Indeed there are. I have not had a drink in almost six years. I let people read into that however they wish to, since they will anyway. This is what works for me.
I've dated, and been in relationships, with women that drink, and those that don't - I've never been bothered either way.
I understand where you are coming from. I often feel the same way.
You seem like a more-than-decent sort, and the best thing I can say is that you just never know what is around the corner. Those not looking too hard are sometimes found.
I'm not independently wealthy, but if the right person comes along, at this juncture in my life, I suspect no distance is great enough. It may happen, it may not. I am neither hopeful nor hopeless - just the gray area in between (that is, of course, unless someone comes along).
I've made some friends here and there's solace in that perhaps my world is not so small. That, and it's hard to argue with the cost.
RE: Haus Bodhi's der Schmerz
I don't hate my job, but could use some serious mental reconstitution...