Special interest groups can be quite helpful. I used to be in a Mac User group and found many people I could talk to, especially ask questions. I live in the country now and can't go anymore and there isn't really anything close that I'm interested in. I hope you find something that excites you. Keep up all the good things you are doing for yourself. And don't stand in your wife's shadow, I'm sure some of those people at the football game would love to talk to you if they knew you wanted to talk. I don't know enough about football to carry on a conversation though.