The pursuit of Web Development

I'm anxiously awaiting the four coding books I ordered on Amazon.com
After watching a Stanford video on web development I was inspired by the lecturer handwriting in three different languages, html, css and javascript.
Having worked with Content Management Systems for over three years there's little need for writing from scratch. I've developed the skill of editing other people's coding to match what I want, but I'd love to be able to handwrite my own themes and web sites.
The Stanford lecturer used Webkit.org it's mostly for MAC OS, and not being a personal fan of Apple and it's products I decided to look for an alternative.

Although I've previously used dreamweaver, I was looking for a cheaper even free alternative. I downloaded Amaya as my web playground. There are many other alternatives including Aptana RadRails, but that proved far to complicated for someone merely beginning to learn various coding.
There's also HTML Kit which I'm considering downloading and exploring later this weekend.

Whilst I await the arrival of my books on html 4, CSS and javascript, I am exploring online CSS tutorials such as W3Schools CSS as a start point.
My ultimate goal over the next few weeks is to develop my skills enough to produce my own version of CSS Zen Garden This project has been around for years, and at first I was intimidated by CSS with all the 'margins' and 'padding'.
Using Amaya and the W3 School tutorial, I hope to be able to produce my first CSS.

Patiently waiting for the mailman,

Webgeek.me