So I ran across this

http://hackaday.com/2015/08/27/learning-verilog-for-fpgas-hardware-at-last/

among other related articles realted to the icestick

http://www.latticesemi.com/icestick

and the icestorm

http://www.clifford.at/icestorm/

and related tools.  At last some tolerable fpga software, I really
need to go and understand what they did to perhaps apply it to other
products.  Anyway...

Now that I have fpga software that "just works" I dont have to spend
a night or weekend fighting the tools to get the first led blinker,
instead a few minutes later leds were blinking...

You may know from other repos I am a fan of CDL.  

http://cyclicity-cdl.sourceforge.net/

Unfortunately the sourceforge page doesnt really show what you need
to know to just get going on it.  Maybe the examples do but not really.
I work with Gavin and where we work we (they, chip team) have developed
some fairly large designs with this language.  So I have access to lots
of example code, and have lots of sim time using the simulator, so I
have a pretty good handle on it.  In short I think if it as verilog
done right, it outputs C++ and/or verilog so that you can 1) sim for
free and 2) build something.  The output verilog does look machine
generated, yes, agreed...and may be more verbose than you would write
by hand.  I dont disagree with you there, and sure like any language
to language compiler there are opportunities for optimization.  Agree
with all of those things.  I just prefer the cdl to verilog path most
of the time than straight verilog, just my thing.  I have left the
verilog here too, if you want to start there, the Makefiles work fine.
(If you were to choose to use cdl you may need to refer to one of my
other repos or just ask me)

There is an example demo blinker that either icestorm folks or hackaday
person provided with the pcf files needed.  I took/used those (well you
use one, there is a full one and then one with stuff commented out
based on what is being used).

Go to the icestorm link above and follow the simple instructions for
cloning the repos and building the tools, in the order shown.  They
also show how to use the tools and that is basically how I am using them.

The icestick is available from Mouser and perhaps others, for just over
$20.

Start with blinker01