The longer term option requires you to live away from home, with a roommate, for less money, in a new situation where you would be new guy on the block. You'd spend weekends traveling home and back.

The shorter term option requires more weekly driving, with a boss that knows you and wants you around, for a little more money. You'd be in your own bed every day.

For me, the choice would be easy. I like relative security. I would take the recall. A known situation is better, in my mind, than the unknowns of taking a job in a new town for less money.

I know it's a hard choice, though, especially considering your commute was pretty long (IIRC). Also considering the downsizing that the PO is going through, the long-term prospects there are certainly cloudy, but they're a huge organization and are going to need people with your skills even if they do continue to go through a retrenchment. Once the economy picks up in a more sustained way, they should bounce back pretty well.

Be aware that my choice is colored by what happened to my mom: she left a good paying job she grew to strongly dislike (after a new boss came in) for the chance to start over in another town on a recruiter's promise that she'd be on her way to great long-term employment after a few weeks of temp work. Needless to say, it didn't work out that way... :-(

Best of luck! HTH a little.

Cheers,
Scott.