Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for January 17, 2011

Trouble ahead.

He’ll make a great husband, fooled into marrying you.

Run, Leo – RUUUUUUUUN!

I don’t know, Leo just might like the idea.

don’t know……..Leo has a lot on his table now and she throws this at him????

So Mike is about to become a grandfather?

Technically, is an interesting word, for someone who goes to MIT!!

“Our” Alex. snort

Remember, this is the girl who basically conducted a breakup and reconciliation single-handed while Leo patiently waited it out in a Sunday page. He may find her ability to hold up both ends of a conversation restful.

^Yup, she can go all the way around a lap and when she gets back, he won’t need to have broken a sweat; as long as he’s okay with watching the drama resolve itself!

Oh dear. Her mother’s genetics are resurfacing.

Incoming, Leo! Hit the dirt!

This is old school. Girls have been operating like this forever…

Unless she’s pregnant, she’ll work herself back to the starting place, and Leo will be there waiting for her. I wouldn’t be surprised if, once he finishes school he does propose. But it’ll only be if that’s what he wants - he’s not the type to be pushed into something.

Does any man know who he is going to marry before she has him asking her?

in the face of her grandmother’s death, her realization of her love for Leo is stronger than ever. “I’m in love I’m in love, I’m in love I’m in love I’m in love with a wonderful guy!”

Every man proposes after being led into it, some more obviously than others. Spare your tears for Leo. This girl is a catch.

When a Lady sets a trap, the only honorable thing a Gentleman can do is walk into it.

Guys do it, too: “I’m going to marry Elaine Robinson. It’s a decision I’ve made.”

If this ends up with Alex dropping out of school, it’ll be disappointing (from a character standpoint), but it wouldn’t be far-fetched.

Where WAS Leo this past couple weeks, anyway? I would like to see the first encounter with JJ and Uncle Stupid-Head.

OMG–is it too much to hope for/anticipate an encounter between Leo’s mom and Grandma’s biker pal?

Think about where Alex’s X chromosomes came from. One from Granny D via Mike; one of JJ’s (a 50/50 change that it would be Joanie’s–it could be Joanie’s first mother-in-law, whom we never met).

Granny D is pretty stable. She always made the best of what she had–the twin bachelors on the next farm, back in Oklahoma, or the biker she met in Seattle. Most women don’t get choices like that! (Unless they’re lucky or work very, very hard at it.)

Why is no one considering that she may be about to propose to Leo? Women aren’t property anymore, they are allowed to ask first now! How can we be equal partners if we sit around waiting for men to instigate all the important moments in our lives?

Old song-‘A Man Chases A Girl Until She Catches Him’. Sung by Donald O’Connor of Marilyn Monroe in ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’. Good luck, Donald and Marilyn, I mean Leo and Alex.

There was no “proposal” when I got married 25 years ago. We just both sort of evolved to the point where it was assumed we were going to get married. The actual discussion was more along the lines of “I suppose we ought to see about renting a hall…” And then we went to the jewelry store so she could pick out her engagement ring (what? ME pick one out for her? You’ve got to be joking!)

This may be a “Surprise Wedding”.

This promises to be a verrry interesting dinner conversation…

notinksanymore got me good. I am an old toot to think that way. Got reinforced recently when my future son-in-law called up to ask for one of my daughter’s hands in marriage. But, yeah, she could as easily ask him.