Since I do this fun-tastic stuff all day long, some of the best resources for using software, such as Premiere/Photoshop,etc are available on the web. Here are some nice links:

creative cow - www.creativecow.net
Adobe online training - www.adobe.com
good tutorials -www.good-tutorials.com
tutorialized - http://www.tutorialized.com/

Honestly, I find Final Cut/Final Cut Express more "friendly" than Premiere. The only advantage you have with Premiere is the integration with other adobe products (this choice is up to you). Otherwise, you start barking with the expensive stuff - like the 50k suite I sit at. I'm sure this is not in your bike budget!