To Hyphenate or Not to Hyphenate... That Is the Question

I've started considering my options with the whole name change question. To me, it's not really the old-fashioned-patriachal-societal-remnant part that bothers me. Nor am I particularly attached to my estranged father's last name. I don't want to keep Heitz because it's just not practical. We'll be called "The Links" whether I change my name or not. We might as well keep it consistent and non-confusing. It's a gesture of solidarity that I feel good about.

However, people know me as Kirsten Heitz. I like how it sounds, and I don't want to seemingly disappear from the face of the earth. One of my biggest pet peeves with Facebook, for example, is when I try to look up an old girl friend, but can't find her because she's taken her husband's name.

This may seem terrible, but I'm not too impressed with how "Kirsten Link" sounds. Somewhat... clumsy. And If someone tried to say it when they have a cold, it'd be downright atrocious (Kirst-eh Leak?).

I don't want to hyphenate because Chris and I would still have different last names which is awkward and confusing. The way I'm leaning is to make my Heitz my middle name, but I want to keep my current middle name (Erika) because I've always really liked it. But then I'm dealing with four names which is about as pretentious as a hyphen. Well, it could also go the other way, which is into redneck territory (Bubba Bo Bobby Dean... Susie Beth Annabelle Lee... Kirsten Erika Heitz Link). Also, people would end up never even using it. "Erika" only gets included on formal documents.

I don't know-- the more I think about it, the crabbier I get!

Here's a good summary of the name-change issue:
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-1-2006-98005.asp
I like it because it also includes the pros/cons for each solution.