Dust is turning out to be a HUGE problem with my equipment...the table saw alone throws so much (even when hooked up to the DC) that I have to where a respirator when i work on it.

Cedar sawdust is particularly nasty, so wear that mask. I have the luxury of a temperate climate and a garage shop with a big window fan, and I keep a breeze going when I'm doing much sawing.
A sharp blade and a fast enough material feed can help keep the 'sawdust' particles from being too small, but I never seem to get the combination dialed in enough to keep the dust minimized.

Not sure when I'll get to the next step, but I'm excited to finally start ripping some wood :)

Check out this video on using a short auxiliary fence for ripping. I find it an essential safety device, though others seem to do OK without, judging from the strip-cutting pics I found on the internet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7QXIN2X8-w

I made a featherboard with a spring when I was ripping a bunch of strips; it needed adjusting less often.