December 20 Random Observations Of The Grand Lake Bum

I hope you got the guest room cleaned up and found all the extra blankets and pillows for the arrival of your family for the holidays. Personally, I’ve always found it more advantageous to be the Christmas guest instead of the Christmas host. I’m perfectly happy being the “host of Christmas past!”

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The arrival of Christmas comes right on the heels of the official arrival of Winter. The only good news about Winter is that it means we’ll start getting a tiny bit more daylight each day. It’s now less than three months until the arrival of Daylight Saving Time March 13.

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The best thing about Christmas is that it means there is less than a week until New Year’s Eve. I think New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving, and St. Patrick’s Day are highly underrated holidays. Any holiday that is dedicated solely to eating and drinking is my kind of holiday!

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Incidentally, I guess I’m getting coal in my Christmas stocking again. It appears I am continuing to miss out on my two most coveted jobs. For years, I’ve been trying to convince Presidents that I would be the perfect Ambassador to either Australia or Belize. Joe Biden is the latest President to disappoint me in my job hunt. He has nominated Caroline Kennedy for the former and Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan to the Belize post. I can’t compete with Kennedy money, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been to Belize more than Michelle Kwan. By the way, my dream high-paying jobs for doing nothing - fired football coach and 2^nd string NFL quarterback - aren’t working out, either.

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Everybody knows it’s tough to find enough employees in Oklahoma right now. Things are so tough at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections that they have asked for legislation allowing them to expand the field of potential employees by hiring prison guards 18-20 years old (instead of the current requirement that they be 21). I’m pretty sure there are more inmates who would like to have 18-year-old guards than there are 18-year-olds who want to be one.

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In the same vein, beer distributors are asking for legislation to allow them to hire 18-20 year- olds to deliver beer. Talk about temptation. So, they would be old enough to drive all over the state delivering beer to you and me…but still wouldn’t be old enough to drink any?

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Scott Roberts, Denise Whitson, Rick Huskey, Shannon Watkins, Sam Rader, Pat Jurgensmeyer, Carolyn Piguet, Kai Redus, Jeff Silvers, Marlon Porter, Nancy Wyatt, and Chandra Farmer.

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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS OF THE WEEK: It’s “Boat Parade on TV Time!” If you missed the Christmas Light Boat Parade on Grand Lake, you can watch television coverage on Christmas Day. Telecasts will be on KTUL-Channel 8 in Tulsa at Noon Christmas Day – and on KSNF-Channel 12 in Joplin at 6:30 Christmas evening. If you’re in the Wichita or Oklahoma City areas…sorry. You missed it. It aired last weekend. Enjoy your family and friends for the Christmas holiday and rest up for bigger and better college bowls games and the New Year’s celebration coming up. Don’t forget the Oklahoma-Oregon match-up in the Alamo Bowl next Wednesday night at 8:15. Big watch party at The Anchor at Shangri-La.  

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: The largest rise in life insurance payouts in a century has followed the surge in U.S. deaths from COVID-19 (The Wall Street Journal). Death-benefit payments rose 15.4 percent in 2020 to $90.43 billion, mostly due to the pandemic, according to the American Council of Life Insurers. It’s the sharpest rise since 1918.

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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: A popular vodka-tomato juice cocktail was invented 100 years ago at Harry’s Pub in Paris. One legend about how the cocktail was named is credited to Ernest Hemingway. Not wanting alcohol on his breath for a planned date, he asked for a cocktail made with fruit juice. As he sipped it, he reportedly muttered “bloody Mary” referring to the woman he was dating at the time.

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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: Liz Cheney is hunting for information; and when a Cheney goes hunting, someone gets hurt.

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK (seen at a local bar): If you are drinking to forget, please pay in advance.

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TWEET OF THE WEEK: The worst part about working at the unemployment office is that if you get fired, you still have to show up the next day.

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BEST PUN OF THE WEEK: I met some chess enthusiasts in the lobby of a hotel the other day. They just kept bragging about how good they are at the game. There’s nothing worse than chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Why is the day you cook, clean, do dishes and laundry called a “day off?”

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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: The entire U.S. population could be tested or vaccinated in one day if Chick-Fil-A ran the drive-thru.  

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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Award winning actor, singer, dancer, writer, and comedian Dick Van Dyke turned 96 years old last week. The top December musical hits were Melanie’s “Brand New Key,” Sly & the Family Stone’s “Family Affair” and Don McLean’s anthem “American Pie” – 50 years ago!

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The rule is you have to dance a little bit in the morning before you leave the house because it changes the way you walk out in the world.” – Sandra Bullock

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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, Thursday night Karaoke with Jason Morgan kicks off the Christmas weekend fun at Doc’s Bar & Grill. Terry Jordan entertains Friday night at The Summit. Erin Fitzgibbon performs at the Blind Swine on Monkey Island Friday night, followed by karaoke.

In Grove, Brett and Terri entertain Thursday night at The Regatta.

Indigo Sky Casino this week presents Low Compatibility in the Echo Bar Thursday night, and Brent Giddens will be on stage Saturday night. Identity Crisis entertains at Legends Sports Bar at Downstream Casino Friday night. Encore takes over Saturday night. At Cherokee Casino Grove, The Brandon Butler Band entertains Friday night and Three Chord Justice takes the stage Saturday night.

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DINING AND DRINKING UPDATE: Quarterdeck Café at Tera Miranda is now closed for the season, reopening in March.  Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney is closed for annual cleaning & maintenance, reopening January 1.  Copper’s Tea & Coffee House has re-opened in Grove. Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La has expanded hours of operation and now offers breakfast, lunch and dinner 7:00-10:00 a.m. seven days a week (closed Christmas Day) and Sunday Brunch specials 7:00-2:00. Doc’s also offers a Friday night weekly “Chef’s Special.”

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BUM MUST-SEE TV: The Grand Lake Christmas Light Boat Parade broadcast is Saturday. It airs in Tulsa on KTUL-Channel 8 at noon and on KSNF-Channel 12 in Joplin at 6:30 p.m. Season 10 of Letterkenny will be available Sunday on Hulu. OU and Oregon face off in The Alamo Bowl next Wednesday evening (December 29) at 8:15.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: It’s Christmas week. That means lots of movies. American Underdog, A Journal for Jordan, Sing 2, The Tender Bar and The Matrix Resurrections all open in movie theaters this week. The Matrix Resurrections is also available on HBO Max. Encanto will be available this week on Disney+; and Don’t Look Up is available on NETFLIX.

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SAVE THE DATE: Friday, December 31 – CFP Semi-Final Watch Parties at The Anchor (Alabama-Cincinnati at 2:30, Georgia-Michigan at 6:30). Friday, December 31 - Members annual New Year’s Eve Wine Dinner at the Summit Restaurant. Friday, December 31 – Platinum Member Event – New Year’s Eve Dinner at Mulligans at Patricia Island. Friday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve Prime Rib Dinner with music by Faultline at Road Hog Saloon. Saturday, January 1 – Arkansas vs. Penn State in the Outback Bowl (11:00 a.m.). Saturday, January 1 – OSU vs. Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl (noon). Tuesday, January 4 – Kansas State vs. LSU in the Texas Bowl (8:00). Thursday, January 6 – Pool League Tournament Round 3 at The Anchor (7:00). Friday, January 7 – CXC Aviator Flight Night at The Anchor (6:00). Friday-Sunday, January 7-9 – Oklahoma Boat Expo at Tulsa’s Cox Convention Center. Monday, January 10 – CFP National Championship Watch Party at The Anchor (7:00). Tuesday, January 11 – Trivia Tuesday at The Anchor (7:00). Thursday, January 13 – Pool League Tournament Round 4 at The Anchor (7:00). Friday, January 14 – Winter Golf League Indoor Simulator Tournament Round 1 at The Anchor (6:00). Friday-Sunday, January 14-16 – OKC Boat & RV Show at the Bennett Event Center at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in OKC. Thursday, January 20 – Pool League Tournament Round 5 at The Anchor (7:00). Friday, January 21 – Winter Golf League Indoor Simulator Tournament Round 2 at The Anchor (6:00).  Thursday, January 27 – Pool League Tournament Championship Match at The Anchor (7:00). Friday, January 28 – Winter Golf League Indoor Simulator Tournament Round 3 at The Anchor (7:00). Monday-Sunday, January 31-February 6 – Tulsa Boat, Sport & Travel Show at Expo Square, Tulsa State Fairgrounds.

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SPORTS WATCH: College Football Bowl Games continue this week, and games are getting better. Army takes on Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl Wednesday at 7:00. UCF takes on Florida Thursday at 6:00. Next week, Houston faces Alabama at 11:00 Tuesday, followed by Air Force & Louisville at 2:15 and Texas Tech facing Mississippi State at 5:45. Next Wednesday, Clemson takes on Iowa State at 4:45 – and OU faces Oregon in the Alamo Bowl at 8:15.

In the NFL, the Titans host the 49ers to kick off the week’s action Thursday night. There are two Christmas Day games this week: Cleveland at Green Bay at 3:30 and Indianapolis at Arizona at 7:00. Sunday, Baltimore is at Cincinnati, the Vikings host the Rams, Tampa Bay is at Carolina and the Giants are at Philadelphia, all at noon. Seattle hosts Chicago at 3:00; Pittsburgh is at Kansas City and Denver is at Las Vegas at 3:30, and Washington is at Dallas at 7:00 Sunday night. Monday Night Football features the Dolphins and Saints.

In the NBA, the OKC Thunder are in Phoenix Thursday night at 8:00 before returning home to host New Orleans Sunday at 6:00. They’re back on the road in Sacramento Tuesday (9:00), and in Phoenix again next Wednesday (8:00). If you’re a real die-hard NBA fan, there are twelve hours of basketball on Christmas Day – five games on ESPN and ABC.

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Weather for the Christmas holiday weekend looks pretty darn good – partly cloudy, light winds, highs around 60 and lows around 40. I hope your Christmas is sunny and bright – but I’m certainly glad it’s not white! Enjoy your friends and family for the holiday and celebrate it in true Grand Lake style; but no matter where you decide to celebrate, 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.

Artichoke Restaurant & Bar in Langley

Balcony Bar at The Shebang (Smoking – open Friday & Saturday nights)

Big Shots on Monkey Island (Open Friday & Saturday nights)

Blind Swine on Duck Creek at Safe Harbor Harbors View Marina

Blind Swine on Monkey Island

Blue Bluff Café at Blue Bluff Harbor

Buffalo Bar at Shangri-La on Monkey Island

Buffalo Run Casino in Miami (smoking)

Café at Har-Ber Village

Café Yum in Grove

Cesar’s Place in Vinita

Cesar’s Place in Langley

Checkered Past in Grove

Chickanella’s in Grove

Chicken Coop West of Langley

Clanton’s Café in Vinita

Copper Penny Bar in Ketchum

Copper’s Tea and Coffee House in Grove

Cosby’s Catfish on Highway 28 in Eucha (East of Disney)

Cove Club in Langley

Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Resort Hotel

Docks Bar at Harbors View Marina

Domino’s in Grove

Downstream Casino in Quapaw (smoking)

Drake’s on the Lake at Blue Bluff Harbor

Drake’s Restaurant in Grove

Drunken Rooster Bar & Grill at Grand Meridian

Eddy’s Lakeside Bar at Shangri-La Marina (smoking)

Gabby’s Place in downtown 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 Public House in Grove

Hatfield’s Saloon 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

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

Marina’s Place at Littlefield Corner

Matt’s Place in Grove

Monkey Island Pub (Smoking)

Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney (smoking, etc.)

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

Pistol Pat’s on Honey Creek in Grove

Pit Stop Café in Grove

Quarterdeck Cafe at Tera Miranda Harbor (smoking on the deck)

Raggedy’s in Grove

Rancho Viejo in Grove

Riggs & Company in Langley

River Bend Casino in Wyandotte (smoking)

Road Hog Saloon at the entrance to Monkey Island (smoking...but not at lunch)

Rusty Anchor (next to the cliffs at Dripping Springs)

Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina (smoking)

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 Grill at Indian Hills Resort & Marina in Bernice

The Landings Market and Grill on Monkey Island (smoking on the patio)

The Parrot at Honey Creek Landing in Grove (Smoking on the patio)

The Pourhouse at The Regatta in Grove

The Stables Casino in Miami (smoking)

The Shebang on Monkey Island (smoking on patio and Balcony Bar)

Ugly’s Grill & Bar, Thunder Bay Marina (smoking)

VIP Pizza at Hammerhead Marina (smoking on deck)

Water Side Bar & Grill in Grove

Wolf Creek Diner in Grove