No worries. We don't take offense at such things. The lack of response is almost certainly due to a lack of knowledge, rather than any fault of yours. My general rule is - if you're going to give the bike a lot of use, spending a hundred or so dollars on upgrading it isn't a waste. I'm not a big MTB enthusiast, but if you're not going to do any riding over rough terrain, the weight of a suspension fork is (IMO) not justified. Also, unless there's some problem with the wheels, you might consider just changing out the tires. If you're not going to ride through slop, aggressive tread will only create excess friction and slow you down.

Good luck with your project.

Z