hey i'm new to the forum game. i'm just wondering what patches and whatnot i should get before starting to play.

Hey there and welcome to the forums! Have a http://images.uesp.net//c/c4/Fishystick.jpg!

The two major patches are:

http://btb2.free.fr/morrowind.html - which fixes a huge amount of dialog typos, quest bugs, floating plants, etc. (it's the first link on the list).
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19510 - which fixes many major and minor bugs that cannot be fixed by mods alone (like the Patch Project).

And then there's BTB's http://btb2.free.fr/morrowind.html

EDIT: And, just like BTB *points to sig*

I've heard about a mod utility mash something-or-other can someone tell me what it is and give me a link?

That would be http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27588. Although I recommend using http://www.fliggerty.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=3646 (Wrye Mash Stand Alone). Much simpler imo

The perfect thread for beginners: http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1060141-mod-recommendations-for-new-players/page__hl__recommendations

Lots of info on which patches and tools you'll need. Info on how to use and find mods.

Another user recently asked about how to use Wrye Mash. I forwarded you some of our PM conversation, it should hopefully get you going.