Welcome from another Texan. I tried spiral blades at first but found that they leave a horrible edge. I was making toys and had to sand every edge to get it smooth. I switched to plain blades and the cut when using them is better than a cut after it is sanded. Spiral blades may work well for fretwork where the cut surface does not have to be smooth but all other ways to use a scroll saw do require a smooth cut.
I suggest you try doing different things with your saw including : Fretwork, Inlay, Compound cutting, toy making, lettering, intarsia, bowl making, basket making and segmentation.