A manual clutch, but alas, not mine

I got up early today and walked the dog around the neighborhood (it's a little less crimy in the morning, maybe) off-leash, she did pretty well.  On the way out the door to my swordfighting class I ran into a coworker, another grad student, walking down the sidewalk holding hands with who I guess was her girlfriend, and she called to me and introduced me, talked for a few seconds.  I was rather surprised (I tried not to appear to be so) that she was holding hands with a girl, I suppose she's gay -- which makes me feel a little bit better that I never asked her out, because I had considered doing so some time ago.  It was weird, their hand-holding, it seemed deliberate and out of time with their gait as they walked along down the blocks.  I wonder if it was a statement, a defiance, unabashed and cocky (or in their cases, sans-cocky) or a provokative invitation.  I've never seen that other girl before and wonder if she was being trotted out and around for the first time today, a test-run or a trim-trial.

After the class I went to the comic store and molested my wallet with various TPBs, including the 2nd and 3rd of 'Strangers in Paradise' (which is pretty good) although I wonder if I thought to buy them only after seeing the happy couple this morning.  I got sushi after that and came back to the island, and bought several rolled-straw mats from the tourist beach-shop for 2 bucks each, to cut up with my sword when I can.

and now, nothing to do but sit with my comics and maybe clean up.