Long overdue update: (and b.t.w., very nice to have the 'MB back up and running, thanks to all who put so much work into this place!)
WAGON FOUND!! After a month and a half of being bummed about my wagon being gone (it's amazing how attached you can get to these old scoobs) i got a phone call from the local police dispatch, letting me know that an officer was standing behind my wagon, and could i please come take possession of it...
At this point i was both excited to get 'er back, and scared about the condition that she might be in when i got there... i thought for sure they'd driven the thing into the ground, blowing the headgaskets (or worse)... "whatever" i thought, "at least i'll have my wagon back"
I asked for the address where the wagon was, and ran it through google maps- and exactly like Robert said, there it was about 3 blocks away from my apartment in a kind-of upscale area where i hadn't bothered to look because i thought for sure it would be at some ghetto apartment complex or behind one of the many, many industrial distribution buildings 'round here... that's what i get for thinkin
When i arrived, it was obvious that the car had been parked the morning it was stolen, and just sat there, until somebody called it in to the cops (they said they were about to call the tow company, but thought to call the police first, which i am very grateful for as the tow company probably would've cost an arm and a leg) I got excited when i saw that she wasn't all fubar'd, and even more excited when i climbed in and started her right up!
Many thanks again for everybody's encouraging words, and to those who kept a look out for the car for me... hopefully i'll get a chance to meet and thank a bunch of you at WCSS too.
-chris