The Eiffel Tower is in Cincinnati

I started this story, I woke up with the opening line-- "There ain't no such thing as cane sugar," and a question: Who says that?  When I was finished, I had my answer and another question: Who is going to publish a story this long?

Luckily, I found my answer to both.

The Eiffel Tower is in Cincinnati has been published on The Write Launch. 

If you get the chance, please check it out.

Bland Update

 Two weeks ago, when I was writing about September plans, I was communicating regularly with Violet. Things were playful, and we were both looking forward to seeing each other. About a week ago, she went silent.

It seems out of character. I have several working theories as to why she hasn't replied to either of my last two texts, because I can't allow events to just happen without analyzing them.

At the top of my theories is that she couldn't pay her phone bill and it got cut off. This happened before. It was actually the case the day I rescued her at the muffler shop. That happened a month ago, so it lines up.

Add to that, her month doesn't have internet or a car, and Violet just started work, so money is tight.

I am aware that there are other possibilities. I've thought about them all, and though I am biased, I still think this one fits the best.

I'll be perfectly fine regardless of how things develop or don't develop. I have a five-day vacation coming up and a story being published online tomorrow. It would have been fun to see her, but I won't be devastated if I don't. Thursday is her payday. We'll see if she resurfaces.

The Weekend

I am all switched over to Xfinity. It took a lot more work than it should have.

I'm working with an editor on publishing a longer short story. She encouraged me to expand the middle with material I had left out due to length. It will be released online next week. She also felt I could expand it to a full novel. I don't think I will. I am thinking about expanding it to novella length, though.

Her comments were:

Although I read The Eiffel Tower...when I was considering stories for publication, this close read broke through the "deeper layer" of story and shifted into a verisimilitude that showed the depth of the relationship between and the development of the characters—who are no longer just characters but the reality of their lives in motion.

Personally, I think there is even more to this story as it is geared for novel action.

This is the best feedback I've gotten from an editor. 

I am really proud of this piece. 

I will drop the link to the story here on September 15th.

Lucy asked about Max in a comment. He is working on a framing crew working on custom homes. He seems to like his job. He came over on the weekend. Apparently, he hit a garbage can on a dirt road on the way home from work last week.

The can broke his passenger rear-view mirror. He was going to borrow the truck until I told him a passenger mirror was not required in Michigan. We took off the broken mirror. I suggested that he could find a same-color replacement online. I'll help him put it on if he does. I'm not sure if he wants to invest money in the car.

September Plans

 Violet is still in Indiana. I think she is still adjusting and trying to figure out what she wants. We text. I haven't offered up any suggestions. She'll figure out what she wants to do. 

She starts a cashier job this week at Kroger's. It's close to her mom's house. That's good. 

I'm taking some vacation time between our birthdays. Hers is the 27th; mine is the 18th. We are making plans for me to drive back down to see her.

Mammoth Caves is only two hours away from her. It would be nice to go there again. We are still working on the details.

Still, it gives me something to look forward to for my birthday. A day that just gets more depressing each year :).

AT&T Sucks

I switched my internet and wireless service from AT&T to Xfinity. I should save $960 the first year and about $600 a year for the remaining four years. Sounds worth the hassle, right?

Not so fast.

I tried to unlock my phone so I could move it to Xfinity.

“This account has a past-due balance.”

It doesn’t. I bought my phone outright in 2024 specifically so I could move it whenever I felt like it.

So far, I have gone to the AT&T store where I bought it—twice—and spoken with numerous AT&T agents by phone and online. At least two assured me the problem was fixed.

It wasn’t.

And don’t get me started on AT&T’s automated AI. It understands only basic commands and won’t let you speak to a human unless you lie to it or become more stubborn than the machine. The agents who can’t fix the problem either make another promise or send you back to a phone number answered by the same useless AI.

This has gone on for four days. I finally filed complaints with the FCC and AT&T Legal. To say I’m frustrated would be an understatement.

Now I’m left waiting for someone to fix it.

I’ve cooled off for the moment—enough to write this post and remember the good old days of customer support.

The following conversation probably wouldn’t happen today. But there was at least a human being on the other end of the phone.

Talk

Originally posted October 28, 2005 (excerpt)

By the time we got back to Jay’s house, it was already after 9:30 p.m. I called customer support to get the modem registered to his account. I got Alison, a friendly support person from Ottawa. I think she was new. She couldn’t get whatever she needed to do to work. She needed to call her manager over.

While we waited, I started reading her the Maxim magazine article I was flipping through, “100 Things You Need to Know About Women.”

Me: “Okay, here’s one. #34: The average woman owns eight bras and wears each one five times before washing.”

Alison: “That sounds about right, but I don’t know about the five times.”

Me: “#19: The more piercings she has, the more places she’ll let you put it.”

Alison: “I only have one piercing. What’s the next one?”

Me: “Okayyyy. #23: Every woman is self-conscious about her ass.”

Alison: “No comment.”

Me: “Oops, I think I hit a sensitive spot.”

Alison: “I didn’t say that.”

Me: “#16: Chicks aren’t afraid to get kinky; you just have to have the nerve to ask.”

Alison: “I can’t talk about that one—these conversations are recorded.”

Unfortunately, Jay’s cheap cell phone disconnected at that point. When I got customer service back on my phone, a guy took the call and hooked up internet access in minutes, but it wasn’t as fun.

Alison couldn’t fix the problem, but she was allowed to be a person. The next representative fixed it in minutes. Twenty-one years later, AT&T’s artificial intelligence has managed to eliminate both the conversation and the solution.

The Waiting

It's safe to say I've become invested in Violet (but you probably already knew that). I care about what happens to her, but I also like her. I think she likes me too.

I want her to establish herself and become independent, but the car ride back did feel empty without her there.

I'm walking a fine line. If she decides to come back, I want it to be her choice. I'd like her to be a part of my life, while at the same time, I want her to reach a point where she has absolutely no need to.

It sounds selfless, but being selfless can feel a bit lonely at the moment.

If she stopped needing my help tomorrow, would there still be something between us that both of us wanted?

I think there is. I think she does too.

I'm not sure how much of that is just the adrenaline of the moment, but I'd like to find out.

Like Tom Petty said, "The waiting is the hardest part."

One thing is for sure: my blog gets more interesting when a woman is involved.

Road Trip, Indiana Style

 Our drive was mostly uneventful, except for the one detour between Columbus and Cincinnati, where I took a wrong turn into oncoming traffic. We survived. 

The dogs, a pit bull and a boxer, settled into the back. The boxer occasionally whined, but neither bit my arm off.

We didn't play any music during the six-hour ride. We just talked—about our pasts, about her ex, about gender politics.

When we got closer to her hometown in southern Indiana, we stopped at a Walmart so she could pick up dog food and a few items for herself. We interacted naturally together—making jokes and observations about the differences between Walmarts.

She mentioned the angels in my tattoo sleeve. She said it was one of the first things she noticed. 

"Maybe god or whoever brings people into your life when you need them," she said.

"Well, if I disappear on you, that just means I am on to my next assignment."

"You better not disappear on me."

As we exited the store, I said. "Now you can't say, I never took you anywhere." 

She just laughed.

She unloaded her merger belonging, the dogs, and a couple of grocery bags. We exchanged hugs, and then I was back on the road.

The car felt noticeably quieter without her.

I turned on my music and sang along during the drive. I made good time until I ran into a heavy downpour outside of Toledo. Cars slowed or pulled over.

We exchanged a few texts during the drive. The vibe was different now that we could text freely.

Me: I just crossed into Michigan.

Violet: Glad you made it back to the American border.

I laughed. Violet feels Ohio and Indiana are too strict and un-American.

Me: You are so funny.

Violet: I mean, I think so. That's all that matters. And you made me listen to 35,000 dry jokes today. I think I earned one.

I told her that made me laugh even harder.

Violet: Ha, so I am funny. All this time I thought it was my charm and good looks.

Me: It is a little bit of both.

Violet: So you are pretty much saying I'm the full package.

Me: You are the full package that comes with a lot of complications.

Violet: Every good commitment comes with terms and conditions.

Me: I'm going to have to start learning to read the fine print.

Violet: Like that would be something you'd pass up on anyway. #1 master LEGO builder partner here.

The boyfriend ended up having his grandfather bond him out on Saturday. He was back in Indiana by Sunday evening. He picked up the dogs from Violet's mother. Violet was not around.

She wants to return to Michigan. She wants to continue hanging out with me. What that all means is still up in the air. I am letting her decide. I told her she is welcome to come back and stay with me.