Paleo Day 5, Home and Flies

I woke up today with a head cold, a stomach ache, and a headache- thus I laid in bed until eleven. Luckily, Josh wasn't in a hurry to head home (this is a common occurrence in the Murphy family). Because of my general malaise and my issue last night, I did an intermittent fast and had several glasses of water for breakfast to help my gut clear itself out.
Before we left, we visited my family and let Boomer play with his aunt Momo a little longer. Boomer, like always, is a ham and was rolling in attention. He is very demanding, and one bark is all that is needed to secure his wants. As I was eating ham, he looked right up at me, barked, and then stuck his tongue out until I gave him a piece. It was disgustingly cute. He will also do this routine when he wants to be held. What a poop.

Boomer loves on aunty Bryntard.

Momo has always had a thing for Josh. 

Kisses from aunt Momo!

Both Boomer and Moxie love cheese. Momo knows cheese as
"gromet."

We stopped at Java before we left- the last good coffee shop to inhabit Coeur d' Alene. It is home to Idaho's best barista, Kyle, and for the first time in a year, Josh got his white chocolate mocha made just for him by this legend. It was, as it always is, fantastic. I had a hard time keeping the tears at bay as we pulled out of CDA today. The sun was shining, the lake shimmered a deep blue, reflecting the light in all directions. The tree were on the verge of blooming and the residents were slowing strolling downtown. There is something intoxicating about downtown CDA. Something I wish I could preserve in a jar, but I could also feel change. It's not the same town I spent my high school years in, and for the first time, despite my resistance, I knew I had to accept this fact. I don't know why I resist change so much. It's as if I desperately cling to a memory, hoping to relive it anytime I want, yet knowing the passage of time cannot, and never will be reversed. The days spent with Josh at Calypso's and Java, strolling downtown, and spending time together will forever be locked in memory, but can never be experienced with the same wonder again. It's a sad way to experience and appreciate the concept of the present. There will always be magic in CDA, but I will be forced to experience it a new way each time. I'm not sure how to feel about this.
The ride home passed quickly. Josh bravely took the wheel for the most boring part of the trip. He says that eastern washington was God's way of punishing the beautiful western part. I agree. Flat. Ugly. Boring. Luckily, Phoenix and Emery made the time pass quickly, coupled with good conversation. I love road trips with my husband. It gives us focused time to dream together.

The Gorge area of Central Washington is one of the few pretty places until the Cascades.

I wish I could have taken a picture of this event, but for twenty miles over Snoqualmie pass, a police officer led the way for a barrage of cars that refused to pass him. There were seriously no cars in front of the police officer, but tons of cars at a constant twenty feet behind him, constantly braking to make sure they didn't pass him. I don't know why, but I found this highly entertaining as I imagined the Flight of the Valkyries being played in the background.
When we arrived home, we were greeted by the familiar smell of musty cat pee from the previous tenant. In other words, everything was normal EXCEPT Beelzebub decided to raid my house with his army of flies. Normally, this would leave me distraught, but you see, my sister and I love killing flies. The rush of the inner, primeval hunting beast comes out. I get to be half Arnold half she-beast; tearing through the house with an old shirt, jumping off of furniture, waiting for the right moment to strike. Every fly met his watery, toilet grave. I am satisfied.

As for the paleo diet, things are going well. I'm learning more about my body and how I metabolize different foods. Canned tuna is probably the most boring food on the planet. Also, Josh wants in on the plan, and so I'm very excited to help him curb his processed food habit! As for me, my diet today included-

6 small squares of Green and Black 85% dark chocolate
A good ten oz of assorted meats (It's hard to measure when you are visiting home and have access to a gold mine of fine foods.)
Five egg whites, and two of those yolks
A large banana
An apple
1 Tbs of almond butter
1 can of Tuna
A bite of Havarti Cheese
One 12 oz Bowl of Soul (I'm sorry if cavemen didn't have coffee, this cavewoman will have as much of it as she pleases while visiting Java.)

So, my best estimate is 112 g of protein and 100 g carbs. As far as calories go, it come to about 1220, give or take 50 calories. Probably closer to 1300, but who's counting? I will tell you though, after becoming a little better acquainted with my body, especially after my fruit binge last night, carbs make me hungry, then bloaty, then achey. Apples really make me hungry. Really hungry, unless immediately paired with a fat of some kind to slow the sugar absorption. Carrots really do me in, so I try to avoid them. When I came home tonight, after eating an apple on the road, I was ravenous. Enter can of tuna, chocolate, egg white and almond butter. I feel fine now, but I now understand why I was neurotic as a vegetarian. More on that in a later post.