Gypsy

This one is all about me.

I decided to do this, not only for me, but for the people who are in my life now.

I was born in Seattle Washington, on February 1st, 1965. My birth mother named me Veronica. (I am so not a Veronica, it makes me think of the Archie comics, and she was a bitch. I'm not. HA!) << Maybe a little, but always for the greater good.
I was in a foster home for 10 months and then the state closed it down for neglect.

Where my life began, was with my parents, Marjorie and Kenneth Surdyk. They adopted me. I was raised in Lake Stevens Washington.

Having been born an Aquarius, I was always attuned to my surroundings and the people in my life. There were times, my perception and observations were un-canny. I think I have said this, but I'll say it again. I'm loyal, kind and compassionate, I give 110% to everything I do and everyone I come in contact with. I'm mercurial and have a wild streak. I'm strong willed and independent. I'm an artist at heart, and music is in my soul. I thrive on visual and touch. I accept people for who they are and expect the same.... nuff said. You'll just have to get to know me.

Now to my up-bringing. Mom and dad raised us in your typical suburban manner. We lived in a 2 story home that my father built, on acreage. I had 2 brothers who were also adopted, both from different family's. My oldest brother and I were not all that close, still aren't, but that is another blog. My youngest brother was my partner in crime. We played for hours in the woods around our home, rode bikes and built forts. Our home was a block away from the beach and we spent many a day on the docks, just hanging out. We climbed trees, and shot at the neighbors mail box from the top limb of a creaky old cedar. (shhh.... ) but it was fun, and normal. We called that tree our man o war. Not sure where we got the name, but there you have it.

In the summers, my father would take time off and we would travel. I have been in every state except Alaska. My favorite spots were in the west, the ghost towns and the history we got to see and feel. In the winters, it was pretty normal, school and church. Mom also put all three of us in piano. I played for 14 years. We also had swim, dance, ballet, and tap. All private lessons that mom took us to after school. I remember when I was in Sunday school, and my teacher talked to us about being adopted. To me it was no big deal, it was the same as knowing the sky was blue, and god was in my life. It just was. Every Sunday after church, dad would take us to McDonald's and then go for a drive. Later mom would cook a roast for Sunday dinner.

Weekends we'd visit cousins. Most of dads family was in the Snohomish area. We would sneak out from my aunts house and go down the road to Gar Cemetery where my grand parents were buried. We also took my little cousin Gayleen. She was 3 I think, and we would play hide and seek in the graveyard, and then leave Gayleen there. << This makes me laugh, because Gayleen and I were talking about it a few years ago and her mom was sitting there and it was the 1st she knew of it. God, what a memory that was. We also used to scare her on Thanksgiving with the bear rug we had at home. Mom would send one of us down to the fruit cellar, and we'd grab that rug and holler for Gayleen. So... yea, these are events that shaped me. Boy was I an imp. (still am)

As we got older, my younger brother and I became closer and closer. My older brother would watch us. Ha! We would sneak out and take the bikes and ride around the lake. We were always home before mom and dad got home. I don't know if Tim ever knew. One year, Randy got a wild hair and decided to hot wire dads car. We took it up to frontier village and did brody's in the parking lot. He rolled it.. sheesh, we took it home hoping that dad would never find out. Still not sure if he did.

Anyway, as I reached middle school and high school, I got involved in the arts programs more and more. I have certificates in Calligraphy and actually put them to use here a few years ago and taught classes through parks and rec here in Marysville. In middle school, I was shy and sheltered. I was hanging out with the under dog's and we would hang out in the smoking area. I still had not experienced anything, but I sure wanted to. By the time I hit 8th grade, I decided that I wanted to have a bit of fun. One of my friends older brother's had a flat bed,LD we called him, (Larry David) and he would pick us up after school, and sometimes during school, (not often, because my mother worked for the schools and dammit, knew everything I did!) So not cool! Anyway, we would drink home made strawberry wine, and kick it in the sun. (for some reason there is a lot of sun in my memories, so bear with me.)

Now for high school! Hmm... the best years of my life? I think not... but anyway, they sure were fun. My class started at the New high school. We were the 1st class to go all 4 years there. (I wanted to go to the pink palace, but by that time the lines had changed, and within the 1st year of my 9th year they had closed it down) In 9th grade, I pretty much stuck to the curriculum, but I was held up to the teachers by my older brothers standards, and that ticked me off. I was me, not him, but I constantly got, "Oh?" "Your Tim Surdyk's little sister?" Lord I hated that. Another thing that shaped me. Sigh... lol.. anyway, so by 10th grade I had pretty much had enough of that crap and started making a name for myself. Lordy, and did I. Hmm.. ........tell or not to tell. Oh, screw it. So my 1st big "entrance" came at the high school homecoming game. An ambulance was called and I was taken home with a respiration of 8. By all rights I should have been dead, but god was looking out for me.(and my mother, who flashed a flash light in my eyes all night long, and then dragged my ass to church the next day!) A friend of mine got me plowed, and I passed out on the 50 yd line. Funny, but SO not funny at the time, and scared the pants off my parents. Of course they never really knew why I did this, and still don't. They thought I was influenced, and what they never got was I ALWAYS made my own decisions. I think my dad gets me now, in fact I know he does, and I love him all the more for it. Anyway, 10 years after this event, I was at the mall and a couple of girls were in the restroom with me, and they both looked at me and said, "aren't you the chic who???"... yea.. lol.. that was me. Shit.... (for some reason, people always remember me when I am in a bathroom to. Weird shit. << More to that statement later.

So, I made it through high school unscathed... pretty much, a few bumps and bruises, but still kicking and still attempting to make a name for me. By graduation, Tim had moved on to college, and I quit 19 days prior to graduating. (another blog) << HA!

I went to college over the summer of 1983, and was also 1st Miss runner up in the Miss lake Stevens contest, and then had to step in and fulfill the duty's of Miss Lake Stevens, who had left for college. In the meantime, I was running all over Lake Stevens with my daughter's father, (who also is another blog) and getting pretty wild. How I escaped all this with a clean record, I'll never know, but I did. Probably has to do with my faith in god.

So, that is my early life... stay tuned, I plan on walking you through to where I am now.