Every time they update this program it gets MORE complicated and LESS intuitive! I just want to open a file using FTP from my host, mkae the changes and then upload those changes! No projects, no complications! I THOUGHT this used to be pretty straightforward in previous versions but now I can't find it! Any help for what I want to do would be appreciated.

Actually that was never part of the software. You always had to work on the files locally and then upload them. One of the new additions to 2009 version was Website Projects that allowed you to do this.

You may want to look at Direct FTP. It maybe more inline with what you are looking for.