Chris L writes:
It appears that I can get the license in about 6 months if I take
lessons two to three times a week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday) for about
an hour each time.

When I did my private I took more than an hour for a lesson. (I split
my training between KPAO in California and KBED outside Boston, both
near busy class B airports.) I found that I got the most out of a
lesson by budgeting:
- 1/2 hour for a preflight (without the instructor)
- 2 hours for flying (includes about 15 minutes of taxi, runup, and
waiting in line for the runway)
- 1/2 hour for post-flying debriefing by the instructor (here is
what you need to think about/learn for next time)

I didn't always use that entire time budget, but having planned on
spending all that time on flying kept me from worrying about the next
thing on my schedule when I was supposed to be learning. Also, the
preflight and taxi time are fixed costs (aka, you can't rush them
without cutting corners), and I find it is good to amortize them over
a longer lesson. If you find that your brain fills up quickly you may
want a shorter lesson, if you find you are still refreshed and ready
to learn more at the end you may want to schedule longer ones.

Chris