Howdy, sorry I missed this post. I live in Orlando and would love to have someone to bounce ideas off of as well.
I am pretty much a noob as well, but I have built a few simple projects. I don't really have all the time in the world (between work and a house renovation) but I would love to get together and talk or come up with a few small projects that would help me to grow my understanding and confidence. Heck, if I can learn or teach a few things along the way that would be great as well!