OK...got it all figured out
1st - alternator tested OK @ AZ and it also held voltage even as vehicle was sputtering and dying
2nd - I followed the 2 white wires from the alternator into the fuse box and found that my fusible link was actually broken and the car was only running because of the alternator wiring mod + to + wire bypassing the fusible link. Put in a new link and now I don't need the wiring mod to keep power.
3rd - checked my passenger's side coils and plugs to determine why they occasionally misfire. The coils look fine. Plugs look OK, but I'm not sure what to look for. They appear to possibly have some oil on them. Could that be from not doing the valve cover gasket properly, or pinching it or something? I suppose the oil could be flooding the cylinder somewhat causing a misfire. Still not sure on that one
4th - unplugged the engine coolant temp sensor (two wire sensor) and it ran fine. I had noticed that the fans NEVER came on with that plugged in so I figured I'd unplug it and see if anything changed. Well, alot changed. Fans came on and engine didn't stall.
So, Trevor, you win the grand prize! Temperature sensor it is!