Wow.

And I thought I was having bike trouble because I was having trouble shifting into the second-biggest cog in back. Turns out the derailleur hanger was just slightly bent.

I'm sure he was flirting with you to give you the crank for free. Other than that, though, aren't there any LBSes in your area that treat you with some respect? Sound like they think they know what you want better than you do. And it sounds like you clearly know what you want. So why do they keep trying to shove their selection down your throat?