Unfortunately I didn't take them down before I left but the description you cite is exactly like the one I saw when I looked at the code reader with the store clerk.
By skipping I mean, well, skipping. Car runs, accelerates great, great power, but the car will sputter (the only way I know to describe it) intermittently. Like I said, I had an almost identical problem with a Taurus but never resolved it so I traced the problem to the source.
Any ideas on the cruise control code (what might be necessary to fix that)?