Wow, great info from 2 more-than-highly qualified individuals- Mr Seeley, you & Ken went above and beyond to explain some "basics" that'll keep me from stressing out the ATC and other pilots on the network!
Thank you both so much. The above info given was lacking "ego's" that others seem to have on VATSIM-as a medic firefighter in the real world I appreciate this more than you both know..thanks again for your time and knowledge

Another very excellent source of information that I don't see referenced very often for some reason is the FAA's FAR/AIMs (Federal Aviation Regulations / Aeronautical Information Manual) which are published for free online or also available in print form.  General Operating and Flight Rules (14 CFR Part 91) is a great place to start.  VATSIM tries to be as realistic to real-world operations as possible, so these regulations also govern VATUSA to some extent.

The Aeronautical Information Manual is also chock full of information describing procedures and regulations in detail.  All of this information is USA specific, but some of it translates world-wide.  Good luck out there and blue skies.