Hey guys, I just wanted to say I read through this thread and determined my 97 Blazer's problem was the ignition switch. About 80% of the time that I started the car it would get stuck in 3rd gear and the Check Engine Light would come on, and then usually the key would be hard to remove from the cylinder after parking. So, I got the ignition switch fixed and so far all has been well **knock on wood**.
Thanks for the information!