We've Lept the Leap

Leap Year/Day was almost over before I noticed the date and I wouldn't have noticed except I got my cable and gas bills a day "earlier" than expected and that Carol Paul (Dr. Paul's wife) was celebrating her b-day yesterday.

It reminded me of one of my best friends; his granddad was born on Leap Year and I remember his family getting together to celebrate his 21st birthday. Now, the man was turning 85 years old, but he had only celebrated 20 "real birthdays" in the past, that is, the day on which he had been born had only "come around" every four years.

I once dated a woman who had a delightful little girl and she too had been born on Feb. 29th. I helped her mother with a birthday party, the girl's "second" birthday. (she was turning nine)

Being born on Leap Year would be much better than being born on Christmas Day, I think. No parents are going to deny their child a birthday except for every four years, but being born on a major holiday would be a bummer, what with one's birthday being pushed to the side in favor of Christmas.

At least you could save on candles.

I remember a time when I was in the third grade (I think) It was a leap year and one of the guys in the class ahead of me stopped me in the hallway and asked me what was 8 times 8.

Was this some sort of hazing? I started to panic. Was he trying to trip me up, make me look foolish? (he wouldn't have had to asked a question, just hung around me for a day, he'd seen plenty of foolish stuff)

"Uh....sixty-four?" I answered tentatively. I wasn't for sure; math never was my strong suit.

"Nope." he said, while unwrapping a piece of hard candy. (Jolly Ranchers, remember them?) I waited, figuring the punchline would involve some sort of upperclassman oneupmanship on me. Rolling the candy around in his mouth, he replied with a cinnamon-scented rejoinder:

"Nope." he repeated "Eight times eight is 65."

"It's leap year, after all."