So... I listened to what you guys said, tried out some new bikes, and... got none of the ones I discussed in this thread! haha!

Instead, I got a KHS Flite 220 road bike. I think the one I ended up with is a women's, but heck, it fit great when I was test riding it, and then they did a short fitting session and it feels even better now. So now I'm super excited to be back on a bike again finally. Thanks for all your help; it really made a difference.