A pat on the back

Have you ever undertaken anything knowing perfectly well that you were completely and woefully unqualified for the job, that there really was only one possible outcome, and that the magnitude of the impending disaster was the only uncertainty in the matter?


I try to avoid putting myself into these situations, out of what I assume to be a fairly common aversion to failure, coupled with a healthy dose of laziness. Why exert myself unless I feel that I have a reasonable chance of accomplishing what I set out to do? There are people out there who continually test themselves, who take on tasks of heroic proportions only to crumble in the face of adversity, and rest only long enough to think up another hare-brained idea and off they go again. I'm not sure that I know any of them personally, but a quick search on You Tube will provide you with plenty of fodder for your viewing pleasure.


To make a short story longer than it needs to be, I made a cake for E's 2nd 2nd birthday party. This, in itself, will be no surprise to anyone. But here's the thing. I made an Ernie cake. The easy part was baking a cake in the shape of Ernie. Decorative cake pans can make even you appear to be a master confectionary sculptor. But I didn't stop there, though every neuron in my cerebral cortex begged me to. No, instead I gave myself a couple of solid whacks to the amygdala and busted open the food colouring. And somehow, about two hours and no violent mishaps later, Ernie appeared:









Now, I know I'm not entering him into any competitions, and I might add that not one person suggested that it was too magnificent to eat...author mutters under her breath...but I am very proud of the way it turned out. I was stretching the envelope when I tinted the icing blue and pink for her 1st 2nd birthday party cupcakes, and I went into this with all sorts of back-up plans. I was confident that I would eventually have to face the reality that I just cannot produce a recognizable muppet out of sugar. But here he is - was - in all his glory, and I stand corrected. The confirmation came when the birthday girl, all by herself, was able to tell me that Ernie was on her cake, after a few terribly tense seconds of deliberation. Folks, I went into this with nothing, and surprised myself. Maybe the next time you walk blindly into something you have no business doing, you'll come out the other end proudly, too.


Yes, I'd have to say that this one really takes the cake.


I just couldn't resist.