Welcome to the world of photography, Brian. If you find the magazine a little over your head that's probably a good thing. If this is your first real experience with an SLR camera then you definitely have some things to learn, but I find I often learn best when I reach up and dissect those things found floating "over my head". The internet is an amazing tool for getting details on terminology you don't quite grasp yet.
That said, find yourself a good beginner's guide to photography and get to know your camera. I started into photography with an old Nikon FM back in the 80's but had been going the point and click route for most of my middle years until I invested in my D7000 last February. It is an amazingly versatile, yet complicated tool, and for as much as I thought I knew I soon realized that I didn't know squat. For me, Darrell Young's book Mastering the Nikon D7000, essentially a detailed walk through the camera's user guide, is what worked best for me. Knowing what your camera is capable of is the first step in making great photos. From there it's easier to focus (pun not intended) on the specific subject matter that interests you.
Most of all, take lots of pictures, and have fun. Try and fail, and learn from your mistakes - digital film is free!! It'll be frustrating at first when you miss that awesome shot because you didn't quite know what you were doing, or forgot to make that one change, but these habits come with repetition and practice. Sort of like learning a musical instrument. There are only a few prodigies who can pick it up and make art almost immediately. The rest of us need to put in the time.
