Right, by stopped, I mean that the issue I was having all the time if the key was on......stopped. I had plugged both bulbs back in "just to see" after checking the wiring where I did, and getting the water out of the rear floor pan, and they did not come on with keyed power. Then when in reverse, they came on, as in functioning properly. So I stopped even messing with it at that point.
So *IF they are currently functioning properly, then there should be power at the orange wire and at the reverse lights pin ( I believe light green wire) when the car is in reverse. I would think that under all circumstances there would be hot at the orange wire when the key is on, assuming the reverse lights come on at all right? it would just be a matter of whether it was lighting up (getting power at the b/u pin) beyond when it's supposed to, indicating the switch.
Then again, like a lot of folks, circuit trouble shooting has never been my favorite, so I could be 100% incorrect....