I've been dating a clockmaker, and she's always trying to wind me up

My wife was complaining the other day. She said I never properly finish the job, always leaving things uneven and requiring her to pick up the slack, and that I really needed to work on my strokes to get a good, smooth coat.

She was talking about the new paint job in the living room, of course.

I've been dating a botanist, and she's been teaching me about the art of cultivation.

Apparently, I've been nurturing a weed.

My friend, who's a professional trombonist, was telling me about the key to a really great performance. He said you have to get a firm grip on the slide, push and pull it with power and precision, and really blow hard and deep to make it sing.

He was showing me how to hit the high notes.