Don't dismiss "fast" glass Mike, as you'll know from your 18-200vr it only really works when the subject is static.
I use the Sigma 18-50 Macro HSM F2.8 (though Tamrons 17-50 F2.8 is some peoples choice)as my every day lens and they are great at keeping the shutter speed up in low light as well as allowing you to experiment with depth of field. The pro spec build is nice too.
In fact I've just sold off a lot of Nikon glass because the aforementioned Sigma with a 55-200vr in the bottom of the bag gives me all I need.