I don't want to put words in your mouth or anything but I find a lot of enjoyment out of "menial" tasks as well and attribute it to practicing mindfulness without realizing it.
I recently had to sort huge boxes of legos for a hacker space. It sounded miserable but it really was relaxing just letting the mind blank out.
It's funny, because I used to hate polishing my school shoes as a kid.
I only polish my boots around once a month, so it's a couple of hours a year. I spend more time sewing up clothes and sewing on replacement buttons, which I've also discovered now that I'm an adult is a cathartic activity.
There's something nice about trying to distance yourself from the throwaway disposable consumer culture we have now, and actually fixing things.
I guess I've become a hipster.