I have been there, too. I started to ride to work due because it was less painful than walking (plantar fasciitis) and went with a cheap bike, with the additional consideration that I wanted to have peace of mind while I sat at work and the bike was locked outside the building.

If I was to buy a hybrid or similar for longer rides, I would take a good look at the Specialized "Sirrus" and the Fuji "Absolute" ones. And if you can find a 2005 Bianchi Alfana (no longer in the 2006 Bianchi line up), that is just a beauty. Anyway, all of these have nice components (definitely much nicer than the Trek 7000), and they are more like road bikes with a flat handle bar, skinnier tires.

I have never paid attention to prices after Thanksgiving, but the 2006 models should be on sale whenever the 2007 roll into the store and November is the month when they do.

Have your bike shop fit you to the bike. Make sure your wrists are in a neutral position when you are on the bike to avoid pain in your hands in longer rides: stems can be changed, handlebars shortened, etc. Also, you should also try bikes on a longer ride (20-30 minutes)...

Good luck in your bike shopping.