Up On The Roof

"Grandma, get down from there!"

"That reminds me of a joke.  You want to hear it?" -- Dr. Pollen, my long-time allergist
"Of course."
"John's parents are away on vacation. His father calls up to ask how things are going. John says, 'The cat is dead.' His father gets very upset, and says, 'Son, you could have put that a bit more subtly. For example, you could have said that the cat climbed onto the roof. He slipped and fell. And oh, no, he hit the ground and died.' Anyway, how's grandma?' John says, 'Grandma's on the roof...'"
"I love that joke."
"Oh.  You've heard it before?"
"It's a classic."
"You could've stopped me."
"Are you kidding?  This is the first time you've told me a joke in 23 years."
"I don't usually tell jokes."
"I know.  Are you trying to tell me something, Dr. Pollen?"
"Like what?"
"Bad news, God forbid."
"No, I was just trying to tell you the joke."
"You did a great job."
"Thanks."