As my screen name implies, I'm getting back to playing the piano after not doing so for quite a while. After dithering about what to start with, I finally (almost at random) picked a piece out of the Denes Agay "Classics to Moderns" intermediate grade book that I had always liked reading through: the Granados "Valses Poeticos." I started working on it using the ideas of Charles Cook (i.e., picking out the hardest places and "setting them," etc.). But then I started wondering what the rest of the waltzes were like (knowing that these four couldn't be all of them), so today I bought the Dover edition that has all eight plus the Prelude -- and they are gorgeous! And not too difficult. So I'll keep working on them.

My "new" piano (an old Howard baby grand) was finally tuned last night. It's still got some problems, but the tone is pretty nice. I'm finding it's very hard work, though, playing this thing, compared with my Hamilton upright. (Reason for the 2nd piano is a long story, so I won't go into it here.) Is that normal? I figure I'll struggle along with it a bit more until I get my chops back a little better before I call the piano tech again.

Welcome back to the piano. Most of the adult beginners who are retreads(coming back to piano after an absence) comment that a lot of what they learned earlier comes back to them over time. So enjoy the ride.
As far as what to expect from your new(used) grand, you might try posting in the piano forum to see if anyone there might have a suggestion.
Jon