Yes, Agreed. The regular updates change the feel of this GB entirely. Even if it is just an update of "Nothing really progressed this week, ran into XYZ issues", that is far better than dead silence. Known issues are far more comforting than unknown silence.
While it sucks the grey anodized are delayed, not much can be done about it. Glad you are being exacting on the process and striving towards perfection though!
This whole saga is making me concerned about the state of US manufacturing sector though. Deskcandy, if you get some time, can you do a short list of "lessons learned" for those who may want to do a similar GB in the US? There is much experience here that could be helpful, and pitfalls that could be avoided by those who wish to follow in your footsteps.