markie d: : Kurt Dahlin

Showing posts with label Kurt Dahlin. Show all posts

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Alien Abduction or Pirates: The Mystery of the Vanishing Hippies

I do apologize for taking so long to get around to posting this. Hopefully, I'll do better next time,

BUT HERE IS one of those ~~famous~~ infamous Dahlin adventure stories where half the hippies from Venice and the entire commune on Hollister Ave in Santa Monica mysteriously vanish from the face of the planet. Alien Abduction? Pirates? or Storm at California's inland sea...one thing is certain, "Dead Men Tell No Tales."

Go back in time with me to the early 70's in this Epic nine-minute adventure through space and time.

Subtitle: Camping with the Dahlins

and

Everything can go wrong

Enjoy the journey (Oh, BTW... I'm rocking my 70's shirt)

The links below correspond to several of the Blog-Posts alluded to in this story.

Left Behind part 4 of 7

Angels in a Ford Pick-up part 5 of 7

The High-Speed Chase and Indio

part 3 of: Moby Dick attacks

Electrocuting Sister Godzilla

Our Run-in with President Johnson - TRUE STORY

The Horrible Hamper part 3 of 3

Letting the Monkeys out of the Zoo part 2 of 3

The Manhunt: Elephant man. Leprosy. Poison Oak. part 1 of 3

The Malibu Betrayal: The invention of Bungee-Jumping (only the rope wasn't a bungee-cord) part 3

Just how crazy we were: Like Flying Squirrels

and here is the 54-second trailer if you want to see it one more time.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Those Wild and Crazy Dahlins: THE VIDEO

This VIDEO will be the front door of my blog for a short season to debrief any misconceptions about Markie D and his Family. On handheld devices and mobile apps - most people do not see the column that exists to the right of each New Post. Today we are a happy, healthy, bunch of high energy people who love each other and have a great legacy of open hearts. Enjoy the Video...

And in the next couple of Post, I will be sharing another one of the most classic Dahlin Stories where we lose half of Venice in a storm at Salton Sea.

But since it was just my father's birthday on September 1st, I think I will put the link to his tribute here.

Carl Dahlin "the Mayor of Venice."

Enjoy Markie D.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Bob Dylan's secret track and the Venice Artisans

you can click on this and return to blog post

look closer

My Brothers and some of the creative Venice gang began doing custom remodel work at Bob Dylan's house.

Bob was so impressed with the craftsmanship of their artistry that he took the whole group fishing. I can only imagine that while there on that fishing trip the older boys entertained the troops with famous and infamous Dahlin stories while hauling in halibut, bonita, sea bass, and yellow-tail off the Santa Monica coast.

From there, I image how Bob Dylan might have wrote the song on the secret track (3) of his Self Portrait album - about leaving little Markie D behind at Salton Sea.

In the epic 7 part series that began on the first day of fifth grade.

part 2 Life without Sunscreen

part 3 Where things go to die

part 4 Half-a-piece-of-bacon and vanishing

part 5 Chasing taillights and Left Behind

part 6 The Mud covered refugee and the High-Speed Chase

part 7 The Cheese Burger and the Happy Reunion

Karin with floaties

Me flexing in background (on the weekend of the fateful trip)

Bob Dylan probably heard the funny stories and might have even pee'd himself - not sure about that - but it could have happened that way and then proceeded to write this song.

Here are some pictures to keep you occupied until my next post (coming soon).

Backyard

our front yard...

three broken bones at one time

Nana to the left and "The Quaker" far rear of picture

Fishing with Bob Dylan was true - the telling of Dahlin Stories - certain, and the song was possible at least in his head (probably recorded in an alternate universe).

The question still remains: Why did mom send me to Europe? I didn't really want to go. I wanted to hang out and go to the beach with friends and maybe connect with Andrea, so I didn't really understand.

Mom sending me off. 1971 at LAX leaving for Europe look at my enthusiasm. Joy! (sarcasm).

* Photo Credit: Bob Dylan with Fish [The Dylan Group]

Friday, July 10, 2015

The Murder Charge and the Long Good Bye

Continued... (a quick read - mostly pictures)

...YOU HEARD ME RIGHT. MURDER!

While we were down here in Venice... hanging out in the backyard, playing music... partying...

...doing all the stuff Hippies do...

"ALL THE STUFF"

Kurt and Mario were up in Acadia stuck in jail - being questioned for MURDER. A body was found and the bloody hand print from the victim was on their trailer door.

Thinking out loud: As a Dahlin, it seemed as though TROUBLE was in our DNA... while MUSIC ran in the genetic code of the Lennons... ALL OF THEM!

It was cute. Because of the relative fame of the four oldest girls, "The Lennon Sisters," the rest of them felt they would end up on stage someday...from Danny all the way down to the baby boy - Kippy.

Now back to my Murder Mystery: To make a long story short - Kurt and Mario had an iron clad alibi for the time of the murder... between botany studies at Humboldt and their horticultural enterprise out in the deep-dark woods - fortuitously it turned out they were at water polo practice at the time.

The CSI unit took the bloody door off the trailer as evidence - never to return it. The two of them finished out their sophomore year in the 12-foot-trailer with a piece of plywood as an inglorious reminder of that terrible event.

(Actual picture of trailer - with plywood door... as it eventually came to rest in the driveway of the Harding House....along with all the other cars and boats and everything else that were left to decay.) Pictured in front of trailer is Billy Lennon scavenging for parts and things for the annual Lennon 4th of July backyard celebration... they have been trying to launch a rocket to moon for several years now - this year they just might do it).

AND YES, THIS WAS THE same trailer of the infamous "Shake and Bake" Salton Sea Caper and high-speed chase).

(Dead Christmas trees and the "Scout Bus" pictured to left).

ANYWAY... My blog-postings have been getting more and more difficult for me to stay on top of as I prepare to leave for Africa.

So, for the 50,000 people in 91 countries who have tuned into "Markie D" I want to say THANK YOU and leave you with tid-bits of fun-filled facts and lots of pictures to enjoy in my absence...

YES 50,000 people in 91 countries

Thank you!

I have a lot more stories coming for you - when I return... I have stories about: the high speed chase in Needles California.

Stories of storms at Salton Sea where an entire boat full of my brothers and beloved Venice Hippies capsize and go missing.

King River trips

Boat crashes

Cross country trips...

Car crashes...

Motorcycle crashes...

More broken legs

more broken arms...

Multiple times I should have died... But survived... AGAIN Like Malibu and Like the Pits and Like the Russian River and Like the time I chopped off my leg

Incidents at sea... AGAIN And spurious run-ins with hostile submarines... And Soviet Ships...

The stories of Rock Stars...Actresses...Artist... Attorneys... Boxers... World Champions... Youthful Flames...of Love and dog bites... Marriages and death... Triathlons and Marathons... successes - failures... of Famous Surfers and ordinary people with an extraordinary past of growing up on Harding Ave.
(pictured Markie D with Jeff Ho)

And stories of the famous Fourth of July shows in the Lennon's backyard...

But since I'll be away on this humanitarian effort for about 5 or 6 weeks I will leave you with this...

I leave to go with an humanitarian organization started by Kurt Dahlin... WATER WELLS FOR AFRICA...
(you can click on the link - check in and give if you choose)...

Kurt also took his Boy Scout training in regards to charcoal and ash and has publish Hygiene training - that along with his Water Wells endeavors has made a dent in human suffering and is changing an entire nation in the Warm Heart of Africa- Malawi.

(L-R Pat Lennon, Donny Blaser and Karl Dahlin)

Donny Blaser has moved from Venice, is successful in Real Estate (owns half of Medford Oregon - I'm told) and is also writing and recording the stories of growing up on Harding avenue...

And wouldn't you know it... but those incredibly gifted Lennons... Yep, "pert' near" all of them have gone to to appear on stage and travel the world over.

Danny, Billy (Billy's wife, Gail), and Joey performed on stage for ten years in Branson Mo.

Danny is now in charge of tourism for the State of Missouri.

Brothers - Kippy and Pat, along with cousins Michael and Marky formed the Venice band - traveling around the world and filling stadiums in Amsterdam.

Dee Dee and Peggy have retired, but Mimi has joined the "The Lennon Sisters" who are still performing... (and looking good)!

And all of them... The Lennon Sisters.. and Venice... The Lennon Brothers... Gail... and a minion of cousins - 3 generations - will all be performing in the annual Lennon Family Benefit Concert on July 31th this year in Santa Monica.... (at the historic Woman's club)

We mourn the losses of those who have passed...

Mr. D "The Dad of Harding Ave." and Mayor of Venice

Mrs. D

Mrs B

Karl

Bill Lennon

Bruce and others....

Aunt Mary...

and now a potpourri of pictures to keep you busy until I return ... Have Fun - enjoy... Be Kind and Make a Difference...

David and Lisa

Mac David Anthony

Tuna Canyon

Salton Sea

With Steve Smith and infamous trailer

Tearing down the back house at the corner - years after the big fire.

Markie D as water polo player

as water polo Coach

Our annual Christmas Cacophony

Halloween and John the Baptist

Don't wig-out! I've done that for all of us...

Dog with Wig

Me with wig

Dad with wig...

Now I've got to leave you hanging for a short period of time..

Me - learning to hang as a baby...

but click on links - read old post... visit... forward... share... like

Love ya - See ya when I return!

From my CRAZY Family to Yours

Markie D

No Other Family Like Ours - seriously

WHAT OTHER FAMILY IN THE WORLD let all of the monkeys out of the Zoo, been pranked by the sitting President of the United States in a rouge encounter, chased in cities, chased out of cities and chased down by the cops. Who in their right mind voluntarily electrocute themselves just for fun and dared to electrify the nuns around the corner—who neither volunteered nor had fun? WHAT OTHER FAMILY has had more broken bones, pulled more pranks, have had a plethora of runaway rattlesnakes and other large reptiles terrorize their neighborhood. WHAT OTHER FAMILY grew Mexican Tomato plants that never grew tomatoes and had leaky boats that refuse to float or Escaped death more times? Who had cars on blocks, trucks as trash barges and flowerbeds sprouting rusted bikes, mislaid sparkplugs and abandoned carburetors instead of flowers? Meet the DAHLINS

And to think we survived and came out normal—well, mostly.

The Truimph of Overcoming

I use the word dysfunction with deliberate intention and with great respect in serving the main point of this blog. In the wild ramblings of a kid I ruminate on the idea that my family was not just dysfunctional but was the “most dysfunctional family” on the planet—that’s the set up.

As I look to the other “normal” plain-wrap families next door and across the street that had tidy yards and flowerbeds believing that the grass is greener on the other side (well the grass was greener), it shouldn’t shock anyone to realize that there is dysfunction in all of us—often times masked by tidy lawns and clean exteriors. Along with joy, success and adventure, life is filled with disappointment, failure, pain, and betrayal from those who have let us down. This is what it means to be human. I admit that I faced some disappointment in trying to fit in and longed for acceptance as the youngest boy of our wolf pack, but in large part I can honestly say that I had more fun and more adventure, in what I would call a happy childhood—despite the numerous broken bones. Yet, I would be remiss if I did not brag a bit and say, “Yeah, but...Look at all the great stories.”

Though, I dig deep into the mind and explore the full range of emotions of this young kid who felt detached, wondered about his existence, about his place in the family and his connection to the universe—He came out okay.

The older Markie D loves his brothers and sisters and holds no grudges.

Markie D has found this elusive connection to the universe and is well adjusted—and yes, still a little bit crazy. He has been married for 34 years to an amazing artist, Kerry, and has four incredibly gifted and talented adult children.

Oh, BTW… He mows his lawn, parks a car in the garage and has flowers in the flowerbeds and desires boats that float and less adventure in every outing and more "plain-wrap."

May you find your connection to the universe that brings healing, wholeness, forgiveness and a sense of hope as you look to your future.

Not too long ago on a pale blue dot, third from the sun, people and events converged in the space/time continuum that would forever change the course of history. The setting is a huge Victorian home that slightly leaned on its crumbling foundation, groaning under the weight of unruly kids and hoards of junk. In the era of Ozzie and Harriet and Father’s Knows Best, I was born into a family dysfunction of epic proportions. This decrepit masterpiece in Venice would rival the Addams Family’s house, and the cast of characters would prove to be more incredible and wacky than The Munsters. The big problem was that I was the seventh born, the youngest boy and the runt of the litter.

To have 10 in a family in our catholic neighborhood was underachieving. To compete with the larger families, my mom gladly took in strays. The official-nonofficial count was more in the neighborhood of 14 ―mostly boys and all older than me.

All sibling rivalry and mischief flowed downhill and ended up on my platter, whether I had any say in the matter or not. For fun, we held on to the live wires that were left hanging out of a wall from a unfinished remodel. We were the only family I knew who voluntarily electrocuted themselves with 110 volt household current, and are the only family in the history of the world to single-handedly let all of the monkeys out of the LA zoo. We got chased out of cities; pursued by the Highway Patrol; and sought after by the entire Needles California Police force. Wherever we went, we made a spectacular splash which usually ended up on the front page of the local newspaper.

After being buried in pits, caged, hunted, left behind and electrocuted, I somehow managed to survive my childhood but felt numb, disconnected and alone although part of a big family. In college while searching for acceptance and connection, I experienced an event that would alter the course of my life. I graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Communications. I coached water polo and swimming at Saint Monica’s my High School Alma Mater and enjoyed major success in investment real estate. After a financial crisis, I committed myself to serving in ministry, working with Youth and Family, as an associate pastor of a large church in Southern California. I graduated with a Masters at the top of my class from Azusa Pacific Graduate School of Theology and was ordained a licensed Pastor.

I am married to an avid artist and have four children: three boys and a girl who takes after her mother’s creativity.

Currently, I am a senior Pastor of a church in Roseville, CA, and adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at a Bible college, and live in Sacramento with my wife and daughter.

markie d:

'72 swim team