Hey Bren, there's no disgrace in being a newbie at anything. No apologies necessary, Asking questions is how we get answers and learn. The only wrong question is the one you don't ask.

I think O'Reilly (Murray's Discount Auto Parts in this area) sells Factory Air brand Reman compressors. I can't attest to the quality long term, but I've used them before and not had any issues after 2-3 years. I'd say it would be a good choice. They are certainly better than the Murray/Four Siezens units from AZ.

NAPA does not carry Dura-141 any more. Here's a thread about it on the AC Forum: http://www.autoacforum.com/messagevi...threadid=19751.
I still have ~20 gallons of Dura-141 and haven't purchased any flush solvent for quite some time. I wasn't aware of this. Scroll down to the 4th post.
The Dura-II from NAPA sounds like a really good alternative.

You'll need to rig hoses and clamps to get the solvent into the evaporator and back out. Sections of heater hose works well. Use a rubber tipped blow gun and clamp the hose to it to blast the air.

Don't worry about the gauge readings and such just yet. Once you get the parts cleaned/replaced, then post back.
You'll need the manifold gauge set and a vacuum pump to proceed.

If you want to learn more about AC systems in general, check out www.autoacforum.com. Browse the Tips and FAQ section then peruse the regular forum. Feel free to join and ask your questions there. Many of the regular posters are AC profesionals who like to help new DIYers like yourself. I'm a member myself.
I'm not trying to turn you away from FTE or this post, but you can learn a lot over there because AC is what that forum is about. It might take some of the mystery out of it for you.