29 February 2008

Happy Leap Year!

So, it's another leap year. A February, a year, during which we are graced with an extra day.

Have you ever noticed that leap years are also presidential election years? Do you think that was done on purpose? Gee, let's make presidential elections happen on leap years so that we can force the populace to sit through an extra day of mud-slinging commercials and vote-for-me BS! YEAH!

Leap years can be awfully confusing. Are you ready to be confused? Me neither, but I've already had my morning coffee, so pffffthhhhzz!

So, years that are divisible by four are leap years. BUT, years that are divisible by 100 are not leap years, unless said years are also divisible by 400, then those are leap years.

Hey, I know. My head exploded, too.

So, that means that 2000 was a leap year (duh), but 2100 won't be. But, like I f-ing care because I'll be dead by then, unless I live to be 128 years old. And then? I'll be too damned old to care. I won't even know how to wipe my butt at that age, or even what my age is, much less keeping track of a calendar. I'll be watching 95-year-old reruns of Supernatural wondering if sex with a 122-year-old Jensen Ackles would still be hot or just... gross.

Hm. I'm thinking gross, too.

What I'm trying to say is - what about all the poor schmucks who were born on a leap year? I was always paranoid about any of my future children being born on a leap year and how we would celebrate. Or, more important, when would we celebrate their birthdays?

On February 28th?

Or March 1st?

Maybe if these non-existent children were born between 12:00AM and 11:59AM on leap year, we would have celebrated subsequent birthdays on February 28th. Born between 12:00PM and 11:59PM? Easy. March 1st would have been the day. Yeah. I've put that much thought into this non-problem.

Then? Like idiots? Four years later? Would we have celebrated the child's "official" first birthday? And four years later, their second birthday, and so on?

Being born on a leap year has got to be a pisser. I'd be annoyed enough to want to change my birth certificate.

I guess my point is (OK, so I don't have a point - just bear with me) that I would rather Leap Year be considered a holiday over Valentine's. It could be a holiday when we all celebrate that "extra" day of life, the extra day to get things done, to see our families, to celebrate another rotation. To get out and do something out of the ordinary.

And not allow Hallmark to hijack it.

5 comments:

RiverPoet said...

Happy Leap Year!

I saw a girl and her mom on the Today Show earlier this week. They were in the audience on the plaza. She was celebrating her "4th birthday" and was a leap year baby, so I guess she was turning 16?

They asked her when she normally celebrated her birthday, and she told them that she celebrated on both February 28th and March 1st, except on leap years.

So there you have it, from one who has lived it!

I agree that this should be a day of unique celebration. Do something out of the ordinary with your extra day :-)

Peace - D

Avitable said...

You're 6 years older than Jensen Ackles?

Gypsy said...

I don't even get why there is such a thing as a leap year. Does that make me stupid? Probably.

Coal Miner's Granddaughter said...

Momma - Yeah, she's probably 16. And she celebrates for two days? Hussy...

Avitable - Shut up.

Gypsy - No, you're not stupid. Just not as concerned with trivial crap such as myself.

Ok, Where Was I? said...

You're brilliant. I would so much rather celebrate leap day than valentines. I'm all about love, but I hate the forced nature of it. I knew someone whose b-day is today. She was really weird. Really. So I'm going to make a sweeping generalization and say that's just how it is for today's b-days.