Guys - ever see a head get hung-up on a dowel pin? That's what looked like happened to me and why one side was leaking. There is a coolant passage there next to the dowel and there is not much of a coolant passage imprint on one side of the opening.
Found water in the valley as well.
Almost tempted to try again w/ a new copy of the old gasket and only do one side and not both. I'm just an exhaust manifold (6 bolts) and the head away from doing the passenger side. Not that much more work.