Dinner for Schmucks

We were fortunate to receive prescreening passes to a showing of Dinner for Schmucks, which is out in theaters tomorrow. Before the screening, my mom said that she didn't know what it was even about. I explained that it was about a guy was invited to a dinner where they bring people to make fun of, so my guess is that there will be hurt feelings and warm fuzzy moments. I was sure right. This film is completely predictable, with the biggest surprises the pure absurdity of some of the situations. However, it stopped short of being too over the top.

Anyone that watches movies with me knows that I hate stupid comedy. Only rarely will I watch anything that could be deemed as ridiculous. I like well-written comedy, such as The Hangover. But this one definitely hit my funny bone (in a good way!). I cannot remember the last time I laughed that much at a movie. There were some moments of cleverness but many more of absurdity. Paul Rudd was convincing corporate monkey under pressure to move up the ladder, while Steve Carell played his stereotypical goofball. There were also little things that I'm uncertain whether they were meant to be funny or not, but definitely were, such as Ron Livingston of Office Space fame playing the kiss-up to the boss. It was also a bit frustrating that it takes so long to get to the actual dinner; I would have liked to see less drama before and more of the actual dinner.

Verdict: See a matinee, wait for the cheap theaters, or get the DVD from the library. Definitely not for children, with a lot of sexual comedy. Still, I found it absolutely hilarious.

More job love

Well, I am now ten days into my new job. Yes, My Public Library and I are still in our honeymoon phase, but I am very optimistic that this is going to be a long and happy relationship. First, I have come into a fantastic team in the Children's Department. There is a variety of experiences and interests, which helps bring a lot to the table. They have worked hard and made sacrifices during this time without a team leader and dealing with library cuts that have caused heartbreak across the country. Still, they are upbeat and focused on providing excellent service to our community. The rest of the staff have been extremely welcoming and I cannot emphasize their helpfulness enough. I think of questions as I go, resulting in random questions here and there, and they have been very patient with my newness! I am fortunate enough to begin during a time where summer reading is settling down and there is a lull before we ramp up for the fall. I have spent a lot of time observing and thinking. There is a great balance of autonomy and teamwork. As with some positions in my past, I feel like I will really be able to be a great librarian for my community, with the added bonus of leading others to do the same. More cheesiness, I know, but I'm super pumped!

In the same vein as my "I <3 my job" ramblings, I was in the paper! While the article isn't specifically about me, it was still exciting! Libraries have had a tough year and it is exciting to celebrate good news!
Library hours, programs to be reinstated this fall, Friday, July 9