CC,
Hehe. That's all right, it doesn't really matter who is behind the camera, even if it's P & S. It's their knowledge of how to take a picture that matters, really. =P Granted, DSLR's do help the creative side of things, tho. You can get a entry level pretty cheap, with kit lenses.
Dr. Lee,
Getting a little more use to it, eh? That 2nd one seems a little OOF to me with the over all lighting, and I would guess with flash for it seems a bit "harsh." Either way, keep shooting and I would recommend Tripod, and Hot Shoe flash if you want to get serious for amateur.
Personally, I'm saving up for strobist stuff and it's going to cost me about 400 some bucks, but I think it's going to be well worth it. I hope to have it by end of next month, I'll take a few snaps as I mess with it and see what turns out. Hehe.