-ASM Syntax
We all, initially, had to fight our way through what we then called "stupid syntax" and what now is second nature. Write some assembler code, let the assembler spit out errors and warnings, use search in the electronic manual to find out what the error means and learn.

-Can interupts be completely seperate from the timer. (Do you always need a timer to generate an interupt?)
Timers and interrupts are two separate functions. Interrupts can be genarated by several sources e.g. the UART. The timers CAN (not will) generate an interrupt upon overflow.

Erik