Can you tell us what city you're in, or at least be a little more specific? I know you're main point was to vent and get advice, but a lot of times these posts can result in actual job leads and offers.
I'll go ahead and say Atlanta. If you're familiar with the area I live up I-75 in a suburb, and with traffic being the way it is I'm trying to stay from I-75 down to I-285, then over as far as the Perimeter Mall/Alpharetta area. Duluth, Norcross, downtown and Buckhead are a bit far, quality-of-life wise and I'm not that desparate yet.