You Can't Count on Me by Counting Crows

Williams-Hamilton dinners date back to 2005.  It was something you could count on every month.  You never left a dinner before scheduling the next dinner.  Each one was a much anticipated event.  There was a food theme for each dinner (Argentinian, Indian, Japanese, and Moroccan, to name a few).  The hosts usually provided the main course and some drinks...the visitors usually provided appetizers, sometimes desserts, and more drinks.  It was an all night affair, full of talking over each other (all 4 of us doing this at the same time), board games, laughter, and friendship.  It rolled over into the morning with breakfast and more story telling and more laughter.  And of course, there was music.  I put a lot of thought into the music I would play at each dinner and if you look at my iTunes, you will see playlists titled Hamilton Fun and More Hamilton Fun.

I had never been a big Counting Crows fan, I know, sacrilege. I am supposed to feel a strange loyalty to them.  But I didn't.  A friend of mine had an extra ticket to the concert back in the Spring of 1996 so I went with him and I was unimpressed and also concerned because Adam Duritz was so stoned I worried he would fall off the stage at any moment!  And also, they played Mr. Jones, the one song I enjoyed, in slow motion, like a remix, but not in a good way.  Scott H. really liked Counting Crows though and even suggested going to a concert.  I said no, I was not a fan, etc, but I wish I had said yes in retrospect.  Live performances are FUN and now we have kids and when will we ever be going to a concert together now??  It was probably at their house when I heard some Counting Crows that I wasn't familiar with and started to hear them in a different light.  I downloaded a couple songs and later burned the CDs that Scott had.  My favorite song is You Can't Count on Me.  It's kind of cheerful sounding, but the lyrics are anything but cheerful.  Regardless.  I think it's become clear so far in my life soundtrack that I don't listen too closely to the lyrics.   I started incorporating some Counting Crows into my Hamilton mixes.

Over the years we added two rambunctious dogs to our dinners, which only served to raise the volume considerably, as there were now 6 voices talking over each other.  The years went by and we added 3 kids to the mix.  Dinners turned into lunches and most recently a day trip.  Still fun, still much anticipated, but no more themes, no more overnights, and much less drinking.  I still create a music playlist when it's the Williams turn to host.  Speaking of which, I need to email Karen H. to plan our next get together!