Once I was at a semi-famous party in Hollywood, with some of my wannabe screenwriter friends.  I had the opportunity to introduce two of my friends (both, by chance, named Michael) to a third friend (also named Michael).  I made a lame joke out of it, saying "You’re Michael, he’s Michael, he’s Michael — everybody’s Michael."  I then pointed randomly to someone who happened to by walking past and said "He’s Michael too."  The man turned to look at us, hearing his name.  It was Michael York, the actor.  I awkwardly said hello.

Margo could get away with this on Yahoo and in the papers, but she has such a devoted following here that we immediately sniff out when she’s away.

Or (the alternative you ignore) she will realize that she’s been indoctrinated into a set of irrational beliefs that her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were brainwashed in earlier generations to believe, and she will break the chain of irrational belief and let herself be guided by reason and empirical evidence instead.

Sounds like "Can’t Move On" has more to move on from than a bad boyfriend.  I wouldn’t attribute this one to "luck" - it seems that one of her primary reasons for hooking up with this guy is that he was having a difficult time and she wanted to help him out.  "Can’t" had better be careful next time around to look for a guy that has something to offer her, rather than a guy who just needs her help.  Her hankering for an apology sounds like she has yet to come to grips with the fact that she consciously sought out a user/loser for a boyfriend.  I don’t know that advising her to be more "intuitive" in future relationships is much help, as I suspect that her intuition is exactly what got her into her last destructive relationship.  I think she should be more thoughtful and logical in choosing her next relationship, and should probably seek out the advice of a therapist.

I’ve got to say, L#2 may just need to chill.  Everyone in this world must deal with people who are occassionally, or even chronically, late.  We don’t have to like it, but we must accept it.  Among potential drawbacks from an ex, this is pretty minor.  Expect it and plan your day accordingly.  If you need to be someplace at 10:00, ask him to come at 8:00 and expect him at 9:00. 

Baby Crazy -

My wife is a graduate student, and last week she had to take care of our 15-month-old toddler by herself while I was out of town.  When I came back, she told me that (having been raised only by her mother) she’d always imagined that she could raise a child on her own.  But until last week, she’d never realized how much more difficult that is to do.  There’s nothing "wrong" with single parenting, except that it’s a lot harder than having another parent around to share in the responsibility.  And unless you already have kids, it’s almost impossible to understand how much harder.

Re #1: This is not a guy who "cheats".  This is a guy who doesn’t want a monogamous relationship.  It sounds like, in the early days, TWM merely had a "dating" relationship with the man, but wanted it to be exclusive.  He finally came around, and agreed - reluctantly, it sounds like.

The problem here isn’t so much about the fidelity, but the reluctance. There’s no proof he’s been unfaithful since he "committed," but it sounds like he’s really a sexual butterfly at heart.  You can’t badger a person like that into a monogamous relationship.  Well, you can, but he’ll be unhappy, and that will make you insecure.  It’s better for all involved for this relationship to end.

Margo posts from the future! Amazing what they can do on the internet these days.

Margo, you are awesome! And it’s great that we will be able to comment on your advice, too! I hope you don’t mind a little back seat driving.