Road to 1500 part 1 Getting Started

It's all about the grading, isn't it?  When you meet another chess player it's the first thing you want to ask but rather than going in for the big "who's better?" question there are normally a few pleasantries that take place.  

But that's the beauty of chess, unless you're a titles player you're really only in competition with yourself.  As chess person or machine will ever complete chess I think it's important to 'define your win'  I've picked the grading of 1500 as my win.  

Why 1500?  
1) Chess books define an average club player as between 1400 - 1600. 
So 1500 sits nicely in the middle of there. 
2) When I joined my first chess club many years ago there were a lot of really good, passionate chess players in the 1500's.  We're talking people more intelligent than me with more of a passion for chess than I have so 1500 seems like a good mark for me. 
3) I've noticed there are chess coaches ranked below 1500.  So if there's people out there that have studied the game more than I ever will and aren't in the 1500s then there's no guarantee that the amount of studying I'm willing to put in will get me any higher than 1500.
4) I believe at 1500, if you're playing an opening you're familiar with then you can give most people a good game. 

I suppose my chess goal is if I'm sitting in a pub and someone brings out a board, knowing you'll be able to give them a good game is all I'm really after.