November 6 Random Observations of The Grand Lake Bum

I assume everyone managed to set their clocks back from sunshine and happiness to misery and despair over the past weekend. I saw a great little song lyric on social media (with apologies to Simon & Garfunkel): “Hello darkness my old friend; Soon you’ll be here at 5:00 p.m.” Now, the only remaining task is to figure out how to reset the clocks on your microwave and in your car. If you can’t manage, just leave ‘em alone. They’ll be right again on March 10.

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With the new Rolling Stones album at #1 and a new Beatles single on the market this week, a lot of folks are probably confused – and worried that they set their clocks back way too far!

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We still have some warm days on the schedule, but it won’t be long before we can look forward to the next chilly morning fall adventure – watching the “low tire pressure” warning lights come on in every vehicle you touch.

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Oklahoma State Representative Kevin West continues his efforts that would hurt Oklahoma’s tourism by locking the state into “Standard Time.” Senator Blake “Cowboy” Stephens has re-filed legislation that would enhance Oklahoma tourism by locking us into “Daylight Saving Time.” I don’t know of anyone who likes changing clocks back and forth twice a year – but which direction we go toward “permanent time” impacts our biggest Grand Lake industry big time!

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Speaking of politicians, what’s with all the sudden effort by local politicians trying to crowd their way onto the national and international stage while we pay for it? Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Texas Governor Greg Abbott got together to jet to Israel for a photo op with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. It’s not clear what state government has to do with foreign policy, but at least they got their picture taken. State Superintendent Ryan Walters, meanwhile, is apparently jealous. He’s trying to hire another PR specialist at the Department of Education to get him more interviews with national media. Your tax dollars at work.

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I’m excited about Saturday’s big “Heart of Monkey Island” event. It’s the first party of the year with the purpose of raising money for Christmas gifts for kids who might otherwise not get anything. There’s a chili cookoff and a live auction – but, more importantly, there’s a Bloody Mary competition. They wouldn’t let me be a judge for the Bloody Mary contest, so I’m hoping to get a job helping to clean up afterwards! The fun all starts Saturday morning at 1l:00 at The Shebang Patio and Big Shots parking lot on the Island.

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Grand Lakers Mitch Lindley, Holly Williams, Judy Bolt, Jot Hartley, Kate Sullivan, Greg Feldman, Maddy Cook, Christie Livingston, Tyler Graham, Tom Quillin, Jeremy Riggs, Rusty Rowton, Carol Stalcup, Shannon O’Banion, Susan Keast, Bryan Wilkinson, Clark Boone, Roxane Gardner, and Blade DeSouza.

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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS THIS WEEK. Thursday night is “Trivia Night” at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill (7:30 p.m.). There are three more performances of “The Thin Place” at Playmakers in Grove. Final performances of this production are Thursday & Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2:00. The annual Grove Merchants Christmas Open House is this weekend – Friday & Saturday. Saturday is Veterans Day – $99 room rate and half-price golf for Veterans at Shangri-La. Saturday is also the Heart of Monkey Island Chili Cookoff & Bloody Mary Competition in the Big Shots parking lot raising money for kids for Christmas (11:00 a.m.). Saturday evening is the DCCSAN Winterset Gala at Shangri-La resort (6:00 p.m.). Tuesday is another edition of “Tuesday Trivia with Lee Lawson” at The Anchor at Shangri-La (7:00 p.m.).

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: The Chinese used thumb prints for identification purposes at least as long ago as the third century B.C.

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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: Every year in Barrow, Alaska the sun sets November 18 and rises the next year in January. There is total darkness for 67 days.

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ODD FACT OF THE WEEK: Broccoli is a human invention. You will never find it in the wild, as it was created by selectively breeding it from wild cabbage. The same is true of cauliflower and brussel sprouts.

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OXYMORON OF THE WEEK: Pretty ugly.

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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: The word “queue” is just the letter “Q” followed by four silent letters.

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Nudist Camp – Clothed Until Spring

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BEST TWEET OF THE WEEK: Stop cutting one chicken wing in half and selling it as two wings!

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BEST PUN OF THE WEEK: I got kicked out of the coffee club, just for wearing a tea shirt.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: If we learn and improve from making mistakes, why don’t we look forward to making more mistakes?

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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: I was always taught to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder to find one.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” – Charles Bukowski

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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Happy birthday to legendary Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship vocalist Grace Slick. She is 84. Actor Henry Winkler – The Fonz – turned 78 last week.

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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, the weekend fun kicks off at Doc’s Bar & Grill Thursday night with Jason Morgan leading the karaoke fun. KJ Flip leads the Thursday karaoke at Big Shots and DJ K-Bandito hosts the weekend musical fun Friday & Saturday nights. Scott Musick performs at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Friday night. Friday night is double performance at the Road Hog Saloon. Dakota Murillo will start the music at 7:30 followed by Eli Howard and The Greater Good.

On South Grand Lake, the weekend musical fun always starts on Thursday nights with karaoke fun at The Drunken Rooster, and Reverse Reaction will be on stage Saturday night. Barrett Lewis will provide Saturday night’s music at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill.

In Grove Grass Mountain Trailhead will perform at a River Ridge Bluegrass Association musical show Saturday night at 6:00 at Grove Middle School. There is karaoke fun Thursday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655, followed by live music by Another Alibi Friday night, and more karaoke Saturday. Rusty Meyers entertains Friday night at Cherokee Casino Grove, followed by The Brandon Butler Band Saturday night.

Western Justice will be on stage Saturday night at River Bend Casino’s Club 60 West.

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GRAND LAKE DINING & DRINKING UDATE: Quarterdeck Café at Tera Miranda is now closed for the season. Monkey Island Pub is temporarily closed – reopening November 18 for the Monkey Island Potluck Thanksgiving. The Fire Pit at Wildwood Cove Resort now offers all-you-can-eat crab legs on Thursday nights. The Grill at Indian Hills has begun winter hours – Thursday-Sunday from 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

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BUM MUST-SEE TV: Albert Brooks: Defending My Life airs Saturday night at 7:00 on HBO. Blake Shelton’s Barmageddon returns Monday night at 10:00 on USA. The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters airs Tuesday night at 9:00 on the History Channel.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: It’s a Wonderful Knife, Holdovers, The Marvels,  and  Your Lucky Day all open in theaters this week. The Killer is available Friday on NETFLIX.

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SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, November 16 – South Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet at Shangri-La Resort (5:00 p.m.). Friday & Saturday, November 17-18 – Santa Paws Pet Photos with Santa at Second Chance Thrift Shop in Grove (4:00-7:00 Friday, 10:00-4:00 Saturday). Saturday, November 18 – Drive-In Movie double feature at Wolf Creek Park in Grove – Polar Express and Elf (6:00 p.m.). Saturday, November 18 – Delaware County Community Partnership “Holiday Hoedown” at Legacy Event Center (6:00 p.m.). Saturday, November 18 – Monkey Island Thanksgiving Pot Luck Dinner at Monkey Island Pub. Thursday, November 23 – Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet at Doc’s Bar & Grill (11:00-7:00) and The Cove Club (10:00-3:00). Thursday, November 23 - NFL Thanksgiving Game Day Watch Party at The Anchor at Shangri-La (10:00-10:00). Thursday, November 23 – “Park of Lights” display opens at Twin Bridges State Park  (nightly through December 30). Friday, November 24 – Opening of the Grove Ice Rink at City Hall (open Friday-Sunday through December 31). Saturday & Sunday, November 25-26 – Opening weekend for Santa’s Ozark Mountain Village at Har-Ber Village. Friday, December 1 – “Lights on Grove!” Christmas kick-off celebration on the Grove City Hall lawn (6:00 p.m.). Saturday, December 2 – Grand Lake YMCA “Jingle Bell Run.” Saturday & Sunday, December 2-3 – “Journey to Jesus” with Oasis animals at Oasis Animal Adventures (3:00-8:00 p.m.). Tuesday, December 5  -Tuesday Trivia with Lee Lawson at The Anchor at Shangri-La (7:00 p.m.). Saturday, December 9 – Christmas Lights Boat Parade from Cherokee Yacht Club. Saturday, December 9 – Grove Lighted Christmas Parade (6:00 p.m.). Monday, December 11 – Grand Lake Association Annual Banquet at Cherokee Yacht Club (6:00 p.m.). Tuesday, December 12 – Tuesday Trivia with Lee Lawson at The Anchor at Shangri-La (7:00 p.m.).

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Every game gets more important this time of year in the college football world. Tulsa kicks off the Saturday schedule at 11:00 a.m. at Tulane while Kansas hosts Texas Tech. OSU is on the road at UCF Saturday afternoon at 2:30. OU hosts West Virginia Saturday night at 6:00. Texas faces TCU Saturday and Iowa State is at BYU for a late kick-off Saturday night.

In the NFL, the Chiefs have a bye this week, but there are other great games. Carolina is at Chicago to start the week Thursday night. Sunday, we have early morning football from Frankfurt again this week with Indianapolis facing New England at 8:30 on the NFL Network. Noon games include Tennessee at Tampa Bay, Green Bay at Pittsburgh, and Cleveland at Baltimore. The Cowboys host the Giants at 3:30 Sunday afternoon, and the Raiders host the Jets Sunday night. Monday Night Football features Denver at Buffalo.

In the NBA, the OKC Thunder hit the road for the west coast this weekend after wrapping up a homestand with Atlanta Monday and Cleveland Wednesday. They’ll be in Sacramento Friday night for a late tip-off (9:00 p.m.) before traveling to Phoenix for a Sunday night game at 7:00. They’ll be back home in OKC to host the Spurs next Tuesday at 6:30.

PGA players are in Bermuda this week for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Coverage begins at noon Thursday & Friday, and 10:00 a.m. Saturday & Sunday exclusively on the Golf Channel.

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Weather for the upcoming weekend looks almost as good as last weekend. We’ll have sunshine and light winds. High temperatures will be around 60 degrees with lows around 40. It’s a great weekend to have some lake fun outdoors and indoors both! Remember, though, 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

Artichoke Restaurant & Bar in Langley

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 Friday & Saturday nights)

Blind Swine on Duck Creek at Safe Harbor Harbors View Marina

Blue Bluff Café at Blue Bluff Harbor

Blue Cat Bistro at Har-Ber Village

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

Copper’s Tea and Coffee House in Grove

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

Cove Club in Langley

Danny’s Dockside Pizza at Honey Creek Landing

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

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 Pub (Smoking)

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 (smoking on the deck)

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 (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 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 (smoking)

VIP Pizza at Hammerhead Marina (smoking on deck)

Water Side Bar & Grill in Grove

Wolf Creek Diner in Grove