You are so lucky to live in the USA. If its fun flying you want then try and get hold of Dick Starks books about the Kansas City Dawn Patrol. These guys built there own WW1 replicas on a shoestring budget and fly them around at various shows etc. Take off, mock dogfight with fake guns and smoke and then land back at their small strip for BBQ and beers. To me this is what fun flying is all about but I suppose everybody is different.
It can be done here in the UK and I am in the planning stages of building my own WW1 replica but you guys over there can do it a lot easier/cheaper than we can.
Isn't there a chance of getting a floatplane job where you are or something similar? I would have thought you were in one of the best places to get a 9-5 type of flying job.