Thank you so much for all your help! I was planning on lurking around York Optical today to window shop (the website said they are closed on Sundays), and to my surprise and joy they were open! Apparently they'll be open on a Sunday for all of December. And... they had the Skywatcher 8" Dob! I am now the proud owner of a new telescope, and with the help you guys provided I didn't fall into the all too typical trap of buying 'supermarket' quality. And I got my birthday present a week early, which is a bonus!
I'm going to try it out tonight, I had my DH set it up all afternoon, lol! I think he's just as excited as I am, and hopefully our first glimpse of the night sky will convert him for life
Rajah235, I fully agree with you on waiting before diving into photography. There's enough to learn right now, and I'm only just beginning. Let the adventure begin!
Zelda