OK, I've flown at least an hour (dual instruction) almost every day this week (IFR conditions Thurs) and I'm a little disappointed in myself.
All the video's I've watched, and I actually read "Airplane Flying Handbook" through to chapter six. (ironically "crosswind effect" in chapter five was heavily utilized today) seem to be for naught as it all comes down to just flying the plane, watching the landmarks/airport and NOT the gauges.
Writing this I am reflecting and self answering the issues I had planned to complain about and realize I've got to be a little more attentive and a little less scared to just fly the plane, and really need to get the "feel" for it.....I've rode, driven, operated all sorts of watercraft from one to five hundred hp, Motorcycles from Mini-bikes to 175mph crotch rockets, go-carts to 18 wheelers, drag raced, mud raced, even went around the Track a time or two, Farm Tractors to Excavators, Bobcats to Wheel Loaders, and in all of that this little Trainer is kicking my ass.

Oh, and another thing for those reading this and thinking about starting flight training: think of money like firewood: as soon as you think  you've got enough, double it.....it's costing me $40hr for instruction and $149hr wet for the 172  

Welcome to the world of flying. Remember learning to be smooth and make small adjustments on your sport bike throttle? Use the same small and smooth movements on the flight controls and you'll smooth everything out as you just fly the plane.

There are no original mistakes in learning to fly. Nothing happening to you hasn't happened to everyone else. So, take it easy you'll get past it. Then when you think you've got it on rails you will plateau again.

The best advice I ever got from my old cowboy instructor was: "Shut up and fly the damn airplane."  I spent last week in the sim for recurrent and that piece of advice still rang true.

Ask your CFI to demonstrate a falling leaf stall, a full slip, and steep turns at 60 degrees of bank so you can experience how the airplane really flies.

Also, when I was actively instructing 10 years ago that's what my students paid for the instructors and the 172.

Try another instructor. I probably had nearly 60 hours when I finally soloed and it was because I switched schools and aircraft. I couldn't land the damn airplane. Three lessons with a new instructor (and a different airplane) and they had me soloing.

Flying is humbling, even moreso when things that most people struggle with come easily for you.

How comfortable are you with using the rudder and trim wheel?

It just takes practice. Keep it up, and someday everything will come together and click. And those prices aren't too bad. I figure our 172 costs about $100/hour.

Rudder itself: good, except the Brakes and here's why: I wear a size fifteen shoe and have some issues with my left knee; now that doesn't stop me and I can (and do) lift my feet from the bottom of the pedals to gently apply the brakes, but I have a hard time sensing the difference between and keeping the two functions separate. I've flown wearing running shoes (worse) 8" high-top work boots (not too bad) Leather Deck Shoes (undecided) and Bedroom Slippers (worked but were too tight)
I'm very mechanically inclined and understand how they work, and I think the biggest problem is difficulty sensing that I touching them unless I right on top of them.....right or wrong, I try my best to respect the aircraft and treat it with kid-gloves, maybe that' part of the problem.

Trim wheel is being MUCH more used. My instructor has been doing so for 40 years, and like the "old Cowboy" says "Just fly the damn plane."
He demonstrated a touch & go and was all over that trim wheel, and since then I too am using it much, much more....first time out he said "don't use the trim wheel to fly the plane" so I stayed pretty much off of it except for level flight.

Landing?  First time out, I landed the plane and only once has the instructor landed which I spoke of above (showing me a to touch and go because I was struggling ) have really focused on doing so in most of the lessons....I've been looking too far out for landmarks when working a pattern, but that too is getting better....perhaps the last couple days were just "off"  anyways, I'm not flying today because I'm on-call, not sure about Sunday and Monday: I told the instructor to call me if he was going to be around since its Memorial day weekend and he's just as entitled to have a few days off as anybody else.  

Oh and as for "another instructor" there is one there: prior service, Rotary Wing, Combat Vet, my first lesson was with him, but IMC kept us from actually going up, instead we worked on the "Check list" all the way through parking....he got sick and was out, so the owner/old timer took over and we've gone from there. I wouldn't expect a second of issue with switching if need be, except he's got a full plate with Soldiers taking lessons.

My cost is at $50/$139 for the 172, $129 for the Katana DA-20.  So your prices are are probably average.

I feel your pain.  I finally took the time to sit in the 172 last lesson and ergonomically, it is much easier on me.  Plenty of head room, the seat moves instead of the pedals which is easier on my back, but it is skinnier from side to side.  I don't have the big foot problem, but the Katana I have been struggling with a bit.

I promised myself to take one lesson in the 172 just to see if I liked it.  Problem is, I am making real progress in the Katana and it is a fun airplane, but if/when I get around to renting, it will probably be a 172.

I say keep at it man.  Have patience for the learning process.  I think by now your instructor(s) will have recognized that you are capable of flying, but you just need practice.  I presume you got your medical already?

My .02 as a fellow student.

I did the on-line FAA thing before starting lessons, and the first opening for the AMA was June 6th.
I work on a Military installation and hold a Class A Commercial Drivers Licenses. The Flight surgeon that did all the exams for both CDL's and Flight physicals moved on, and his replacement while FULLY capable of doing so, doesn't (or didn't last January) have the certifications to do them.  

They have two 172s' and a J-5 for tail dragger training, which I'm fully looking forward to.

You'll get it.

Trim is your friend (until it isn't, but that's in more complex aircraft).

The instructor makes all the difference. In the helicopter world it's practically a revolving door for them and I've flown with more than I want to count, the fixed wing world isn't much better. The owner is the best, he and I get along like a house on fire, he lets me fly the aircraft, keeps the theory out of the cockpit (mostly), it's all practice/practical/repetition/challenging stuff, which is what I like and what works for me. Another guy will spend the entire pattern explaining the theory about what went wrong the last approach, etc. That wears on me, but I actually like him a lot because he also lets me fly the aircraft. The new guy is is just, well, new, and is always touching the controls (typical for a helicopter instructor), he's good at keeping me safe but not much else. The other guy is OK, his big deal is precision, precision, precision. It's tough to do a lot in a lesson because he wants you to perfect just one thing. Same thing when I was doing my fixed wing <mumble mumble> years ago. I went flying with four different guys and found a retired software engineer who I got along with great.

The bottom line is instructors are like the proverbial box of chocolates. Some are tasty, some not so much. If you can try flying with a few different ones you might find one you click with better. It can be tough working the politics sometimes, but you can always play the "I really wanted to fly on Friday and you weren't available card."

How do you learn best?  Some people learn better by incorporating more theory, more performance numbers, or by sight/feel.  

Do you know your pitch and power settings COLD?
Do you know your ATC calls without putting too much thought into it?
Early flying is very much about managing the "penguins on the iceberg" (individual tasks).  At first, you have a very small iceberg.  Knowing stuff cold allows you to manage more penguins.  As you gain experience, the iceberg gets bigger.  Further, as you gain familiarity, you'll be able to concentrate on the important things at the right time.  Right now, you are probably trying to focus on everything at once, resulting in focusing on either only 1 or 2 things or the right things at the wrong time.

Always remember the order of priorities:
1. Aviate--nothing is more important than maintaining aircraft control
2. Navigate--step two is figuring out where to go.
3. Communicate--third is informing others of what you are trying to do.

It takes practice, but I'd guess it will probably start to "click" for you in the 7-15hr range.

If you're concerned that you are a 'gauge gazer', have your CFI cover everything after you level off at cruise altitude; that way you HAVE to look outside for your reference cues.

Fly around for about 20 or so minutes, turning, climbing and descending, all the while watching out the windscreen.

Uncover the panel and finish the flight- I'll bet you won't be a gauge gazer much after that.

It sounds like the instructor isn't very detailed.  That common with old guy/old school instructing.  

Trim:  Only trim to relieve yoke pressure.  You should be re trimming every single time you change airspeed.   Set the desired pitch with yoke.  Check that airspeed is correct, Then trim to relieve pressure.
Let go of yoke to check trim.

You should be able to take hands off yoke at any time, except maybe pulling up into a stall, and in final flare.  

Forget about all the other shit you operated.  It's nothing but negative learning.  

Stick with it.  Everybody has plateaus and hurdles.   Don't be afraid to ask for another instructor.