Yes, skip Everest. It has become a zoo, way too many unskilled folks with too much money to spend on bragging rights. A blind man climbed it....c'mon, it is no longer the challenge it once was. However, you DO sound like the kinda guy who would enjoy K2.
I read "Into Thin Air" and figured out mountain climbing wasn't for me. If the cold doesn't kill you then you can die from either lack of oxygen or even just the high altitude.