I feel like suck a dork.
I think that the dang oil filter was just not tight enough before. I hesitate to over tighten them since they can be so hard to remove. Who thought it was smart to make these things so smooth? They get oily and it only makes things worse.
I see that Fram filters have a textured surface on the end of their filters but I have been advised against using them. Something like that sure would make things easier, especially when clearance is tight for removal.
Thanks to those that helped.