rock and a hard place

You know how they (whoever "they" are)say that there's just no pleasing some people? I suppose I'm one of those people. I moved away from the city because I was tired of being harassed by crackheads at the laundromat. I left because people saved their parking spaces with chairs. I left because in just one neighborhood there were enough seats in bars for EVERY PERSON living in all of the 90+ neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. I left because I expect to speak English to most people, in most situations.
When I left, I left a lot of friends behind. The really fun people. The people who were/are really important to me I have kept in touch with, of course, but it's the loss of a hundred or so aquaintainces that makes the move to the sticks really bitter.
I am so pleased to have enough land that I can grow (a lot of) my own food, but I miss being able to go out for Thai food at 10 P.M. with drunk psychobilly kids. I am so very happy that I have a driveway rather than on-street parking that must be secured by way of various intrigues and diversions, but I miss all the crusty, badass old bikers. It's surprising that this town can support three tattoo shops, yet somehow when men (even young men) see my arms they can't stop themselves from telling me that tattooed women have never been their thing, or that their fathers would scream if they brough a girl home with that much ink. It's great to live right on the water, but it was also great, in the past, to be able to go see a decent live band every week. I love it that my kid can go outside and literally hug a tree, but I hate it that here in the country where you can actually feel nature, all of the earth-religion people (aside from a few eccentrics at a Unitarian Church) are in hiding. The overwhelmingly oppressive conservative Christian atmosphere is suffocating. I have a pair of friends who have a child about the same age as mine, and they are great playmates. We agree on many parenting issues, and the Christianity-in-your-face environment is difficult for them too. I think that they are planning to move away from this town within the year. Not because of that--it's the whole 'rural living' package, I think.
The other thing about being here is that it's difficult for someone who works from home to make friends, and damn near impossible to find someone interesting to date. The pool of single men is pretty small, and when you remove all the miserable bastards, the men afflicted by paralyzing shyness, and everyone with basic interests so different from mine that it just can't be ignored, that leaves. . . well. . . let's just say that I'm not dating anyone and the last guy I dated turned out to be a train wreck.