has a wide range of tutorials, training veg files, reviews, and articles.
www.classondemand.net has a 4 DVD set available
Gary Kleiner has a 3 DVD set available
The DMN forums have a great professional group/community
And this forum is very responsive as well.

All of the above. I learned with Gary Kleiner's DVD set, which is thoroughly indexed and still serves as an excellent reference. Nice thing about this set is that Gary uses screen shots to illustrate most of the features in Vegas, so you can see exactly how it's done and what the result should look like.

The tips and tutorials on web sites such as Sundance and those of Spot and Billy Boy are invaluable, as is this BB.

Finally, print out the documentation that comes with the program. It's over three hundred pages long, very well indexed and with a good table of contents as well. Costs about $25 to have it printed and bound at Kinko. I found when first working with Vegas that the program has some unique nomenclature -- "event" for "clip," for example -- and it helps finding things if you annotate the index of the documentation so it becomes cross referenced to your own lingo.

Most of vegas can be done with drop and drag. Clips on the timeline are 'cut' with just dragging. If you have a lot of experience with fcp then it'll just be an adjustment to your way of thinking. Hell, I got the basic idea from the demo I downloaded and followed from this site then learned most everything I needed to make my first short from DSE's dvds (mentioned earlier).
If I were you I'd just tinker a bit with the program while I wait for the 4 dvds to arrive. After I'd finished them, I would buy the book and gary Kleiner's dvd's.

By the way, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, post your experiences using HDV. Lots of people here would be very curious about your experiences with it.

You can also look over my Vegas Tips, Tricks, and Scripts Newsletters

Three words -- Play With It (fearlessly) -- ok, that's four.

By the way, your user name might imply that you are a woman from Minnesota, I am certain by your signature that is not the case . . . .

Good luck!

Also, if you see a thread that you'd like to keep for reference, there's a PRINT THIS PAGE icon at the bottom left of this page. I've used this a few times.
Sometimes you'll get alot of users' opinions on how a certain thing can best be accomplished. It's very handy to be able to print the info. I'm reminded of a time there was a thread on mixing technics in the Acid forum. I was very glad there was an option to print the thread. I keep all my printed threads in a binder for future reference.

M

Yesterday I received a copy of the Class on Demand 4 DVD set featuring Douglas Spotted Eagle. I am now about half way through disc 3. As I view the DVD’s on my computer I also have Vegas up, alt-tab, and follow along with Spot doing what he is demonstrating using my own clips and so on. Not sure if this is the best/fastest way but it’s certainly working for me. I purchased the set from videoguys.com (the price was right but they mistakenly sent the DVD’s to my billing address). I thoroughly recommend this 4 DVD set.