OK, I finally made it out to try some bikes this weekend. Didn't manage to find the one I was looking for but rode some Trek, Scott and Novara(?). The Novara was a 'Dutch Bike' with full metal fenders, rack, lights, etc. Love the look, but it seems too heavy for a 15 mile ride to work.
The Treks at my local store were rather low end and didn't give much satisfaction though I did take a road bike out for a spin and that felt very light and lovely. The Scott Sub 45 was the most fun--despite being literally blown over by the wind twice.
Yes, I have established that I am a total klutz. Crash #1: while trying to slowly turn a sharp corner to duck out of the wind behind a wall a 50 mph gust literally pushed me and the bike into a large landscaping rock--in full view of all shoppers, of course. Crash #2: While riding through the parking lot, happily trying to deduce the logic for the shifters I managed to dump the chain. While looking down trying to understand whether it was completely off I got slow, unintentionally turned sideways to the wind and went down again. This time there was a group of 8 cyclists out for a road trip to witness. D'Oh!
Some days are better than others! But, my sense of humor survived and I did like the bike. The search will continue.