November 9 Random Observations Of The Grand Lake Bum
I can’t imagine a better November weekend on Grand Lake than the one gone by. Perfect weather with warm temperatures and sunshine put lots of boats on the water and tons of golfers on the golf courses. Other outdoor events, like the big Monkey Island Chili Cookoff & Pie Competition at Blind Swine and the second chili cookoff of the day at Grand Meridian RV Park snagged big crowds. It’s hard to believe that just a few days later, we’re already into Thanksgiving celebrations and Jello Wrestling…but here we go. There’s never an off-season weekend on Grand Lake! It’s beginning to look like we can wipe that phrase “off-season” out of the Grand Lake dictionary entirely!
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Speaking of the Monkey Island Chili Cookoff – congratulations to organizer Mandy Long, along with Shannon O’Banion, Carrie Connor and Terrei Phipps. The cook-off combined with an auction (thanks T.J. Phipps) raised more than $3,600 for continued maintenance of the popular Monkey Island Trail. Another great party for a great cause!
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If you’re looking for consistently good chili, maybe you should start hanging out with Keith Hawks. He won 1st place in the Monkey Island Chili Cookoff, then headed to Grand Meridian where his chili took 3rd place honors that same night!
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Someone sent me an email about using vodka for cleaning around the house. Sure enough, it worked. The more vodka I drank, the cleaner my house looked.
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I know it’s been a crazy couple of weeks for everybody, but there’s one more hurdle to overcome. This week, we have…Friday the 13th. #2020
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I guess OKC Thunder fanatics like me are going to have a Merry Christmas after all. The NBA has agreed to a 72-game schedule starting December 22.
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DINING AND DRINKING UPDATE: Quarterdeck Café at Tera Miranda is extending their weekend operating schedule through December 20 (Fri 4:00-8:00, Sat & Sun 11:00-8:00 – no breakfast service). Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La now offers “Lightning Lunch” specials weekdays - served in 15 minutes or less or they’re free. The popular “Sunday Brunch” has returned to Doc’s – 9:00-2:00 Sundays. Mulligan’s at Patricia Island is also open to the public for Sunday Brunch 10:00-2:00.
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ROAD CLOSURES: The road across the Pensacola Dam is closed for repairs until at least March 2021. ODOT is beginning construction on a new bridge over Horse Creek at Bernice (Butt Bridge). Once work is underway, that bridge will be reduced to one lane for the better part of a year.
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BEST EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Thursday Night Prime Rib & Karaoke is at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Resort (6:00-9:00) – and Sunday Brunch! Friday & Saturday should be great shopping days in Grove with many Grove merchants and Monkey Island’s Den of Uniquity participating in the Christmas Open House weekend. Friday night (every Friday night this month) is also “Sip, Shop, and Sashay night at The Shebang Restaurant featuring modeling of fashions from the Den of Uniquity. Saturday night is the always fun Glow Golf Par 3 Challenge for members at Shangri-La Golf Club. Saturday night is also the annual Monkey Island Potluck Thanksgiving at Monkey Island Pub (7:00), and the charity Jello Wrestling Tournament at Blind Swine. Sunday is Thanksgiving Potluck at Juan Montez at Red Arrow Marina (1:00 p.m.).
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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: Jason Morgan starts the weekend with karaoke fun at the Thursday Night Prime Rib & Karaoke at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Resort (6:00-9:00). Doc’s also starts weekly Friday night live entertainment this week. First on stage is Ronnie Pyle, Friday night at Doc’s. Erin Fitzgibbon performs early and Daniel Chesser will take the state late Friday night for Live Swine Friday at Blind Swing. Erin Fitzibbon is back at the Swine Tuesday. Terry Jordan performs at the Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Big Shots will feature Karaoke fun on Friday night and dancing to your favorite tunes Saturday night. Monkey Island Pub features Karaoke with DJ Tim Saturday night following the Monkey Island Thanksgiving potluck.
Indigo Sky Casino this week presents Ashlynn Grey Thursday in the Echo Bar, followed by T.J. Scarlett Friday and Home by Daylight Saturday. At Downstream Casino’s Legends Sports Bar, Craig Gerdes will be on stage Friday night followed by The ShotGun Billys Saturday. Cherokee Casino Grove also has live music Friday & Saturday nights, but band information wasn’t available in time to make this little column.
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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Lawyer-turned-author Erle Stanley Gardner, best known for writing more than 85 Perry Mason novels and short story collections, turned out 1.2 million words a year at one stage of his career.
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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: My high school was so small, we held Sex Education classes and Driver’s Ed classes in the same car.
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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: The biggest comeback of 2020 is being made by the “unfollow” button.
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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: You wanna see social distancing? Loan somebody some money.
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BEST T-SHIRT SEEN THIS WEEK: No matter how you feel about the election results, please don’t buy all the toilet paper.
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TWEET OF THE WEEK: If you’re opposed to gay marriage, you can simply say “no” when a gay person proposes to you. Follow me for more life tips.
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BEST PUN OF THE WEEK (sing this one): If an eel bites your thigh and you bleed out and die, that’s a moray.
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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: I’m tired of people complaining about $7 beer, $10 parking and a $20 cover. If you don’t like the prices, stop coming to my house.
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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: We have lost a national treasure. Marge Champion was a talented actor, dancer and choreographer. She and her husband Gower famously danced in “Show Boat.” She was the model for the animated character Snow White, and her dance moves were used to animate the Blue Fairy in “Pinocchio.” She died recently at age 101. We lost another treasure with the death of Billy Joe Shaver, the man Willie Nelson called “the greatest living songwriter.” Author of almost all the songs on Waylon Jennings Honky Tonk Heroes album (among many others), he died last week at the age of 81.
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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Tom Quillin, Jeremy Riggs, Rusty Rowton, Carol Stalcup, Shannon O’Banion, Bryan Wilkinson, Clark Boone, Roxane Gardner, Teresa Karleskint, Chuck Perry, Gary Goss, Duane Koehler, Steve Wetwiska, and Cliff Hudson.
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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Shouldn’t we be uncomfortable that the person who invests money for us is called a “broker?”
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BUM MUST-SEE TV: It’s a big television week. Grey’s Anatomy returns for another two-hour season premiere Thursday night at 8:00 on ABC opposite the season premiere of Law & Order SVU at 8:00 on NBC. The series premier of the comedy Unicorn is also Thursday night at 8:30 on CBS. The Blacklist returns to NBC for another season Friday night at 7:00. Sunday Today will feature an interview with Dolly Parton at 7:00 Sunday morning on NBC. The 2020 People Choice Awards airs Sunday night at 8:00 on E! and the final season of The Crown is available Sunday on NETFLIX. Monday night is a huge night for CBS with return of several blockbuster series: The Neighborhood, Bob & Abishola, All Rise, and Bull. ABC’s lone new series of the Fall, Big Sky, debuts Tuesday night at 9:00.
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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Freaky, Billie and Fatman are in movie theaters this weekend. Friendsgiving is available streaming. The Last Three Days is available streaming. Unhinged is available for rent; and The Life Ahead and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey are both available on NETFLIX.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The best part of any political event is watching everyone from my hometown who got a 14 on their ACT try to explain constitutional law.” – Jessica Holcomb
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SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, November 19 – South Grand Lake Chamber Annual Banquet at Shangri-La Resort. Monday, November 30 – Grammy Award winner Wynonna Judd in concert at the Coleman Theatre in Miami. Friday, December 4 – “Gateway to Grand Lake Christmas Parade” in Ketchum (6:30). Saturday, December 5 – Cherokee Yacht Club Christmas Boat Parade. Saturday, December 5 – Ugly Sweater Contest at Monkey Island Pub. Friday, December 11 – Christmas Carols at the Coleman Theatre in Miami. Saturday, December 12 – Grove Christmas Parade. Saturday, December 12 – Big Band Christmas at the Coleman Theatre. Monday, December 14 – Electoral College votes to elect U.S. President. Saturday, December 19 – Christmas Costume Contest at Monkey Island Pub. Thursday, December 31 – Late-Night New Year’s Eve Buffet at Doc’s Bar & Grill (until 4:00 a.m.).
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SPORTS WATCH: This is the biggest week of the year for professional golf. Is it April, already? It’s The Masters! Coverage begins Thursday and Friday at noon on ESPN. CBS picks up the final two rounds beginning at noon Saturday and 9:00 a.m. Sunday.
In the college football world, Tulsa hosts SMU Saturday at 6:00 on ESPN2. Arkansas is at Florida Saturday evening at 6:00 (ESPN). OU, OSU, Kansas, and Kansas State are all idle this week.
The NFL season heads into week #10 Thursday night with Indianapolis at Tennessee (Fox). Sunday games include Houston at Cleveland (noon on Fox), Buffalo at Arizona (3:00 on CBS), San Francisco at New Orleans (3:30 on Fox), and Baltimore at New England (7:00 on NBC). Monday Night Football features the Chicago Bears hosting Minnesota (7:00 on ESPN). Kansas City and Dallas are both idle this week.
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Weather for the weekend ahead can’t compete with last weekend’s absolutely picture perfect weather, but it’ll still be nice, just a little cooler. We’ll have sunshine, light winds, highs pushing 60 degrees with lows around 40. Get out and join the fun, but remember - wherever you 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.
Ailey’s Café in Langley
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 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
Coppers Tea & Coffee House in Grove
Cosby’s Catfish on Highway 28 in Eucha (East of Disney)
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
Eddy’s Lakeside Bar at Shangri-La Marina (smoking)
Gabby’s Place in downtown Grove
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
Henrie’s Grill 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
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.)
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
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)
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 Pouhouse 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
Waterway Café, Harbors View Marina (smoking on breakwater dining deck)
Wolf Creek Diner in Grove