Chores

    One of the less fun things about living alone is that anything that comes up, you have to take care of it. At the moment, the shower has started draining slowly again. It's no big deal of course; it's not any problem at all to go to Publix and get something to unclog it. It's just another petty little annoyance, another little uptick on the stress level.
    Back when I was married(ish), we could at least share chores to some degree. I think in three years living together, we cleaned up the back yard only once, but it was huge fun. I have no idea really why we didn't do it again. (Oh yeah, under the leaves there was poison ivy. Fairly good reason!) Now I know perfectly well that sharing chores isn't a source of joy in any relationship, and often becomes a source of strife instead. But it's also true that anything annoying is a little less so if all the responsibility of fixing it doesn't always fall on you alone. And sharing onerous duties often make them a lot less onerous. Sometimes it even makes them fun.