Hey,
Ben and don't let them knock your 4.5" scope too much. I started with one of those and it surprised me just how much it was capable of seeing with a couple of decent EP's. You'll want to move up in aperture one day and try other things but enjoy and learn and ask plenty of questions on here.
I trust you have found Stellarium already and you're using it to get acquainted with the sky, especially on those cloudy nights.
Cheers
Brent