After I posted this, I finished my beer and started re-reading my rigging tutorials and realized that I was allowing myself to get overwhelmed. I was thinking too holistically about it instaed of taking each separate joint and limb into consideration. I started doing the same function over and over; IK, constraints, nurbs curves, etc. and then deleteing them and doing them again (kinda like a kata in martial arts) until I could do it in my sleep.

Rigging still freaks me out but I'm starting to get the hang of it.

@Jay - this is my first serious attempt at rigging an in depth character. I figured I would have to learn sometime so I decided to rig possibly the most ambitious character I've ever done. I am a firm believer in trial by fire.