There are times when I’m exceedingly arrogant about being able to do things.  I’m usually pretty confident that I can figure out just about anything, as long as I set my mind to it.  Sometimes that works out for me.

This weekend?  I got my cocky butt kicked by some copper tubing and a torch.  It seems I needed a little ego smackdown because the universe delivered one right to my door.

I’m working on a cake project.  What does copper tubing and torches have to do with cakery, you ask?  Why everything!   I’m making a framework for some cake badassery that’s only going to be badass if it actually works out.  That’s the fun part, in case you think I’m a little bent.  The not knowing if it’s going to turn out right.  It’s either going to be the shiznit or it’s going down in a burning ring of fire.  There is no middle ground.

See, this is where I get myself in trouble every time.  I see something in my head and automatically assume I’m going to be able to make it happen in 3D.  Because clearly it should just jump right out of my head and onto a cake, and I should be able to do it all by myself because I’m just awesome like that.  *cough* Right?

I always forget that the cakes that included sneaky behind the scenes craftodynamics were the cakes that were a result of teamwork.

Case in point:

This one wouldn’t have happened without hubs’ mad skillz.  He made the framework for this cake for me and without his help it would have been just another flat fish on a board.

I have an independent streak about a mile and a half wide.  I don’t like to ask for help.  Maybe it’s because I was an only child for 9 years.  Maybe I’m just a control freak.  It just bugs the crap out of me to have to ask for help on projects that I can clearly envision in my head, and think that being able to see it means being able to make it happen.

Ego much?  My issues are many and varied.

Hubs isn’t here right now to help me.  See what I get for doing that happy hubcation dance?  Universal smackdown via solder and flux.  Now I have to wait until Tuesday for him to help me, which puts my schedule so far behind that I’m going to be in some serious weeds if my plan doesn’t come together all A-Team fashion, especially since I don’t have a Plan B.

Lessons learned?

1. Quit with the Lone Ranger act.  I can’t do everything and I’m really kind of dumb for thinking I can.  I’m not a two year old stomping my feet screaming I do it myself!!
2. Appreciate the skills that other people have.  I tend to take some things for granted instead of respecting the time it took to learn and perfect those things that other people can do.  Especially those things that I can’t do.
3. Alone time is great and not to be undervalued, but teamwork is what makes the world go round.

Hubs is coming back Monday night.  After I smooch him all over he’s going to look at this hot mess I’ve made and shake his head and tell me where I went wrong.  Then he’ll probably pull out the whooopppppppaaahhhh!! and things will magically come together.

Because he’s awesome like that.