According to algorithms, today is a leap day. This is the one day women are allowed, by social custom, to propose marriage to men. In other words, today women can 'pitch woo'.

At the clinic, we debated ways of celebrating the 29th of February. It seems that we are always looking for occasions to be festive for and with the clients. This usually translates into pizza or free socks and toques. I don't think they really care.

This is part and parcel of being a worker down here. You feel that it is your duty to make the lives of those you serve somehow more exciting, to offer them a reprieve from the daily grind of cracksmoking and getting punched in the face. But it never really works and the party just kind of fizzles out, leaving a bad taste in your mouth. It's partly because it's the staff doing the organising, partly because we have no money for a real shindig, but mostly because it's pretty depressing seeing homeless people try to have fun. In order to begin to have fun, they have to stop being homeless first.

Then again, the Poverty Olympics earlier this month were apparently a great success. So maybe it is possible. My dream is to hold a yearly parade, with floats and banners for downtown. We could march all the way to City Hall, and make them foot the bill.

My own way of celebrating this day is to go to two parties, one for dinner and one for dancing. I am also wearing a tie but that is less about celebration and more about drawing one's eye away from my otherwise shoddy clothing.