work: ()) -> Result<(), ()> {
+  fn assign(&self, work: T) -> Result<(), T> {
     if self.busy.load(Ordering::Acquire) {
-      return Err(());
+      return Err(work);
     }
     let mut task = self.task.lock().unwrap();
     match *task {
@@ -76,7 +102,7 @@ impl Worker {
         self.cvar.notify_one();
         Ok(())
       },
-      Some(_) => Err(()),
+      Some(_) => Err(work),
     }
   }
 
@@ -99,7 +125,14 @@ impl Worker {
       task = self.cvar.wait(task).unwrap();
     }
     task.take().expect("task must be available");
-    // todo do the work
+    // todo delete this!
+    if cfg!(test) {
+      println!("Doing work!");
+      thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(2));
+      // todo do the work
+      println!("Done!");
+    }
+
     self.busy.store(false, Ordering::Release);
   }
 
@@ -111,7 +144,7 @@ impl Worker {
   }
 }
 
-impl Default for Worker {
+impl<T> Default for Worker<T> {
   fn default() -> Self {
     Self::new()
   }
@@ -124,10 +157,23 @@ mod tests {
 
   #[test]
   fn test_thread_pool() {
-    let pool = WorkerPool::new(NonZeroUsize::new(1).unwrap());
+    let pool = WorkerPool::<()>::new(NonZeroUsize::new(1).unwrap());
     pool.shutdown();
   }
 
+  #[test]
+  fn available_workers() {
+    let pool = WorkerPool::<()>::new(NonZeroUsize::new(2).unwrap());
+    assert_eq!(pool.available_workers(), 2);
+    pool.shutdown();
+  }
+
+  #[test]
+  #[should_panic(expected = "WorkerPool hasn't been shutdown prior to being Dropped!")]
+  fn test_thread_pool_dropped_panics() {
+    let _pool = WorkerPool::<()>::new(NonZeroUsize::new(1).unwrap());
+  }
+
   #[test]
   fn worker_api() {
     let worker = Worker::new();