Making contact
I would check out the local interest groups. This way you are meeting people that you can relate to. A nationwide forum you might like is craigslist.com or there is usually some weekly newspaper with a calendar of events.

night shift is harder
Thanks for the tips. Working the night shift my schedule never seems to match up with others. But then again it's hard to establish good relationships when you move frequently. I would try some of the classifieds for casual encounters, but with todays society that's kind of scary. Anyone had a good experience meeting people through the classifieds?

Yeah, I met someone interesting through classifieds and now she works in the same office as I do.

The neat thing is that she looks just like someone else that already worked here.

Did you ask her if they are related?