• Me: When are you on campus for juries and finals this week?
  • Robert: Never. I don’t have any juries and my only remaining exam is online. What about you?
  • Me: I have juries most of the day Wednesday, but I start and end my week with conducting finals. I get to hack my way through the first movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony at the piano six times this week. God help me.
  • Robert: Well, you could have chosen something easier. Good luck. There’s no undoing that self-inflicted wound, now.
  • Me: Thanks. I can always count on you for words of comfort in my darkest hour.