I know a good amount of how basic programming works. I have written some apps in javascript(albeit very simple), simple simple stuff in python and java, when I was learning them.

I feel like I would be a waste of a person at a meetup since my skills are seriously just entry level.

I looked at codeacademy for a while. If I had the cash and didn't have a wife and 10 month old son I would move to Chicago in a heartbeat and do this.