yogi tongue lock

when practicing yoga, one usually places one's tongue at the top of the mouth against the back of the top row of teeth. this is called the tongue lock, or something in sanskrit which means lock of the soul.

there are many times in the bible where we are cautioned against speaking too swiftly or with judgement, wanred to keep a rein on our tongues, or exhorted to follow examples of those who used their powers of speech for good rather than evil. in keeping with the mindfulness of yoga, i was pondering these things during my practice this evening.

think before speaking. when i am really concentrating on my breathing and therefore the tongue lock, it would take an effort to talk to someone. i would really have to pause before i said whatever it is that was going to come out. maybe i should use the tongue lock in my day to day life a lot more often. maybe we all should. just a thought.

!m!

go for the gold, oscar

last sunday (the 24th) was the 80th annual academy awards, the show i worked all week in the cold and rain to go to. i worked until 9 am the morning of the show then walked across the street to the roosevelt hotel (where the first academy awards were handed out, over dinner between a handful of hollywood elite back in the late 20s) to sleep for a few hours. i woke up around 1 and showered and dressed. we bought my dress at loehmanns (and got an amazing deal on it) and i looked pretty good if i do say so myself. i walked back across the street, grabbed some lunch, and headed down to the red carpet to keep my eagle eyes trained on the press corps (aka the paps). i was stationed just inside the entrance to the kodak theater (right behind wher ethe big golden curtain was. i was very briefly on tv (on the abc preshow) but we only saw me because we knew what i was wearing and where i was standing - it was pretty far and blurry. i kept the vendors in line - they kept busting out their personal cameras (a HUGE no no) and i kept yelling at them and security kept confiscating phones and cameras. so no i did not get any pictures of anyone famous however, every single person in the audience of the awards walked within five feet of my position. i saw them all.
george c.
john t and kelly p.
miley c (aka hannah m).
javier b.
jennifer g.
cate b.
jessica a and cash w.
tommy lee j.
steve c.
harrison f and old whats her face.
rene z (who just needs to eat something already!)
daniel d-l.
jennifer h (serious back fat issues in that dress)
all of them, it was amazing. i actually sneezed on colin ferrell. oops. he and his mom didnt mind. his mom was cute. and it wasnt ALL over him just a little on his shoe.

during the broadcast i was in the photo room where winners and presenters are taken after leaving the stage. in between the stage and the door to the photo room is an open bar and some of those folks took FULL advantage. the paps yelled and screamed at them to try and get "the shot" (ps if you are looking at photos of winner online and you see ones with a white curtain saying abc and the oscar logo thats the room i was in). i got to use my stage managing skills to turn the volume on the show up and down if someone was in the room or not and make sure the slate with the correct name went across the stage before each winner. it was really fun. i wasnt able to actually meet any of the celebs but javier and i definitely had a moment after we were all cracking up at him. the paps yelled at each winner to kiss their statue and he turned his over and kissed oscars butt. it was really funny. we (the other press guides and i) laughed and he looked right at me and smiled. i just about melted into a puddle on the floor. ewan mcgregor has some stiff competition in my book now!

we have been watching the show and red carpet coverage on our dvr slowly this week - i know i was on canadian tv alot because their camera was pointed right at me but i dont get canadian channels. oh well. maybe next year.

!m!

Happy Birthday to Us!!!

jeremy and i sort of celebrated our birthdays last week. my birthday started at night with me sitting on the red carpet in the cold cold rain waiting for the news crews that were out there to finish broadcasting their hits for the 11 o clock news here and the breakfast show (the bbc peoples). then we warmed up a little bit in the trailer and headed back to the carpet for the 3am pst hits for the new york 6 am news and things just got busier and busier from there. i was exhausted and cold and a mess when i got home. our cat was sick, i was supposed to meet emay and christina and their baby girls for play time at the mall in the afternoon but jeremy took me home and put me to bed. he took cricket to the vet and i called emay and sadly cancelled. i slept for nine hours (thank you for all your birthday calls but my phone was definitely OFF) then woke up and ate, repacked my bags, and we took the beautiful cupcakes and cake jeremy baked and decorated for me to bible study.

i left bible study early to get on the train to go back to hollywood and start the whole night over again. and that was my birthday.

jeremy's birthday was even lower key - i didnt leave hollywood/highland the entire day so i didnt get to see him at all. after the oscars were over i tried to make it home still on the 24th but it was 12:08am on the 25th when i rolled in the door. sad!

so last night after kris and i went running with her doggies (i ran almost 2 whole miles - like prolly 1.9 or so! which still isnt good enough for my race on sunday!) and to pilates i came home and jeremy made us steaks on the grill and baked potatoes and sweet mushy corn and we ate a yummy belated birthday dinner. he even bought flowers and set the table all fancy with candles and cloth napkins - the whole nine yards! it was a fantastic relaxing dinner, except for the cat biting my toes under the table because i wasnt paying any attention to her. one of my friends at work baked a key lime cheesecake for me and we had that for dessert. it was perfect. watched american idol and hit the hay. i am ready for about 15 of the current 20 contestants to hit the road, jack.

!m!

welcome owen!

baby ashley is excited to meet owen. dan and bridget had their baby today (as you can see in the picture she was ready...) we are all so excited to meet the newest addition to our small group family. they come home from the hospital tomorrow so i need to get cooking! i dont have any details yet (height/length, weight etc.) but mom and baby (and dad) are doing great. i got a text from dan this morning saying the baby finally made his appearance (he was a few days late but nothing major) and that caitie has a link to pictures of him. i havent got the link yet but i am so excited to see him!!!

i am thankful that all of my freinds keep having babies since we arent quite ready for our own yet. ashley is getting so big - she performed several tricks for us last saturday like rolling over front to back AND back to front. now we have a new baby. and of course we got to see rachel this past saturday and she is so grown up...

i miss andrew and brookie though!!!!!

return of the yengs

saturday night we got to hang out with several people we havent seen in ages - john, emay and rachel yeng. they were in town (john was here on business) from texas and we all met at lance and kris's house for pizza and fun time. rachel is SO big. she is walking and giving kisses (i got a few - lucky me!) and when they tell her to pray (in chinese - biligual baby hello!) she bows her head and folds her hands. too cute. she wouldnt let me (or anyone else) hold her (and we used to be such great friends) but she did play with me. john got some funny pcitures of her struggling to get away from me that look like she is enjoying being held. love it!

the added bonus was seeing ryan and kim. we havent seen them in a while either (jeremy and ryan play racquetball every week but i mean socially) so that was fun.

it felt like john and emay had never left. i wish they hadnt. i miss them!!!! i tried to convince them that their next move should be to new hampshire (her family is in jersey - it is perfect!) but they werent buying it. oh well.

javi

while in the photo room last night, javi and i made eye contact and smiled at each other. he is no jeremy, but the man is soooooo good looking. and funny too. and an academy award winner. what more could a girl ask for?

can he sing? if he can then ewan mcgregor is out of a job. sad but true. ewan, you'll always be my number 2. :)

cricket koci

last sunday we went to the east valley animal shelter and adopted our first cat. she is 10 months old and SUPER snuggly. she was spayed on monday and we got to bring her home on tuesday. she had a slightly rough transition because she came home with us with an upper respirartory infection and sore from her surgery. she didnt eat or go to the bathroom for the first couple days so jeremy took her into the vet and got a prescription and a shot to replanish her fluids. since then, she is becoming more active and friendly. this week i was working overnight shifts so she got to sleep with jeremy every night. who would have thought that he would allow such a thing? last night when the osacrs were over and i got to sleep in my own bed at night (a rare occurence) she was rather put out that i took her spot.

we decided to name her cricket because her wheeze from the infection completely sounds like a cricket chirping. it is kinda cute but sad all at the same time. her favorite thing to do is be on the couch with both of us watching tv so she can switch laps when we get tired of petting her.

she is toooooo cute!

meggie, meggie quite contrary

how does your garden grow?

with aloe trees...

and spices for cooking...

and baby cacti all in a row.

yogalicious

two things i learned at yoga tonight...

one thing is she kept reminding us to observe ourselves and not judge ourselves. that is really good advice. she was referring specifically to observing our breath and ability to be "in" the pose but i think it translates well into daily life. like when i want to say something negative i can observe that part of myself and stop it, without judging myself for wanting to do it. or oserving my body in the mirror instead of judging it. not an easy task. when i focaus on the parts i like and not as much on the parts i wish were different, not just of my body but of my life, life in general is much better.

i was thinking about another thing that was witty and clever and going to make everyone laugh but i dont know what it was any more.

i do know that my hips are very open right now. that firelog pose'll get you every time!

also i remembered the other thing, but it isnt nearly as clever as i wish it would be. there were more boys than girls in class tonight, which has never hapened as far as i know in the history of yoga, or at least in my 4 month hostiry of yoga sometimes on friday nights at la fitness. i didnt really learn anything i guess - i was observing, and trying not to judge all the really unflexible (inflexible?) guys and admiring the two guys in the front who were yoga monsters and more bendy than the teacher.

i think we will FINALLY finish watching the grammys tonight. took us long enough!

!m!

happy heart day

heart disease is the number one killer of women in america - more than cancer, more than accidents. keep your ticker healthy by eating oatmeal and exercising.

happy valentines day! my school fed us all breakfast this morning - eggs, bagels, pastries, juice, muffins and oatmeal. nothing better than a big bowl of rapidly cooling oatmeal to start the morning. yum. the eggs were actually good though. we got to work early today so we can leave early so i can get my running in before our dinner date tonight. we are going to micelis, a great italian place we discovered on the recommendation of adam and kristin when missy and audrey were here. i am excited. i love eggplant parmesan and my only chance to ever eat it is when i am out to eat because jeremy hates eggplant. apparently it is slimy. whatev. so i am excited.

last night we were at the gym for a while (over two hours - yeah thats right) and when we got home and showered we settled into the couch to watch american idol and see who the final 24 was going to be. we enjoyed watching it lalala until the very end. they were down to the decision between the last two girls and our dvr stopped the recording. apparently the show lasted a little longer than the scheduled hour. so i know who 23 of the 24 contestants are. anyone know who the final girl was? i am excited about amanda - the nurse/motorcycle rider/rocker. the one i am super sad about missing is the adorable guy with the glasses and the tie. he was like the 13th choice for the boys - just barely missed the chance. he could totally rock the hot nerdie thing. oh well. i enjoy the blonde nanny carly simonish girl too. i am excited to actually hear them all perform on tuesday and wednesday.

not only are the oscars next weekend but i get to see my baby rachel and john and emay!!! i am so excited! we havent seen them in almost a year - since they have moved. emay has been sending pictures of rachel - she is getting SO big but it just isnt the same as seeing them in person. so that is super exciting.

!m!

television returns!

the tv guide online site has a list of when all my favorite stores are returning to the air. april and may are going to be happy happy months in the koci household. the office (jeremy's fave), grey's anatomy, big bang theory, house, and private practice are all coming back this spring and private practice got picked up for a second season! yay! i am one happy camper let me tell you!

we have been watching parts of the grammy sunday and yesterday. there were some really good performances (hello tima turner - you still got your legs after all these years!), some strange ones (carrie underwood - looooove that song but the beating on the trash cans busincess was strange) and some bad ones (no comment because we just ff-ed through them). we are about 2/3 through and really enjoying the show. apparently viewing was way down this year. like third lowest in grammy history. and it was the 50th anniversary. and advertisers are mad. and studio executives are stumped.

all i know is it isnt like there was much else on so it makes me sad that people arent watching these awards shows. i live for award shows and red carpets. i dvr the red carpet on multiple channels so i dont miss an interview or an outfit. doesnt matter what awards they are giving out either. music, tv acting, movie acting, acting acting, whatever. can i get an amen?

!m!

oscar the grouch

i am working at the academy awards for the academy. this is very exciting, but i wasnt really absolutely ecstatic about it until today. everything ive been reading says that the writers strike will be offically over tomorrow on the west coast and they signed all the paperwork on the east coast yesterday. so the actors and directors will actually attend the ceremony instead of boycotting in solidarity with the writers guild. from what i understand this means that i will get to rub elbows with the nominees and hobnob with the winners... (yummy - hob nobs... anyone going to england any time soon and wants to bring me some hob nobs? i like the milk chocolate ones.)

im not a grouch about the oscars any more!

now i need a fabulous dress and some way to work 8am-5pm at my school and 10pm to 7am at the hollywood and highland complex for a week without dying and i am set for life. jeremy and my birthday are being very much overshadowed by the 80th annual academy awards presented to you by abc. i probably wont even see him on the day of his birthday because i will be working all day. wahoo! we are celebrating in march this year. :)

ghetto superstar

ghetto superstar



Ghetto supastar that is what you are

Comin from afar reachin for the stars

Run away with me to another place

We can rely on each other uh huh

From one corner to another uh huh



Some got hopes and dreams

We got ways and mean

The supreme dream team always up with the scheme

From hub caps to sellin raps, name your theme

My rise to the top, floatin on this cream

Who the hell wanna stop me, I hated those who doubt

A million refugees with unlimited warranties

Black Ceaser, datin top divas

Diplomatic legalese, no time for a visa I just begun, I'ma shoot them one by one

Got five sides to me somethin like a pentagon

Strike with the forces of King Solomon

Lettin bygone be bygone and so on and so on

I'ma teach these cats, how to live in the ghetto K

eepin it retro-spective from the get go

Lay low, let my mind shine like a halo

P-p-p-politic with ghetto senators on the d-low



Ghetto supastar, that is what you are

Comin from afar, reachin for the stars

Run away with me, to another place

We can rely on each other, uh huh

From one corner to another, uh huh



My eyes is sore, bein the senator

Behind closed doors hittin truths to the seafloor

The rich don't know, ignore, this tug of war

While the kids are poor open new and better drug stores

So I became hardcore, couldn't take it no more I

'ma reveal everythin change the law I find myself, walkin the streets

Tryin to find what's really goin on in these streets



Now every dog got his day, needless to say

When the chief away, that's when them cats wanna play

I told you, messin around you fools like Cassius Clay

Stretch my heater make you do a pass de bourree K

ick your balls like Pele, pick em doin ballet

Peak like Dante, broader than Broadway

Get applaud like a madator, cry yellin ole

Who the hell wanna see me, from B.K. to Cali



Ghetto supastar, that is what you are

Comin from afar, reachin for the stars

Run away with me, to another place

We can rely on each other, uh huh

From one corner to another, uh huh



Just when you thought it was safe in a common place

Showcase your finest is losin fast in the horse race

Two face, gettin defaced out, like Scarface

Throw your roll money let me put on my screw face



And I'm paranoid at the things I said

Wonderin what's the penalty from day to day

I'm hangin out, partying with girls that never die

See I was pickin on the small fries, my campaign tellin lies

I was just spreadin my love, didn't know my love

Was the one holdin the gun and the glove

But it's all good as long as it's understood

Let's all together now, in the hood



Ghetto supastar, that is what you are

Comin from afar, reachin for the stars

Run away with me, to another place

We can rely on each other, uh huh

From one corner to another, uh huh



thanks asher for helping me figure out what song i was talking about. yes they ripped off the dolly parton song and i knew that dolly sang it orignially but i was talking about a different song - this one. im not crazy and i wont grow old alone with 30 cats.

american idol thoughts #2

last night was the last of the auditions - best of the best and worst of the worst. there werent as many really horribly bad people this year as i seem to remeber from past seasons. most of the people who auditioned for the judges were either horribly bad and in costume and there for entertainment value only, decently good or better and on their way to hollywood or hopelessly delusional about their own talent. and 95% of these people were let down gently and left without the screaming, threatening and cursing i also feel was more rampant in past seasons. maybe they just edited it out this year? the judges were nicer in general and the contestants were more mellow.

hollywood week = drama according to the previews. we will see. there have been some interesting moments in the past.



here is what i am struggling with. last night they showed a girl who sang some song and sucked then came back and sang a dolly parton song decently well and was put through. grandma shane would be proud, from what i have heard. jeremy said she looooved dolly. the song was islands in the stream which i have never heard before. however, somewhere in the depths of my brain the lyrics were floating around but not exactly how ms. parton sang them.



this is some r&b song from the 90s and they kinda sampled the song but changed some of the words and i feel like i am taking crazy pills. does anyone know what song this is?

something something something, that is what we are lalalalalala fly away with me to another world, we will rely on each other oh oh oh from one something to another oh oh...



anyone? help? next thing you know i will be shaving my head and speaking with a british accent if someone doesnt stop the madness!



also, it isnt cool to date both of a set of twin brothers. just a little tidbit. not that i know from experience (i love you shane but just not like that) but the twin brothers (in their matching clothes - hello! they are 25 not 5. ick) and their girlfriend last night seemed a little off. the most expression they had the whole night was when they told the camera they had told her she was better than she actually was so she would embarrass herself. nice loving well adjusted family? i think not.

super bowl sunday

yesterday was bryces 21st birthday. he started the day off right. he met us at church - we had to serve and get there early and he wanted to sleep in. after church we went to our respective super bowl parties (his on his side of the hills, ours in the valley). we went over to lance and kris's house and just chilled, cooked out on the grill, watched three mediocre quarters and one really exciting quarter of football, saw some funny-ish ads and some really stupid ones, and enjoyed tom petty's halftime performance. he has still got it after all these years. the lit up arrow and the beginning was disturbingly phallic but the music was great. we were kinda cheering for the patriots but unless the bucs are playing i really dont care about nfl football. give me a good college game any day of the week (wouldnt that be great - college football any day of the week instead of just sometimes thursday and on saturdays). we came home and went to bed early - we are celebrating with bryce tonight.

today at work i felt completely wrecked like i had been out partying with bryce all night. if i had known i was going to feel like that anyways, i definitely would have gone instead of being responsible and going to bed early before a work day. lame! i hate mondays!

!m!

the steller awards

saturday we spent the day doing laundry and running errands etc. bryce's friendandy came and picked him up so they could hang out. jeremy dropped me off at kris's house and we started decorated for bridget's shower. we themed the shower as the steller awards (since their last name is steller) and went with the stellar (star-studded) theme for decorating. since it is award show season, we had no trouble finding great decorations at the party store. kris and i welcomed the chance to use our china which went well together (not an exact match but a great blend).

there was a great mix of people there too. we had several girls from our bible study, as well as the wives and daughters of some of dan and bridgets other friends. randomly, one of the girls there (the smallest one) you guys might recognize as the (i have to say it) creepy baby from these ads. she is awfully cute in real life when no one is pasting a fake mouth over hers with a deep man voice. we played some fun games and ate some great food. i had to leave early to go to another party (i know all about popular). jeremy picked me up and we headed to hollywood for a birthday party for our friend sarah. our friend vince cooked amazing enchiladas and we played scene it and guitar hero. it was great fun. at 24, she is an old lady. ok so she is barely a month older than me. but still. i like to tease her. a month older and a foot shorter. heehee...

!m!

hood dinner

friday night we came home from work and cleaned a little bit and patiently waited for bryce to call. i called him - the van nuys shuttle still hadnt shown up yet. i aclled again, he was finally on it and headed our way. a lot later than expected but still early in the evening, we picked bryce up from the flyaway and headed to pasadena. russ had several people over for a hood dinner to raise money for a charity (ironically run by a woman named charity) that is fighting human traffiking especially sex slaves being sold in other countries and los angeles itself. they made a delicious meal and we had great company. bryce met his new best friend, andrew, a guy who knows more about the teenage mutant ninja tutrles than anyone i have ever met except bryce himself. it was hilarious to watch them go back and forth over trivia and episodes of the tv show.

the best part of the whole night was when i called my mom to let her know that bryce was here safe and sound.
"the eagle has landed. repeat the eagle has landed."
"so you guys have him?"
"yep"
"tell her the hen is in the coop"
"bryce says the hen is in the coop. but i think he meant the rooster."

!m!