Where to begin with this 69 C10 project?

[spookyu]

So I picked up my first truck this morning, I'm giddy like a frigg'n school girl right now. It's a real diamond in the rough right now though, making a list of things I want to do to it, but not sure where I should start, could you guys help me out? Here's my list.

-Someone did a terrible paint job and then got half way through taking it off, need to take the rest of the paint off (could use advice on how to go about this) in preparation for new paint
-A couple dents that can be banged out, some other spots need filler (not rust, just some odd holes, not many)
-Various chrome pieces could use some attention, straighten a few out, clean them up
-Gasket around transmission pan leaking, never done a fix like this but I'm 90% sure I can take care of it myself no problems, asked some friends and done a bit of reading on the subject
-Someone (I'm guessing the same guy who did the terrible paint job) took a torch to the front springs, I'm finding them online for about a hundred bucks a pop, I'm just worried the job of replacing them is over my head (would LOVE advice on this one)
-When I press hard on the brakes it pulls to the left a good bit, don't know why it's doing that, need to figure it out
-The bed needs work, pretty beat up, probably couldn't get it perfect but I'd like to get it close
-The truck has AC, but of course it doesn't work. Looks like someone used it for parts, don't know where to begin with it, looks salvageable though.

Ugh when I type all that out it sounds like I bought a real POS! Probably paid way too much for it too. You know what though, I've wanted a project like this for a long time so I don't care. I only need to drive it back and forth to work (about 5 miles) during the week, and I have a second more reliable car. I am a novice though, not clueless, just inexperienced, and I'd love any and all advice you could provide. I'm looking to learn from this project. The end result doesn't need to be a show truck, just something that looks nice that I can use like a real truck (camping, hauling crap around, sit in the bed and drink beer, etc.).

-Carl