The trivial and mundane things in life

So I hate to do the dishes. Of all the household chores, this is my least favorite thing to do. We used to use our dishwasher but at the time we both worked, with only the two of us, it took quite a while to fill up the dishwasher to justify doing a load, and by then we were out of the dishes we needed to make dinner and eat it.
So I started doing dishes by hand. And oh, how I drrrreeeeaaaaaddd it. I try and psyche myself out before I start every day, telling myself I should be happy that I am blessed with dishes to wash, and it means we have food to eat, and it means that I have a family who is eating the food. Well that works to make me feel an immense sense of love for my family, but doesn't encourage me to start the dishes. I tried buying really cute colorful dishcloths, telling myself it'll be more fun to do the dishes and use the bright happy colored cloths, rather than boring old plain cloths. Well that worked for a few days. I decided to take a look around and see if what others think about doing dishes, and here's a funny little article I found on how to enjoy doing dishes-

Let's see.

• Don't wait until the end of the night to do your dishes. We've been known to make a nice meal, eat dinner, and then watch a couple hours of the Rock of Love marathon on VH1 before finally getting around to doing the dishes. When we wait until the end of the night to do dishes, it's hard to enjoy the task.

Yeah I figured that one out a long time ago. In fact I will usually start a sink load right before I start cooking so I can do the dishes as I go and they won't build up because that makes it all the more unappealling. What's next?

• Listen to music. Putting on your favorite CD makes any cleaning job more fun. Doing dishes is the one time when we really have a chance to listen to our favorite music.

Okay, I do this one too. I have even gone above and beyond and I sometimes sing out loud while I do the dishes. Doesn't make it any more enjoyable. Next?

• Use green dish soap that smells great. Scent is a powerful mood elevator. Some of our favorites are Mrs. Meyers Geranium Dish Soap and Caldrea's Citrus Mint Ylang Ylang Dish Soap.

Hmmm, I have to say, my Dawn with bleach alternative isn't quite the powerful mood elevator.

• Make a station for dishwashing supplies so you're ready to go when you need to. We have a wall-mounted basket that holds dish soap, sponge, hand lotion, and dish towel. If you don't mind reusable rubber gloves, they're a good addition to your supply rack and will help to protect your hands.

Okay, check. Have one of these.

• Think of it as time alone...or time together. If you need some time by yourself, dishwashing is the perfect opportunity for introspection. If you prefer to make it a joint task, ask your roommate or partner to dry while you wash, and use the time for conversation.

This is assuming your roommate or partner will actually say "Sure buddy, let's go tackle them dishes!" (Actually, dishes is one of the things my husband will do for me on occasion)

• Love your dishes and invest in a good dish rack. We used to have a cheap dish rack that we hated. A friend gave us the Simplehuman Flip-Top Dish Rack as a gift. She told us it would change our life, and it did.

Oh, well, I do love my dishes! I had to work really, really hard at having a successful Taste of Home Entertainment party so I could receive this beautiful Mario Batalli set of dishes for next to nothing, but it was all worth it! However I don't use a dish rack...

• Give yourself a reward when you're finished. If you really hate doing dishes, you can help yourself out by creating a light at the end of the tunnel. Something small works well: a cup of coffee, some time with a good book, or an extra 15 minutes of sleep.

A Reward huh? I think chocolate qualifies as a reward. So let's review.

Apparently all I need to enjoy doing the dishes is Geranium or Citrus Mint Ylang Ylang dish soap, a super duper dish rack, and a BIG chocolate reward.

Yeah. I'll let y'all know how that works out.