Right there with you in hating to ask for a reference. The ones I had have gone stale. I've been out of work too for even longer and am embarrassed to contact these people again even though I know they'd be glad to hear from me. I just don't feel it's genuine to not be in contact for so long with people and then call them up out of the blue for a reference. I have been trying to volunteer to get some new ones. But I have gotten jobs in the past with old references and I don't think the place even called any of them or, if they did, cared about not reaching them. They were just desperate to hire someone decent. But today's job market is not so forgiving.