It's that time of year

It's that time of the academic year - the final week of the semester. The best way to describe it is by an old joke (which I tell to my students):

You look out your window one morning and see a bobcat in your tree. So, you call animal control, and this old Gumby-looking character shows up with a pole with a loop on the end, a heavy canvas sack, and a shotgun. So, you ask, "what're those for?"

"I'm going up into the tree, and I'll try to snare the cat with this pole & loop. Then, we'll put him in the sack".

"How about the gun?"

"Well, you hold it, and if the cat comes down, shoot him"

So, the animal-control guy climbs up the tree, and (once he's out of sight because of the leaves), a terrible shriek is heard, followed by swearing and the sounds of fighting. This goes on for several minutes, and the old guy shouts down, "Shoot! Shoot"

You call back, "I'm afraid I might hit you instead of the cat!"

He yells, "It don't matter - we can both use the rest!"

At this point of the semester, both my students and I can use the rest. Luckily, I'm just about done with writing my exams, and then all I have to do is give them and grade them.

Still, I wouldn't mind if someone just shot me. I think that would be fine with my students, too. We can both use the rest.