when you have no friends in the town you are in really lonely

I am in the same situation. All I can say is try your best to make friends. Go do the things you like the most and you may run into someone with the same interests.

...in other words you're S.O.L.

awww join in the forums I have made many friends here and have met one in person...good luck

Chat on the computer, with a cat or dog on my lap.

I'm fortunate. I have friends away from the computer as well as on. No one I really talk to here...yet. But on the gameing forum that I moderate I have friends from all over the world. The downside is you don't get much opportunities to meet them. I'd love to hang with Jelle from the Netherlands or Aeris from Japan, but the distance and time-off thing kills that. For now, anyhow. I did meet a buddy from Indiana. Two of my friends and I 'kidnapped' him for a couple hours. No, seriouslly, we just picked him up at purdue and all went to lunch.
But I'm fairly good at keeping friends, whether highschool, college, or other. But my social life is Saturdays mainly. I work third and most of the people I interact with work 1st or 2cd.
When alone, I usually watch a film, read, or go shopping. Sometimes, when the neighbors are out, I turn up the music and boogey a little. (nothing too indecent).
Otherwise, I try to write. I'd like to finish something some day.
I don't know what'll happen if I get a woman in my life. I mean, some of my best pals are girls but you know...a girlfriend. Ah, someday. But I'm not in that much of a hurry that'll I'm gonna rush out and ask someone out.
But I think I'd go bonkers if all my friends were just on the computer and I had no one to laugh with or high-five.