Hello MX559,
Welcome to the forum.
First off, great intro. It seems you have got some really good advice so I will agree with the people before me on their recomendations.
I hope that you will take some time to read the following threads.
There is a lot of good info in there. They will explain a lot. Most of you initial questions are answered in these threads.
The Snook’s big book o’ pheros for rookies ( 1 2 3 … Last Page)
Basic Noob Phero Bootcamp (Basic Noob Phero Bootcamp) ( 1 2 3 … Last Page)
Please let us know what you decide, and be sure to come back and tell us how they worked for you.