I'm more-or-less in the same boat as you haumana ronin. My problem is compounded by the fact that the easiest accessible open-water dive spot is an algae filled quarry with crappy vis and coooold water (as can be seen by my current avatar pic). And while diving there is better than not diving...it's pretty miserable trying to do some of the basic drills--although nav/buyoancy control practice is enhanced by only being able to see 10 ft of algae....
I got OW certified in the Red Sea in Aqaba, and diving there with a patient and good instructor was a breeze. I then took AOW back home with an instructor who've I've dove with a couple of times, and was seriously unsatisfied by the experience. He's a good diver, but for whatever reason the class left a lot to be desired. I've also considered seeking out some the instructors on this board who live within a reasonable distance to me, but reading a lot of stuff on Scubaboard has made me very interested in learning from these DIR folks.
Anyways, I recently discovered that a UTD shop opened up nearby, so if I can convince my SO to let me spend the cash on it, I'm going to sign up for Essentials. I have _no_ desire to do any technical diving (deep, overhead, etc) anytime soon, but I have to imagine that whatever in-water and above-water skills I learn from the course will have an impact on how _I_ dive, and will help define what further training I take.