Ooooh oooh that smell, Cant you smell that smell… MCL (apologies to Lynyrd Skynyrd)

MCL was my first real job. I washed dishes. I could barely reach the rack above the feed of the washing machine. Steam was rising, food was baking and there was something decidedly different about the workforce.

The man I was working the washing machine with with would be seen spitting on dishes later that night. He did not speak to me. He turned out to be the lead singer of a local punk band that made some national waves in the 90’s.
The baker in the area next to me made sure to stare me down and declared “you won’t make it till tomorrow”. He was the best man at my wedding 11 years later. The hats… everyone was wearing paper hats, hats with hand writing. Writing that I would later learn were the lyrics from songs from the Clash’s first album. Lyrics they made sure to sing out loud to the elderly couples getting their fried chicken mashed potatoes and green beans and jello in the line. Was a wild fun place to work.