Welcome jaredm!!
Good to see you here and don't be shy about asking questions ...it's all good, friend! Good folks here who simply love talking guits and eager to help, if not also to learn
![Smiley :)](http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/Smileys/default/smiley.gif)
I'll leave the advice of a humid climate to those who know ...ahem, I'm in dry SoCal so at worst, I have to
humidify on occasion. But monitoring Relative Humidity (RH) is important; don't sweat the room temperature. As all my guits are wall mounted, I've used my trusty digital hygrometer from Radio Shack for over 10 years now (heck, may even be over 15? ...dang my memory) and it works well, reporting fluctuations in RH readily and (according to my skin) pretty accurately
![Cheesy :D](http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/Smileys/default/cheesy.gif)
You don't need to spend a mint ...these are maybe under $40 or so. FWIW, I'll also add that while the easiest place to maintain RH is inside the guitar case, I applaud you for wanting to keep the guitar out, and would encourage you do do so (provided you can control the RH in your room) simply because you'll play
far[/b] more often this way. Being able to admire it every moment you pass by is an added perk, but trust me, if the guit is out you can snatch a quick minute or three here and there ...warning, which can easily lead to 90+ minutes. But I've found you'll be playing and thus enjoying your guitar far more, not to mention strengthening your chops better than if it were tucked quietly in the case. IMHO, of course.
Practice the "F" chord as shown above. Barr chords are a matter of time and building strength ...you'll get there. But I'd advise not shunning away from them even if difficult or awkward as they are tremendous tools in your chord vocabulary. You can practice regular ol' 3-chord progressions and "feed in" a barr chord or two with your open chords as a workout. And enjoy that Taylor!!
Edward