November 8 Random Observations Of The Grand Lake Bum

I hope everyone survived the ridiculous change back to “standard time” Sunday. It’s very odd to head to the bar at dark, drink for a couple of hours, find your way home and realize it’s still only 7:30.

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I did have some great daytime fun on Monkey Island Saturday with their annual benefit Chili Cookoff & pie competition. Nothing cures time-change blues on the final day of Daylight Saving Time like an early start on day-drinking.

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It seems like everybody in Oklahoma is mad about the initial NCAA Playoff team predictions. We’re not the only ones, of course. A television station in Cincinnati was the first to take advantage of it. They posted a new billboard campaign promoting their TV weather coverage. The billboard simply says, “WLWT Weather: More accurate than the college playoff rankings.”

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Truth is stranger than fiction – and making a lot of money doesn’t make your life normal. University of Texas Special Teams Coach Jeff Banks makes a million bucks a year. Wait. That’s not the weird part. His girlfriend is Danielle Thomas, a former stripper and pole dancer who used to be known as “The Pole Assassin” (once featured on the Jerry Springer Show). Wait. That’s not the weird part. She has a pet white-faced capuchin monkey. Wait. Still not the weird part. The monkey apparently bit a kid who went outside the boundaries of Thomas’ “haunted house” she had set up in her yard. Thomas tweeted incessantly attempting to prove the kid was at fault. She even showed a video of how he must have stuck his hand in the monkey’s cage (which had no pole, as nearly as I could tell). It’s one of those problems of being a high-profile coach. Apparently, Banks had nothing to do with the incident; but all the other weird things associated with the story probably mean he won’t be getting that Washington State head coach’s job. If he does, watch for a lot more stories about this “truth is stranger than fiction” story.

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Well, John F. Kennedy, Jr. did not come back to life last week. I can’t imagine how this craziness happens, but a group of QAnon believers gathered in Dallas last week, proclaiming that JFK, Jr. would reappear and declare Trump to be president. I’m not sure how John John was going to come back to life – and I’m not sure how he would get the authority to name a president, but I do know one thing: those people who gathered in Dallas are eligible to vote. When I learn how to sucker people like this, I’ll be a wealthy man!

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One of life’s great mysteries has been solved. The first bottles of Coca-Cola contained 3.5 grams of cocaine. That explains how my grandparents were able to walk to school uphill in the snow, both ways.

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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Thursday at noon, the Grove Chamber of Commerce Member Luncheon at Grove Community Center will feature a presentation Mid-America Outdoors. Please note – the Chamber luncheon has moved back to the Community Center – NOT the Civic Center. Thursday is also Veterans Day. Veterans play golf free at Shangri-La. Grove and Monkey Island Merchants Christmas Open House is Friday and Saturday. Saturday, the Vintage by the Creek “All is Bright Christmas Market” will be open on Broadway just north of the Grove Civic Center from 9:00-3:00. Saturday night is the annual “Winterset” event at Shangri-La Resort benefiting DCCSN.  

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: The highest point in Spain is not actually in what most people think of as Spain. It's Mount Teide, on Tenerife in the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa.

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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: More people live in New York City than live in 40 of the 50 states.

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SAD FACT OF THE WEEK: The next time Grand Lake sees a sunset later than 6:30 p.m. will be March 11, 2022.

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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: Stop posting your problems on Facebook and start drinking alcohol like the rest of us.

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: In 20 years, our country will be run by people who were homeschooled by day drinkers.

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TWEET OF THE WEEK: Find someone who cares as much about you as gmail cares about new devices signing into your account.

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BEST PUN OF THE WEEK: Whoever invented “knock-knock” jokes should get a no-bell prize.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: When a product label says “Do not use if seal is broken,” how are we supposed to open it and use it?

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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: I stood in line at Starbucks the other day, listening to people bitch about $3 a gallon gas while they waited for their $6 cup of coffee.  

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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Television news icon Dan Rather turned 90 last week; and legendary performer Art Garfunkel (Simon & Garfunkel) turned 80 over the weekend.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Greg Feldman, Christie Coleman Livingston, Tyler Graham, Maddy Cook, Tom Quillin, Beverly Wade, Cory Pettit, Jeremy Riggs, Rusty Rowton, Carol Stalcup, Shannon O’Banion, Susan Keast, Bryan Wilkinson, Clark Boone, Roxane Gardner, and Chuck Perry.

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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, the Thursday Night Prime Rib and Karaoke with Jason Morgan kicks off the weekend at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La, followed by Nick Whitaker Friday night. Terry Jordan entertains Friday & Saturday nights at The Summit. At Big Shots Rhythm & Booze, DJ K-Bandito leads the cavalcade of great DJs and dance music at Big Shots Rhythm & Booze. Saturday night is also great dancing and singing at Monkey Island Pub with DJ Tim. Erin Fitzgibbon performs at the Blind Swine on Monkey Island both Wednesday and Friday nights; and Tuesday is Karaoke Night at the Swine.

On South Grand Lake, Zack Baker provides the entertainment Saturday night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney.

In Grove, there will be karaoke fun Friday night at The Regatta and great entertainment by The Struggle Saturday night.

In Miami, Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys perform Friday night at 7:00 at The Coleman Theater.

Indigo Sky Casino this week presents Stonehorse Duo in the Echo Bar Thursday night, followed by Rocked & Loaded Friday and Morgan Squared Saturday. If you like your entertainment rough, there’s a big Mixed Martial Arts card for Xtreme Fight Night at The Indoor Peoria Showplace at Buffalo Run Casino Saturday night. There is live entertainment by Constant Chaos Friday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655, with karaoke Saturday night. Asphalt entertains both Friday and Saturday nights at Legends Sports Bar at Downstream Casino; and The George Brothers performs Friday night at Cherokee Casino Grove followed by Stonehorse Saturday.

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DINING AND DRINKING UPDATE: The Drunken Rooster is now open at Grand Meridian RV Park – open daily at 11:00 a.m. Quarterdeck at Tera Miranda has reduced operating hours to Friday & Saturday 11:00-8:00 and Sunday 11:00-6:30. Blind Swine on Duck Creek and VIP Pizza at Hammerhead Marina are now closed for the season. The Blind Swine on Monkey Island is now offering breakfast on Saturdays & Sundays from 9:00-noon. The Grill at Indian Hills has new off-season hours of operation – Thursday-Sunday from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La has expanded hours of operation and now offers breakfast 7:00-10:00 a.m. seven days a week (in addition to lunch and dinner) and Sunday Brunch specials 7:00-2:00. “Taco & Tequila Tuesdays” have returned to Doc’s – and the All-You-Can Eat Ribs special on Fridays has now been replaced with a weekly “Chef’s Special.” The Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La has reduced hours of operation – dinner service beginning at 4:00 Thursday-Sunday, closed Monday-Wednesday. There are new menus at both Doc’s and the Summit.

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BUM MUST-SEE TV: The World According to Jeff Goldblum debuts Friday on Disney+. Adele: One Night Only airs Sunday night at 7:30 on CBS; and Yellowjackets opens a ten episode run Sunday night at 9:00 on Showtime.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Love is Love is Love debuts in movie theaters this weekend. Clifford the Big Red Dog is in theaters and streaming on Paramount+. Passing is available on NETFLIX; and Home Sweet Home Alone premieres on Disney+.

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SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, November 18 – South Grand Chamber Annual Banquet at Shangri-La Resort. Thursday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La (10:00-7:00). Friday & Saturday, November 26-27 – Santa’s Ozark Mountain Village opens at Har-Ber Village. Saturday, December 4 – Route 66 Christmas Parade in Miami (6:00). Saturday, December 11 – Grand Lake Christmas Light Boat Parade (Cherokee Yacht Club). Saturday, December 11 – Lights on the Lake Grove Christmas Parade (6:00). Monday, December 13 – Grand Lake Association Annual Banquet at Shangri-La Resort. Saturday, December 18 – Members Winter Gala at Shangri-La Resort.

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SPORTS WATCH: College football is in week # 11 and things are getting serious now. Friday night, Cincinnati is at South Florida. Saturday, OU is at Baylor, OSU hosts TCU, and Tulsa is at Tulane (3:00). Other college games of interest include Arkansas at LSU (6:30), Texas A&M at Ole Miss (6:00), Georgia at Tennessee (2:30) and Michigan at Penn State. Don’t worry about Alabama. They play someone called New Mexico State.

In the NFL, Miami hosts Baltimore Thursday night. Sunday games include Atlanta at Dallas, New Orleans at Tennessee, Cleveland at New England, and Tampa Bay at Washington, all at noon, Carolina at Arizona at 3:00, and Philadelphia at Denver and Seattle at Green Bay, both at 3:30. Sunday night, the Raiders host the Chiefs. Monday Night Football features the Rams and 49ers in San Francisco.

NBA action includes some tough competition for the OKC Thunder. They’re on the road for a rematch with the Pelicans in New Orleans Wednesday night at 7:00 before returning home to host the Sacramento Friday (7:00), Brooklyn Sunday (6:00), Miami Monday (7:00), and Houston Wednesday (7:00). All games are on Bally Sports Oklahoma.

PGA players are back in the United States this week for the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open. Coverage is exclusively on The Golf Channel beginning at 12:00 Thursday-Sunday.

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We’re going to see sunshine this weekend, but it’ll be cool, with high temperatures in the mid-50s and lows in the mid-30s. It’ll be a good weekend for indoor events. Enjoy the weekend at your favorite Grand Lake party spot; but no matter where 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

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

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