Well, I took the plunge today. I went down to the local Guitar Center and got a Yamaha FG700S acoustic guitar. It's just a no frills natural looking acoustic, but I figured it was best to not go overboard when I don't know exactly where this will lead. If I end up trading it in on something better in a few months, then so be it.
I guess all that remains now is to become a full member on this site. Wish me luck!
Funny side note: I was just looking at my receipt and toward the bottom it says, "Please Note: All gear purchased must be used to ROCK." :p