Chris, There is a bright side to your LQS rejection, you have now found so much more from this board and I'm sure this board has gained from your inclusion. I understand needing the one on one, tutorials are great, but if you have a question about a particular part, the tute doesn't answer you, you either have to play that part over and over until you get it or ask someone, and all you want to do is get on with your project.
I am one of four girls, my parents were very intuitive, from a very early age we were taught that we could do anything, we were born and breed in the city but we could use a chain saw, manage rifles and shotguns, we all could drive cars by the age of 10 learning how to control a car through sand and mud, skin and gut rabbits, clean and fillet fish. I was the only one that took to motorcycles, and dad showed me quite a bit as he used to do Scrambles. This philosophy has been passed to my children, at aged 25 my daughter was the Australian Womens Motocarna Champion, she does a lot of her own mechanical repairs, and this is from a girl who struggles to find womens clothing small enought to fit her and works in IT. My son enjoys designing and making swim wear for his girlfriend, my only problem with this is that he takes over my sewing machine and room when he gets the sewing bug, can't wait for him to move out, will buy him a sewing machine as a house warming gift.
Reading this post there is a lot of support from this board, I hope it has helped, if not to have solved the situation but to at least give you other avenues to persue.
Good Luck, have a merry Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year.