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.