Well I decided to check the plugs, only 1 yr old. They were 'fouled',light carbon, since I drive SO little it doesn't clean up the plugs?? So as I was replacing them and bingo!, two of the spark plug wires broke on the spark plugs.
So it seems it was one or two of them loose/breaking, making the engine read a short or something??
Causing the service engine light to pop on, when I did that transmission 'jump' thing, and it would go off a day or so later.
Couldn't afford Delco wires, $90+,so put on 'CarQuest' ones, a little to long for the 4th and 2nd plugs,but they work and well,...the car runs A LOT smoother, and it was smooth before. Also,my Sony stereo was starting to do odd things, the light choices started to flash all the colors, and zip through all the presets,etc. Acting nuts! Now its back to normal.
So...now the 15yo spark plug wires are new, the plugs are new again, went down to AutoLite Platinum tips, from 'E3's', guess I need to change them yearly if my driving is still so low next year, But it seems to have solved it.
just letting all know, incase someone else gets this same problem.