My Pool Looks Like An EASTER EGG!!! -- NOT a good thing!

[PopcornGirl]

Ok, at risk of being totally lambasted for depending on my pool store... Here is my story:
***WAIT -- before I begin -- I just want to say that I am ready to learn how to take care of my pool myself and NOT depend on my pool store, but I REALLY NEED HELP because I am not confident at all when it comes to matters of science/chemistry (my degree is in History -- def. NOT a scientist!).***

Ok, here goes...
We have an inground, gunite pool with exposed aggregate in a pretty blue-green color (GORGEOUS when it's clean and sparkling!). It is approx. 35 feet long and 9.5 feet wide with a 15' x 15' wide square, jut-out on the shallow end. (In other words, a long, narrow, rectangle with a box sticking out on one side.) We have a CARTRIDGE filter (slightly oversized, I'm told).
>>Pool store estimated that my pool capacity was about 12,000 gallons???
I have just METICULOUSLY tested my water and these are my readings RIGHT NOW (5:00 pm CDT on 16 April 2006):
Water temp: 80 degrees F
FC: 0.............. Yes, ZERO; it appears that we have created a riduculous chlorine demand with the black algaetrine (OR SOMETHING!) that we used prior to attacking the stain...
TC: 0
CC: 0 (obviously)
pH: 8.0
Acid Demand: 4 drops (or ~1.5 quarts muriatic acid)
TA: 120
CH: 360!
CYA: 65

Some of you may recall that I opened my pool with what appears to be an iron/rust stain all along the bottom of the pool. Not sure where this came from as we've never had trouble with this before and this will be our 5th year with this pool (and it's 5 years old). I live in the deep South (Baton Rouge, LA) and it's already hot as blazes here. I would LOVE to be swimming right NOW, but obviously, I need to get all this under control first...

First 3 summers, we used a copper ionization system (WAY too much work and I could never keep my copper or pH balanced!). Almost 2 years ago, we switched to chlorine and had almost NO trouble at all last summer (except for some stubborn black algae).
You can read more about my stain & see pics of my pool/stain in the metal/stains column/forum on this board (orange-brown stains thread).

Went to pool store for help because I am not very confident yet in maintaining a chlorinated pool esp. with the introduction of these new problems... First thing they told me was that it was copper in my pool.
They had me pour in one bottle of metal out, wait 2 days, rinse my cartridge filter, pour in a second bottle, wait 2 days and rinse again.
**NO change to the stain.**
THEN, they tested my water and saw that my chlorine was almost zero, so they decided to try the Stain Eliminator (ascorbic acid). This took up about 1/2 the stain, but it took about 3 days to do it!
Unfortunately, while the stain eliminator was taking its sweet time, my pH shot up and my water started turning cloudy!
So back to the store...
They sold me a bottle of off-brand Baquacil SHOCK (peroxide??) and told me to pour in the whole bottle and it would *shock* my pool AND finish removing the stain.
Um, I don't think so. It cleared up my water (no longer cloudy), but that's about all. Now my pool is starting to resemble a lagoon from all the algae growth... I'm paralyzed with inaction because I don't know what to do next!
I don't really think the pool store knows what they are doing but I'm afraid to just *wing it* for fear of REALLY messing up my pool...
And they have already gotten about $150 from me this month; I really can't afford to spend any more on this mess this month!
WHAT CAN/SHOULD I DO???

***One final note that I think is FAR more relevant than the pool store wants to admit: When I brush the bottom of the pool with a metal brush, the brown "stain" sends up a "cloud" of brown dust. Wouldn't that indicate that it is NOT a stain, but something organic??? In the beginning, I could NOT brush up the stain, so I'm wondering if I have had TWO problems going on at the same time -- one metal-related and one organic?

I would sincerely appreciate ANY HELP I can get at this point and as quickly as possible!!!
And I want to switch to BLEACH (I've been using hth chlorine super shock and pucks in a floater up till now).
Many thanks in advance for ANY help/direction you can give... I apologize for the lengthy rant!