I hate that too. If there is no shoulder and you dont feel that the lane can safely fit you and the car, you are within your rights to take the right lane by riding further into the middle than normal; forcing cars to either pass you in the left lane or not pass at all. This can be scary too, but if you give it a try you will probably feel safer this way, I do.

I am also a VA cyclist, in the mega-suburb that is Virginia Beach, till I get back to school in Richmond. I think suburban riding is more scary/dangerous than urban or rural because there are usually a few huge, high-traffic arteries that you HAVE to go on, and no parallel routes like in a real city with a grid-like layout.