I will shortly, actually.

Got my logic probe, and now I'm even more confused...

Without my chip inline, when I send something across the serial line, both the TX *AND* RX lines "pulse". (I was always under the thought that only the RX line would go high.) This lines are normally low, and pulse high.
Slip my chip in, and still TX/RX RS232 lines go high when I send a character, and I also get a pulse on the TTL line (normally high, pulse low). So, I THINK the chip's good. (Gotta verify now, make sure the ttl pulse is coming out on the expected pin..) Which now it's up to my ribbon cable..

Me.