Middle Aged Superhero

Remember that debate you had when you were a kid? Something along the lines of, "my dad's tougher than your dad"? Remember? The Greyhound Puppy showed her competitive side this weekend and played the "my dad's tougher than your dad" card.

I took her and another family's puppy on a ride around the neighborhood on some of the trails. I took up the rear, and there in the front was the Greyhound pup. Little more than a year ago she could not ride at all, now there she is, her blond pony tale hanging out of the pink skater girl helmet, pedaling like she's Mel McQuaid or Alison Dunlap tearing up the trails. "I know where this goes. Follow me."

When we finish our little loop and get back to the house, the guest puppy is impressed with her first ever trail ride. "How far did we go?" she asks.

"Oh, about two and half miles, probably," I answer.

That's when Greyhound Puppy goes nuclear. "My dad's riding all the way to Austin." (Translation: "my dad's tougher than your dad.")

Guest Puppy: "All the way to Austin???!! How far is that??!!"

Me: "Oh, about 180 or 185 miles depending upon the route."

Guest Puppy: "Oh my gosh, . . . "

I gotta say, it puffed me up a bit to have the puppy brag on her old man. It's all relative, however. We're just lucky we live in a soft, suburban neighborhood, and not next door to Iron Wil's kids or the Kahuna's pack of wild dogs. Otherwise, the guest puppy might have retorted with:

"Oh yeah? My Mom's doing Ironman Wisconsin."

or

"Oh yeah? My Dad's done Wildflower and Alcatraz and is doing Ironman Florida."

For now, anyway--until junior high and boys if I'm lucky-- the Greyhound Puppy can think I'm a superhero.