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Have you ever felt invincible? Even for the smallest of moments?

Take a look at this picture:



The smaller cat on the left is named Dog. The bigger cat on the right was Tiger (rest his little 20-pound feline soul).

If you look close enough, you will see that Dog is raising her paw to bat at Tiger.

This snapshot caught a single moment in time that is descriptive of Dog's outlook on life. She seems to be oblivious to her size. She welcomes and even instigates a challenge.

"Bring on the bigger cat."

She's fearless (except for riding in the car as she knows that means a trip to the vet, but that's beside the point).

Today, I was Dog. Today, I was fearless. Today, I sought out challenges. Today, I felt invincible.

I can't explain what brought it on, but I felt I could do... anything.

I was driving down Santa Monica when the feeling hit. I came to the intersection with La Cienega, which takes you up to Sunset. Literally. Straight up. La Cienega stops you at a 90-degree angle at the redlight on Sunset.

I do not exaggerate. Steepest incline in the entire world. And again, I do not exaggerate.

So anyway, I sat there at the redlight, on the steepest hill in the world, in my truck that is a manual 5-speed... foot on the clutch and smile on my face as the cars piled up behind me and inched closer and closer to my rear bumper.

But I wasn't afraid. I was fearless. I was invincible. I was Dog.

I need not tell you that I took that hill like I owned it... but well, I guess I just did.

I came home and met a new, entirely different challenge... skunk in my path.

We squared off. I wanted to pass through to building 13, and Pepe wanted... well, he wanted to keep me from getting to building 13.

Normally, I would have turned around and found a new path. But not today, buddy. Nope. Today, I was invincible. Today, I was Dog.

My hands went to my hips. His tail went into the air. Somewhere in the distance I heard an old western tune.

I do not exaggerate. A tumbleweed roll between us. And again, I do not exaggerate.

Long story short, I won. Pepe fully left the path and moved to rooting around in the shrubs while I continued on to building 13.

I am Dog.