Man, you guys are great, thank you!! OK, so now I'm thinking maybe not the school's bike, but will check out a Vulcan. I already have a mesh armored jacket (neon yellow, you'll see me coming!), gloves, boots and a full face helmet. I don't have any pants, but will look at those too. I figure the better prepared I am to go down, the lesser the chance, right?
I think I'll take my gremlin (read: daughter) to the store again today to get some more details about the TU. I would be paying cash, so maybe if I wave a wad of bills around I can get what I want for the flat $3K without a lot of add-ons. Maybe the cute kid would help lower the price.
Oh- and I am signed up for a Experienced Rider Course, Skills Practice class the beginning of April, so that should make me a bit more confident. My mom and dad still don't know I'm getting a bike, that's almost harder than choosing a bike! ("You'll shoot your eye out!")
Thanks for all the advice, I'll keep you updated!