SQL Saturday? It's a bargain, so absolutely go! You may not understand it all, but go to beginner lectures (I went to the one in Nashville last week, and it was great!). Of course, the more you know, the more you stand to get out of an event like that, but you have to start somewhere.

Can't really answer the other question, as I'm in somewhat of the same boat, but I do have a couple of certifications... not that they mean anything. According to Kevin Kline, the only SQL Server cert that means anything is the MCM, and that's been discontinued.