Peg, I've always found like some others who have commented here, that when one door closes on your life another one opens. It seems each time things have seemed impossible to overcome the solution turned out to be better than what I had before. I know it's easy for us all to say, 'get the hell out of the big city and go somewhere where the cost of living is not so ridiculous' but that is an alternative I would certainly explore. With todays communication and travel possibilities, nowhere or no one is very far away. You and friends could always figure someway to get together and who knows, you may be setting a precedent that some of your friends would want to follow!!