I realize that the advertisements in the astronomy magazines make you want to go out and immediately make a telescope purchase, but if you are new to the hobby/obsession you would be well-served to hold off on that major purchase for a bit.
There is much that you can do without that telescope that will be fun and educational, as you learn more about astronomical observing and your own particular interests. A great place to start is The Novice Astronomer Observing Challenges Handbook (PDF) available as a free download from the Irish Federation of Astronomical Society (IFAS).
It is described as "A Self-contained Handbook and Logbook for the Novice Astronomer" and contains excellent exercises (called "Your mission:") from the relatively simple (Record the Moon's Phases) to the intermediate (Tracking the Planets) to the more complex (Record an Occultation, and Record a Comet).
Along the way you will learn to chart your way around the stars and learn about atmospheric phenomenon. This is a great place to start, for budding astronomers of any age!
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