Leap Year

The very last day of February was the very first day of the rest of my life.
It was, to say the least, not what I expected. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I'm glad it only happens once every four years. What with being bitten by a spider on the heel of my right hand (which itches far more than you'd think), and squirting lemon juice in my left eye while preparing dinner (which doesn't burn quite as much as you'd think), I was glad the day came to an end, eventually.
I had planned a whole bunch of "me-time" in celebration of my new beginnings, and ended up doing everything but celebrating.
But in between the mad rush to the shops for cycle gear for tomorrow's big race (read about that later), testing the pool water for an on-going algae infestation, doing the school run (which is always difficult trying to be at two different schools that both end at 12:15), repairing the badly frayed pool net, measuring cupboards for add-ons, doing three loads of washing (no exaggeration, I promise) and a play-date, I got to thinking a little bit about Leap Year (oh, and I also wondered about what I had let myself in for, stopping work and all...)
But, about Leap Year. It's an odd thing to think about, first of all. I mean, when you're sitting around a coffee table, how often do you hear someone say, "I was just thinking about Leap Year, and..."? Well, perhaps after this post there may be a few more people who might give it a little consideration.
But back to the point: Leap Year really sucks. And Leapies (the term given to people born on 29 February - After a quick google search, I was amazed to find out how many of them there are!) must be the most unfortunate individuals on the planet! And I mean that in the nicest possible way. From what I gather, these guys have to put up with so much rubbish - computer systems that don't register their birthdates, problems with issuing driver's licenses, only being of legal drinking age when they're 72. It's a shame, really.
If you know someone born on 29 February, be really nice to them. For three quarters of their life their birthday doesn't even show on the calendar. If you're expecting a child at this time, close your legs, close your eyes, put your bum in the air for the day and pray like mad. If you happen to go into labour, breathe in, and whatever you do, don't breathe out - let alone push! If you cannot avoid birthing your baby on 29 February, be prepared to let them get away with just a bit more than you would usually allow your kids to get away with for the rest of your life. Leapies are special. In a superhuman kind of way. Some heros are born with a gift, and leapies are definitely born with something special.
Other heroes acquire their powers, like, for instance, through being bitten by a radio-active spider.
Which very neatly brings me back to my itching palm. This Leap Year could be the start of great things for me, after all...