While I love WordPress, and I find myself “swimming in the deep end of the WordPress pool” on a regular basis, there are some “super geeky” areas I don't get into. This is mainly writing code. If you've always wanted to be able to create a plugin or widget then I have a resource for you. It's Lynda.com

I recently watched tutorials on Google analytics and was impressed with the depth at which the tutorials go. They have an insane amount of tutorials available. I just received their latest newsletter and I see where they now have a course on creating WordPress Plugins and Widgets. Here is how they describe it in their newsletter:

In WordPress: Creating Custom Widgets and Plugins, Drew Falkman teaches PHP developers how to create custom functionality for WordPress 2.0 through 3.0 using widgets and plugins. This course starts by installing and setting up WordPress 3.0 on both Mac and Windows, then provides an in-depth look at tasks related to these WordPress add-ons: installing and administering, building and customizing, creating editable options and database tables, working with posts and pages, and utilizing jQuery and AJAX. There are also tutorials dedicated to promoting a widget or plugin, adding security, and localizing the interface. Exercise files are included with the course. Running time 3 hours and 51 minutes.

They also have a course on creating themes. Here is the description:

 In WordPress 3.0: Creating and Editing Custom Themes, author Chris Coyier shows how to build a custom WordPress theme from scratch and satisfy common client requests. The course covers steps necessary to build a theme using a complete workflow with Photoshop, HTML, CSS, and WordPress 3.0. Also included are tutorials on enhancing a WordPress site with JavaScript, using plugins, and ensuring site security. Exercise files accompany the course.  Running Time: Four hours and 28 minutes.

You can sign up and have 24 hours of access to the tutorials to try them out. If you did this on a Saturday you can see where you could consume extremely valuable content before your trial expired.

Check it out at lynda.com