Alanalampe8, I looked in on this post out of curiosity since the original question was about learning to play. I'm guessing that you're not the original poster from '01.

I do notice that you're a registered user and it sounds like you've got a way to navigate this site that works for you. That's awesome. I've been on here on GT for just over a year and I'm getting a lot out of it. I had a number of years of formal piano (a number of decades ago) and actually started playing guitar in the '70s. With that said, I'm enjoying the ride here and getting a fresh perspective.

Interesting note at the end about studying with a teacher. I haven't taken advantage of it yet, but the teachers on this site can do one-on-ones.

Enjoy!