Derrick, I'm going to suggest that you set up a Zen Cart to play with and learn on. As Kobra said, it's not that difficult once you get the hang of it. If you set up a test installation (you can even use the demo products which in themselves teach loads of things), you can do what you like without worrying about a live site.

I know this doesn't help with your immediate problem, but in the long run, it'll be the best thing you can do.