how to for total wordpress newbie

[segalmedia]

I have some knowledge of html and some css and minimal php. I have built about 10 websites. I have never used wordpress before. A trusted web designer friend recommended studiopress to me. I consider myself a quick learner and use lynda.com often as one of my tutorial resources and. I am totally stuck right now trying to learn wordpress. I would LOVE to invest in studiopress because I really like the themes, however I am hesitant to move forward without some help. Are there some tutorials out there for people like me? I stare at the interface and it does not make sense to me - I can't even get my pages to show up on the menu bar.....

So, can anyone point me in the direction of some sample tutorials so that I have the confidence to move forward?

Thanks,

Lisa