Petewill, one of the most difficult things I had to deal with was the loneliness. When I drank, I had a large drinking crew and it was a big party 4 to 5 days a week. When I quit, I lost all of that. It was tough.
I made friends in AA, but like you say, that doesn't quite fill the gap. BUT, it will; it just takes some time. You're still new in recovery so your life is going through major changes. It's hard leaving a social network. But, it's worth it in the long run. I wouldn't give up my life now for anything.