Oh my. Careful about asking that in here - you may get an earful!

In short: stay off of the sidewalks. It may be counter-intuitive, but you are much safer on the road - and I do mean safer from accidents with cars. Ride on the road. Keep right, sure, but not TOO right. About the right tire track is good - staying out of the gutter means that people will give you respect and distance when passing, instead of buzzing by with inches of clearance. There are pages and pages of advice on riding with traffic on this forum - definitely run a search.

If you're unused to dealing with traffic and afraid to jump right in, it can be a very good idea to plan a route to take you out of the way of the busier streets. Heck, I'm perfectly capable of riding with traffic, and I usually prefer to go a couple of miles out of my way rather than deal with the way people drive on the short route. It's just better for my nerves. Good luck!