But what happens when the sign-up sheet gets ignored? We tried this at my shop and it became a mess. Someone always forgets, so you end up with three desserts and no real food. The themes sound fun but force people to cook stuff they might not know how to make. Last time we did "comfort food" I saw two people just bring store-bought rotisserie chicken. The old guys still ate alone in the corner talking shop, so nothing really changed.

It's funny how taylor_ellis is right about being in on the same dumb bit... the weight of quiet feels so much heavier than any crate. We had a temp foreman once who ran a totally silent site, no talk unless it was for the work. That was the longest week of my life... just the grind with no relief. You start noticing every ache because your brain has nothing else to grab onto. Even a stupid joke about the coffee, like you said, gives your mind a little handhold to break the climb.

Absolutely. Plants become political when family's involved. Thanksgiving just needed a desert opinion.