That's funny, I've alway thought of you as one of the very few people here who really are very good programmers (mind: "programmer", not "code monkey"). Top of the crop. Yet you don't consider yourself to be one. Maybe being humble about one's own qualities, is a necessary trait to truly excel?
You tend to step away from the normal paths, question practices that others consider to be the common way to do certain things, and that's one of your best qualities, as a programmer. Just my personal opinion. :)