The coming out post

I've been mulling over coming out on my blog for the last month or so. Not coming out as liking both boys AND girls--that's no secret to people who know me IRL and not much of one on this blog--but coming out as being a real person with a real life that doesn't always fit easily under the category of simplicity.

The feeling that my life has been, in essence, closeted for the purposes of writing has accelerated during the recent break-up of a 17-year relationship: my primary relationship. What might I choose to say about that? How much should I keep to myself? How much do I owe the privacy of others who, though they might not be named here, would certainly see themselves reflected in this, a very public medium?

But in keeping that bit of dialogue in the dark, I seem also to have lost the yarn that knits together global warming with tomato plants, and home coffee roasting (key point: air popcorn popper) with saying no to television; that is, this abundant life. I don't know that I have the answers to simple living or blog privacy, but it might be time to start publicly living the questions in a more profound way than just simply grousing about my bad commuting habits.

I'm on my way to Chicago next week to try to be a voice for change in my church. When I get back, I'd like to try to tell the story of happens there, and why it's important to me. I'd also like to fill in some of the blanks around my successes and failures as a purveyor (and consumer, if you will) of simplicity. Wish me luck.

Random orbit

Well, it had to happen sooner or later, so Shehun tagged me to do the eight random things meme. I'm a fairly random person to start with, so this should be easy, right?

* Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I've lived in six states. This is the first one that doesn't border Canada.
2. My great uncle played professional basketball for the Minnesota Lakers, before they moved to L.A. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why a Southern California team has the name "Lakers"?
3. I played a (very) small role in the development of polypropylene balloon tubing for angioplastic surgery.
4. I was born with the caul, a fact that my mom will tell you means I won't drown.
5. I still had to take swimming lessons every summer until I was 12.
6. My favorite spice is cardamom.
7. I visited the Slovak Republic when it was still Czechoslovakia.
8. I am a splendid baker of bread . . . and of masa cherry pies, as I believe Shehun will attest.

I am the very last person in the blogosphere to do this meme, so you're all it, so there. Although I agree that Hossy very definitely needs her own blog. She would be the Boss Hoss.

Update for Carbon-Based Life Forms

My hot water heater gave up the ghost on July Fourth, which inconveniently forced my hand to get a tankless model today. Some women will do almost anything for a shower. But it works, and works well, and hopefully I will get something like the advertised energy savings over its life.

If all goes well over the next few days I will soon be driving not an aging Subaru but an ancient 40 mpg Metro. Car notwithstanding, Progeny and I plan to stay in Subarubia rather than moving to the Polis.

Finally, I am grieving many things these days, but the most recent, and the most raw, is this. Your prayers are appreciated.

Read it and reap

From Shehun, the bestest discovery of the year: Librivox, a catalog of audio recordings in the public domain.