Leap Year.

We all know that pesky old Leap Year.  Yes.  It is a year containing one additional day (or, in the case of lunisolar calendars, a month).  This, as it turns out….. is one of them.

Now… the whole deal is carried out…. in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year.  Pesky, I’m telling you. Downright pesky.

I don’t know why Leap Years irk me so.  But they do.  This extra day thing gets my goat.   And the nerve of whoever mapped this out… to throw that extra day in February.   February 29th?  Why I ask you?  Why?  February is the crappiest of months.  Well, for us in these parts.  The dark of winter.  The blustery.  The cold.

Now… why wouldn’t they make the day….. oh, let’s say…. fall on the day after the 4th of July?  We could call it July 4A.  Make it a National Holiday.  Keep our flags up…. and shoot off extra fireworks.  Two back-to-back days of high-flying-fun in the snappy old US of A.

For every one else… well.   How about if we just take turns on this one?    Leap Year Day has been on February 29th for a couple thousand years.  So perhaps we will move it to July for the next two millenniums.  Yes?

The other thing I don’t like is the name.  It sounds too much like Leap Frog.  I got 29 stitches playing Leap Frog when I was a kid.  Who knew I was THAT close to the edge of that building?  Holy smokes.  I was in a world of hurt.  But that is another story entirely.

Maybe we should move this “tag-along-day” toward the Autumn months.   Then, we could  call it Leaf Year.

Or perhaps…… instead,  I think we should be calling it…….  “One Dang Extra Day” Year.

ODED Day.   People could write Odes about it.

I shall begin the tradition.  Right this very here and right this very now.

My Ode to this Abomination of a Calendar Day.  (Please sing it loud and very proud… to the the tune of…. “Oh Christmas Tree”.

Thanks.  You ROCK.  Okay, all together and with me……

“Oh Extra Day….
Oh Extra Day….
We don’t like you… so go away.
It ages us.
It ages us.
This extra day… it rages us.

We wanted March…. we liked it fine
You came and added extra time.

Oh Extra Day.
Oh Extra Day…
Why do you go and Leap Away?”

Okay.  So I’m not Gershwin.  But you should have seen me dancing a few minutes ago…..