Wow, I had almost forgotten about the NEETS modules. I hated those things while I was in the Navy!!! They are a good resource, but can put you to sleep faster than a prescription sleeping pill.
Melissa,
I've been using the Netburner 5282 series of microcontrollers at work and I've gotten hooked. If you are getting back into the hobby they are a GREAT little micro.
They are a bit expensive, but have tons of features and are quite powerful.