If you have a LBS, find out if they (or a bike club) offers a basic maintenance class. A lot of times, these are offered off-season... It's a great way to start, especially if you're really nervous about ruining anything (you don't seem to be, but just in case...) because the bike shop folks are there the whole time, ready to fix it if you broke it! There's a class offered at 2 of my LBSs, one for free and one for $50 (includes the Park Tool repair manual)....