December 18 Random Observations of The Grand Lake Bum
I think most of the big Christmas parties have come to an end for 2023. The Christmas Party at The Anchor at Shangri-La last Friday night was great fun, followed by the Caribbean Christmas Party at Mooney’s Saturday including the Penguin Plunge. It was a terrific party raising money for Domestic Violence Intervention Services. I loved the great cause, but changing the name of the “Polar Plunge” to the “Penguin Plunge” still didn’t trick me into jumping into the waters of Grand Lake in December! The weekend was topped off by the second of two consecutive Sundays of “A Grand Lake Holiday Celebration” at Shangri-La, hosted by Jack and Nancy Adkisson for all of Grand Lake. Terry Jordan was awesome, as always, and David Bridges & The Message were a fabulous addition to the musical afternoon.
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Like always, the end of the pre-Christmas celebrations marks the beginning of winter. Officially, winter arrives at 6:27 p.m. Thursday, December 21. That’s awful, I know. Just be patient. Spring officially arrives at 10:06 p.m. Tuesday, March 19. We don’t have to wait quite that long to celebrate, though. Daylight Saving Time returns Sunday, March 10. I’m already poised to “spring forward!”
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I hope the predicted showers over the Christmas holiday don’t prevent us from enjoying the rare holiday full moon! It will be at its peak on December 26, the day after Christmas. The last time we had a full moon on Christmas night was 2015 – and the next time we’ll actually have a Christmas full moon is 2034 (it happens every 19 years). Don’t worry. If we can see the moon Christmas night, it will be almost full! Close enough.
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Merry Christmas!!! Someone finally listened. Dollar General says it is phasing out self-checkout. If you don’t think that self-checkout is a stupid, hated idea that costs jobs, Dollar General says eliminating the program will “improve customer satisfaction and sales, and reduce shrink (theft).” They say they will add $50 million in employee payroll before the end of the year. We don’t have to do their jobs for them anymore! Walmart, Costco…are you listening?
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I’ve been getting emails from folks about a variety of contract cancellations of “woke” stars, and coaches saying they’ll fire players who kneel during the National Anthem. All these posts are on some social media site called SpaceX Fan Club. If you see anything whatsoever posted on that site, please know that it is plainly labeled as a “satire site” and nothing they post is true.
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If you’re wanting to watch the television replay of the CYC Christmas Lights Boat Parade, here’s the broadcast schedule: Pittsburg/Joplin’s KSN will air the parade coverage Saturday morning at 8:00 and again Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Kansas City’s KCTV will air coverage Saturday morning at 11:00. Coverage in Wichita, Tulsa and OKC is all Sunday – KSNW in Wichita at 11:00 a.m., KTUL in Tulsa at 3:30, and KSBI in OKC at 4:30.
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Here comes Christmas! I hope you survive – and I hope you get to spend this important holiday with people you love, whether they are people with the same blood as you or just the same beliefs as you. The important bowl games start right after Christmas, then it’s the best holiday of all – New Year’s! Hang on. You can do it!
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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Grand Lakers Jana Worley, Billie Lee, asey Musgrove, Jeff Horany, Laurie Kelly, Justine Brooks, Tiffany Cogle, Toni Ferguson, Scott Roberts, A.G. Meyers, Denise Whitson, Shannon Watkins, Rick Huskey, Sam Rader, Pat Jurgensmeyer, Carolyn Piguet, Jeff Hartman, Kai Redus, Julie Martin, Ed Maples, Marlon Porter, and David Hinkle.
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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS THIS WEEK. The Christmas Lights displays Twin Bridges State Park and Pine Lodge Resort are open for your drive-thru enjoyment. Thursday night is Trivia Night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney. Santa’s Ozark Mountain Christmas Village is open Friday & Saturday nights for the final two nights of the year at Har-Ber Village. The Ice Rink at Grove Community Center is open for “Open Skate” Fridays 6:00-10:00 p.m., Saturdays 3:00-10:00 and Sundays 3:00-8:00. Next Wednesday, December 27 – Texas Bowl Watch Party at The Anchor – OSU vs. Texas A&M (8:00 p.m.).
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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Mary Travers of the iconic folk music group Peter, Paul & Mary, was a dental assistant.
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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: She did it! Mariah Carey’s classic song “All I want for Christmas is You” was first recorded in 1994. This year, it hit a record one billion streams on Spotify.
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ODD FACT OF THE WEEK: The deepest explored spring in the United States is Roaring River Spring in Missouri (472 feet).
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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: Awkward moments. I waved to a man because I thought he waved at me. Apparently, he waved at another woman. So, to get out of an awkward situation, I kept my hand up and a taxi pulled over and drove me to the airport. I’m now in Austria starting a new life.
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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Parking reserved for old me with fat bellies.
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BEST TWEET OF THE WEEK: Restaurant toilets are dangerous! So many of my dates have gone to use them and simply vanished!
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PUN OF THE WEEK: Before it was carved, Mount Rushmore’s natural beauty was unpresidented.
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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Why do banks insist on trying to charge customers for having “insufficient funds” when they obviously already know they’re broke?
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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: I’d rather look back on life and say, “I can’t believe I did that!” instead of saying “I sure wish I had done that.”
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “There will come a time when the rich own all the media, and it will be impossible for the public to make an informed opinion.” – Albert Einstein
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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Oklahoma native and Hall-of-Fame catcher Johnny Bench turned 76 last week. Actress Susan Dey, best know for her portrayal of young Laurie Partridge on the sitcom “The Partridge Family,” turned 71; and actor, comedian, writer, director Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 98th birthday.
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BUM MUST-SEE TV: Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic airs Thursday night at 8:00 on CBS. A Home for the Holidays airs Friday night at 7:00 on CBS. The new comedy series Extended Families debuts Saturday night at 7:00 on NBC, followed by the new Night Court series at 7:30. The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors airs next Wednesday at 8:00 (December 27) on CBS opposite OSU and Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl on ESPN.
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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Here comes the deluge of Christmas releases. Migration, Anyone But You, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and The Iron Claw all open in theaters this Friday. Ferrari, The Boys in the Boat, The Color Purple, and Occupied City open in theaters Christmas Day (check your local listings, as they say). Mr. Monk’s Last Case is available on Peacock.
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SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, December 28 – Alamo Bowl Watch Party at The Anchor – OU vs. Arizona (7:00 p.m.). Sunday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve Wine Dinner at The Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La (6:00-10:00 p.m.). New Year’s Eve Party at the Drunken Rooster. Sunday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve “Sparkle Party” at Big Shots Rhythm & Booze. Sunday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party at the Drunken Rooster. Monday, January 1 – College Football Playoff Semi-Finals Watch Party at The Anchor. Thursday, January 4 – First night of weekly “Thursday Trivia” at Boom at The Regatta (6:00). Friday-Sunday, January 5-7 – Oklahoma Boat Expo at Tulsa’s Cox Convention Center downtown. Monday, January 8 – College Football Playoff Championship Game Watch Party at The Anchor. Tuesday, January 9 – Tuesday Trivia with Lee Lawson at The Anchor (7:00). Friday-Sunday, January 12-14 – Oklahoma City Boat & RV Show at the Bennett Event Center, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.
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College football’s bowl season is officially underway with South Florida facing Syracuse Thursday (7:00), Georgia Tech tackling UCF Friday (5:30), and three games Saturday – James Madison vs. Air Force (2:30), Utah vs. Northwestern (6:30), and Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State (9:30). Next week is when folks around here really start caring about the games! Kansas faces UNLV next Tuesday at 8:00. Wednesday, December 27, West Virginia faces North Carolina at 4:30 followed by OSU and Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl at 8:00. The next night, Thursday, December 28, OU and Arizona face off in the Alamo Bowl, also at 8:00.
In the NFL, The L.A. Rams host New Orleans Thursday night. There are three good games Saturday – Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (3:30) and Buffalo at the L.A. Chargers (7:00). Sunday games include Detroit at Minnesota (12:00) and Dallas at Miami (3:30). Christmas Day is a full day of great ones – Las Vegas at Kansas City (12:00), N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia (3:30) and Baltimore at San Francisco (7:00).
In the NBA, the OKC Thunder are at home for the next few games hosting the Clippers Thursday, the Lakers Saturday, Minnesota next Tuesday, and New York next Wednesday. All the games tip off at 7:00.
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It may be a little damp for the Christmas weekend, but at least the temperatures will be pretty nice. We’ll have high temperatures around 60 degrees every day, with lows in the mid-40s. That’s pretty hard to beat for Christmas weekend! Enjoy all the holiday festivities, but remember, wherever you decide to party, be sure to buy a drink for the guy next to you. It could be me!
GRAND LAKE BUM
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Looking for places to go, things to do, services to use or property to buy in the Grand Lake area? Here’s a starter kit listing of “open to the public” fun places to spend time at Grand Lake
Back Porch Ice Cream in Grove
Bailey’s Bistro at Layk Schoolhouse on Monkey Island
Balcony Bar at The Shebang (Smoking – open Friday & Saturday nights)
Big Shots on Monkey Island (Open Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights)
Blind Swine on Duck Creek at Safe Harbor Harbors View Marina (closed for the season)
Blind Swine on Monkey Island
Blue Bluff Café at Blue Bluff Harbor
BOOM in Grove (at The Regatta)
Buffalo Bar at Shangri-La on Monkey Island
Buffalo Run Casino in Miami (smoking)
Café at Har-Ber Village
Café Yum in Grove
Casa Gutierrez in Grove
Cesar’s Place in Vinita
Cesar’s Place in Langley
Changos Locos at Littlefield Corner, Monkey Island
Checkered Past in Grove
Chickanella’s on Monkey Island
Chicken Coop West of Langley
Chubby’s Grill at On Target in Grove
Clanton’s Café in Vinita
Copper Penny Bar in Ketchum
Cosby’s Catfish on Highway 28 in Eucha (East of Disney)
Cove Club in Langley
Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Resort Hotel
Domino’s in Grove
Downstream Casino in Quapaw (smoking)
Drake’s Restaurant in Grove
Drunken Rooster Bar & Grill
E&H Liquor Store at Littlefield Corner, Monkey Island
Eddy’s Lakeside Bar at Shangri-La Marina (closed for the season)
Fire Pit at Wildwood Cove Resort in Drowning Creek
Flower Bar in Grove
Galley at The Anchor, Shangri-La Resort
Goodfella’s Pizza (Cleora and Grove)
Grand Lake Casino, north of Grove on Highway 10 (smoking)
Grand Lake Coffee Company in Grove
Grand Lake Public House in Grove
Grand Lake RV Resort at the back of Duck Creek
Hero’s Deli in Grove
High Winds Casino east of Miami (smoking)
Honey Creek BBQ in Grove (south of Honey Creek bridge)
Indigo Sky Casino west of Seneca, Mo. (smoking)
Juan Montez Restaurant & Cantina at Red Arrow Marina
Keagan’s Coffee at Littlefield Corner
La Casita de Martin in downtown Grove
Lester’s Third Street Diner in Grove
Lighthouse Supper Club in Ketchum
Los Garcias in Langley
Lupe's Mexican Restaurant in Grove
Matt’s Place in Grove
Monkey Island RV Resort
Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney
Monkey Grind at Shangri-La Resort Hotel
Monkey Island Trail Rides
Monkey Island Winery
Mulligan’s at Patricia Island Golf Club in Grove
Nu Taste Restaurant in Grove
Pappy’s Bar on Hwy 10 east of Grove
Pickles at the Lake in Langley
Pier 13 Liquor Store in Langley
Pistol Pat’s on Honey Creek in Grove
Pit Stop Café in Grove
Quarterdeck Cafe at Tera Miranda Harbor (closed for the season)
R Bar Dance Hall & Saloon in Grove
Raggedy’s in Grove
Rancho Viejo in Grove
Regatta Restaurant & Bar at Sailboat Bridge, Grove
Riggs & Company in Langley
River Bend Casino in Wyandotte (smoking)
Road Hog Saloon at the entrance to Monkey Island
Royal Liquor Store in Grove
Rusty Anchor (next to the cliffs at Dripping Springs)
Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina (closed for the season)
Stuffn’s Restaurant in Ketchum (Smoking on patio)
Sugar Shack at Lee’s Grand Lake Resort
Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La on Monkey Island
The Anchor Sports Bar & Activity Park at Shangri-La
The Grill at Indian Hills Resort & Marina in Bernice
The Stables Casino in Miami (smoking)
The Shebang on Monkey Island (smoking on patio and Balcony Bar)
Ugly’s Grill & Bar, Thunder Bay Marina (closed for the season)
VIP Pizza at Hammerhead Marina (smoking on deck)
Wolf Creek Diner in Grove
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