The ride had been planned.

The bikes were ready. The weather was cooperating. The route had been discussed.

Then came the message:

“I’m not going to make it this morning.”

There are many perfectly respectable reasons for canceling a bicycle ride.

Rain.

Mechanical trouble.

A bad night’s sleep.

Family obligations.

This was not one of those reasons.

Apparently, sometime before departure, Supergirl’s cat had decided to contribute to the household by bringing home a snake.

This created what emergency-management professionals refer to as a situation.

Now, this is Supergirl we’re talking about.

She can climb hills that cause ordinary cyclists to reconsider their life choices. She can ride into a headwind without complaining. She can survive traffic, potholes, loose gravel, aggressive dogs and cyclists who announce “just one more hill” when everyone knows perfectly well there are six.

But a snake in the house?

Ride canceled.

The cat, meanwhile, was reportedly confused by the response.

After all, she had gone to considerable trouble to obtain the snake. There had been stalking. Pouncing. Transportation logistics. Possibly some light resistance from the snake.

And this was the thanks she got?

The snake was eventually dealt with, civilization was restored, and Supergirl survived the ordeal.

The bicycle ride did not.

It was an important reminder that even superheroes have their kryptonite.

For Superman, it's a radioactive mineral from his destroyed home planet.

For Supergirl?

Apparently it's anything small enough for the cat to carry through the door.

Which raises an important question for future rides:

Does the cat know where we keep the mice?