I had a Schwinn Suburban as my first fix me up. Heavy as hell doesn't quite cover it. My next bike was a Nishiki mixte which felt like it was half the weight of the Schwinn (and that's saying something...those Nishikis aren't lightweights by any means!). I loved it though and the weight really didn't matter as I used it as a commuter. You will learn a LOT!

The best resources that I have found:
DebW
bicycletutor.com
Sheldon Brown
Big Blue book of bicycle repair
Park tool website

Have a blast!