On comfort and aesthetics

I'm a relatively low-maintenance person.  Now, here, my husband (and probably my dad) would likely enjoy inputting that I am certainly not emotionally low-maintenance, but low maintenance in the typical use of the phrase.

I don't wear make up, I don't own a blow dryer. I shower in the morning and am dressed and ready to leave in fifteen minutes.  Tops. 

But also, what leads me to speculate upon this subject this morning, low-maintenance-ence--is that I'm standing here at my laptop with a plant on my head.  Let me explain.  My laptop sits plugged in atop our built-in china cabinet (which incidentally is filled with records, books, music recording and sound equipment, rather than china) under a hanging vine plant.  So, rather than unplug my computer and sit down with it on my lap, I am standing here typing whilst this hanging plant drapes over my head and shoulders.  It isn't really comfortable,but I didn't even notice until Tad got up and I realized he might laugh about it.

The same thing happens to me both physically and aesthetically when Tad's not home.  I'll be sitting in the dark, in the heat, with the windows closed and the fan off, in silence.  Tad will come in and say, "Wow. Having fun sweating in the dark silence?" And he'll put on Pandora, open the windows and turn on the fan. And voila! The room is suddenly a comfortable and pleasant place to be.

It makes me wonder...what did I do before?  The time I did live alone, in my twenties, I did put on music and get myself in a place of comfort and pleasantness.  But I suppose, mostly I've always lived other people.

I know it is a quality like this that made me a great roommate.  I never cared what movie we rented, what bar we went to, what restaurant we ordered from.  Whatever.  I was just happy doing what everyone else wanted to do.

But when Tad comes in and changes the room quality and I see how nice it is, like he does, it makes me think...should I be doing more to improve my surroundings?  Certainly I have preferences and music I'd like to listen to...  I wonder if other people think about things like this.  If other people arrange their surroundings just so, in order to have a peaceful and happy place to exist. 

I guess I'll start by getting this plant away from my head and putting on some music.