Finally got warm enough to go out and work again - the torpedo heater cannot heat the garage up enough when it is single digits.

OK - ammeter has juice on the hot side, no juice on the ground terminal.

I bought an aftermarket voltmeter and hooked it up; no volts until:
1. Turned on light switch (no lights though)
2. Ignition switch on (nothing turns on)
3. Here's the key one I think: with the switch off, touched the test light to the battery side of the fuse block and I get 12V at the voltmeter, but the test light does not light (and it does when touched to the voltmeter hot wire, so it is working.)

I really think I have a dead short somewhere in the harness. I unhooked the lights/wipers/horns/steering column and still could get no juice to the fuse block. In the past it would get juice after a while but not now.

At this point I want to find the problem even if I decide on a new harness. It is irking me beyond belief now.......!