Anyone else using the standard 1,000 query/day Google API ... and notice it is even more flakier than normal the last few days?

Yes. I couldn't use this blog's search today, and it's using the Google API. Even though it's normal you have to click search 2 or 3 times, this time it didn't work at all. And it's usually not the query/ day limit (at least not for me :).

(Seems to be back working again tho.)

Yea, I know that query limits aren't an issue for you (!)

It's seems to be working again now for me – I wonder sometimes if Google has anyone working on the API since it seems to have stalled years ago and this isn't the first time it is flakey.