December 16 Random Observations of The Grand Lake Bum

What a weekend, huh? We lived through the last full moon and the last “Friday the 13^th” of the decade, a watched a Congressional committee vote to impeach the President. Here we are in the final week before Christmas (the highest stress-out week of the year), and we’ll probably have a full House impeachment vote by the end of the week. Is there anything else we can jam into this decade and get it out of the way?

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At least we had a lot of good things happen over the last week, too! The Christmas Lights Boat Parade had record participating (31 boats) and parades were awesome both in Grove and across the Pensacola Dam. A great crowd also enjoyed the inaugural Winter Gala at Shangri-La Resort – and the Sunday Brunch with Santa fun at both Shangri-La’s Summit Restaurant and Patricia Island’s Mulligans! Christmas parties at Monkey Island Pub and Mooney’s were all the rage, as well. What an incredible kick-off to the Christmas season on Grand Lake!

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In case you missed the Christmas Lights Boat Parade on Grand Lake, you have a chance to catch the television replay of it. The telecast will air in Oklahoma City at noon Saturday (KWTV-9), in Joplin at 5:00 Saturday afternoon (KSNF), in Tulsa at 10:30 Sunday morning (KTUL-8), and again in Oklahoma City Sunday at 12:30 (KSBI).

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MOMENT OF OKIE PRIDE: Travel & Leisure Magazine has released its list of the “Top 50 Places to Visit.” Oklahoma City is #36 on the list…but, get this: Only 6 places in the U.S. are ranked above OKC…and only 8 places in the entire list are locations in the United States. OKC is on the move! And there’s more - Oklahoma City and Tulsa were both named last week on Inc. Magazine’s list of “50 Best U.S. Cities for Starting a Business in 2020.” Tulsa also ranked #1 in the nation for wage growth. Nice!

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GRAND LAKE DINING & DRINKING UPDATE: Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney is offering $1.50 cans of Bud Light through December 30.  The Artichoke Restaurant in Langley has added some holiday hours of operation – open at 5:00 p.m. December 29 & 30 (yes, they realize that’s a Sunday and Monday).

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: The Gambia and The Bahamas are the only two countries in the world whose official names begin with "The."

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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: If you hate yourself, remember you’re not alone. A lot of other people hate you, too.

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK (seen in the rough of a golf course): You are 87 yards off line. Golf instruction available at our Pro Shop.

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TWEET OF THE WEEK: I wanna be 14 again and ruin my life differently. I have new ideas.

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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: If you are Jewish, feel free to wish me “Happy Hanukkah.” If you are Christian, you can wish me “Merry Christmas.” If you are African American/Canadian, you can wish me “Joyous Kwanzaa.” If you have no religious affiliation, you can still wish me “Happy Holidays.” I promise not to be offended. I’ll be thankful that you care enough to wish me well.

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BEST PUN OF THE WEEK: A copy of “Oliver Twist” just fell on my toe. It hurts like the Dickens!

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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Actress Jane Fonda turns 81 this week and famed talk show host Phil Donahue turns 83. Legendary Penn State Coach Joe Paterno would have been 93 this week, famed musical wizard Frank Zappa would have turned 79…and Barbara Billingsley, most famous as June Cleaver on “Leave it to Beaver,” who died in 2010, would have been 104 years old this week.

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Terry Graham, Jim Cottom, Don Murphy, Casey Davis, Richard Lowry, Jana Worley, Travis Hartley, Laurie Kelly, Casey Musgrove, Tiffany Cogle, Denise Whitson, Bob Cullison, Shannon Watkins, Rick Huskey, Will Rosebure, Cam Rader, Pat Jurgensmeyer, Jeff Hartman, and Kai Redus.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Is it technically drinking alone if a bartender is present?

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BEST EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Thursday night Prime Rib & Karaoke at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La. Saturday night is “Karaoke Christmas” fun at Blind Swine (including karaoke for kids from 5:00-7:00. The “Winter Wonderland Park of Lights” at Twin Bridges and the “Christmas Lights Display” at Pine Lodge Resort on South Grand Lake are certainly both worth the drive-through. Open nightly.

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GRAND LAKE WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: There’s great entertainment around the lake again this weekend. Thursday night, Jason Morgan leads the karaoke fun (along with prime rib dinner) at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La. Terry Jordan performs Saturday & Sunday nights at Shangri-La’s Summit Restaurant. At the Blind Swine, KJ Flip hosts the DJ and karaoke fun Thursday night. Erin Fitzgibbon will be on stage Friday night and KJ Flip is back for a Karaoke Christmas Saturday night. Sunday nights are Open Jam Sessions for musicians at the Swine. Monkey Island Pub features great dance music Friday & Saturday nights – and DJ Tim will provide the entertainment Saturday night this week. At Littlefield Corner, there’s great live music every weekend at the Road Hog Saloon; and every Tuesday night, Jason Morgan entertains at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La with “Trivia, Tacos & Tequila Tuesdays” from 6:00-9:00.

Area casinos have big entertainment plans, too. Cherokee Casino Grove features the music of House Party Friday night and Members Only Saturday.  Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655 features Dr. Funk and the Soul Vaccinations Friday night and karaoke fun Saturday night. At River Bend Casino, Eastbound Duo performs Friday night in the Club 60 West Bar. At Buffalo Run Casino’s Trailer Park Bar & Grill there is live DJ action every Friday & Saturday night at 10:00. Downstream Casino’s Legends Sports Bar spotlights The ShotGunBillys Friday night and Mayday by Midnight Saturday night; and Lover’s Leap Lounge features The Widowmakers both Friday & Saturday nights.  Travis Kidd will entertain Thursday and Friday nights followed by Soul DeVille Saturday.

The best spots to catch all your favorite sports action including college football bowl games, NFL football, and NBA action are Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Resort, the Standing Room Only Bar at The Shebang, Blind Swine, Road Hog Saloon, 1909 in Grove, Pickles at the Lake in Langley, and Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney.

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BUM MUST SEE MOVIES: The 2020 Miss America Competition airs Thursday night at 7:00 on NBC.  It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas airs Saturday night at 7:00 on Hallmark; and Season 2 of Lost in Space is available Christmas Eve on NETFLIX.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Cats, Bombshell and Superintelligence. Little Women and Spies in Disguise will be released Christmas Day. It’s a great movie week, for sure!

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I hate the radio this time of year because they play ‘All I Want for Christmas is YOU’ like, every other song. And that’s just not enough.” – Bridger Winegar

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SAVE THE DATE: Friday, December 27 – Texas Bowl Watch Party at Doc’s Bar & Grill at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, December 28 – Peach Bowl Watch Party at Doc’s Bar & Grill at 2:00. Saturday, December 28 – Peach Bowl Potluck Dinner at Grand Meridian RV Resort at 2:30. Tuesday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve Prime Rib Dinner at Doc’s Bar & Grill. Tuesday, December 31 – Roaring 20s Party at Monkey Island Pub. Tuesday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve Party at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney featuring Don White. Wednesday, January 1 – Late Night/Early Morning New Year’s Breakfast Buffet for the party animals at Doc’s Bar & Grill 1:00-4:00 a.m. Friday-Sunday, January 10-12 – OKC Boat & RV Show at the Bennett Center, State Fairgrounds. Monday-Sunday, January 27-February 2 – Tulsa Boat, Sport & Travel Show at Tulsa State Fairgrounds. Sunday, February 2 – Super Bowl Watch Party at Doc’s Bar & Grill.

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SPORTS WATCH! The first of 40 college football bowl games in a span of 25 days will be played Friday. Honestly, there’s really not much worth watching until after Christmas. If you’re hard up, though, and needing a football fix, there are four games that might be okay. Boise State faces Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl at 6:30 Saturday (ABC) and Appalachian State takes on UAB in the New Orleans Bowl Saturday night at 8:00 (ESPN). Monday night, UCF and Marshall face off in something called the Gasparilla Bowl (1:30 on ESPN). On Christmas Eve, Hawaii will host BYU in the Aloha Bowl at 7:00 on ESPN.

NFL action moves into week #16 with games both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday games are all exclusively on the NFL Network: Houston at Tampa Bay at noon, Buffalo at New England at 3:30, and the L.A. Rams at San Francisco at 7:00.. Sunday games include Baltimore at Cleveland (CBS) and New Orleans at Tennessee (Fox), both at noon, with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys at 3:30 (Fox) and a Sunday evening biggie featuring Kansas City at Chicago at 7:00 (ESPN); and Monday Night Football features a reall big competition – Green Bay at Minnesota (7:00 on ESPN).

The NBA schedule has the OKC Thunder hosting Phoenix Friday night at 7:00 and the Clippers Sunday evening at 6:00. Both games are on Fox Sports Oklahoma. Christmas Day is traditionally a gigantic NBA day, of course. This year’s games start at 11:00 on ESPN with Toronto hosting Boston, followed by a trio of games on NBC – Milwaukee at Philadelphia at 1:30, Houston at Golden State at 4:00 and the Clipper at the Lakers at 7:00. ESPN hosts the nightcap at 9:30 with New Orleans at Denver.

PGA Players are off for the holidays. Their next tournament will be the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii beginning January 2.

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We couldn’t ask for a better holiday forecast. The weather looks pretty much the same right through Christmas Day – PERFECT. We’ll have partly cloudy skies, light winds, high temperatures in the low-to-mid 50s and lows in the low-to-mid 30s. It sounds like the perfect weather to wrap up your shopping, enjoy some outdoor time, and celebrate the season at your favorite club or restaurant.  Remember, though… wherever you decide to party, be sure to buy a drink for the guy next to you. It could be me. Merry Christmas!!

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.

1909 in Downtown Grove

Ailey’s Café in Langley

American Grill in Grove

Aquabar & Grill at The Landings Marina on Monkey Island (smoking on the deck)

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 Run Casino in Miami (smoking)

Café Italia on Monkey Island

Café Yum in Grove

Carlos Montez in Langley (smoking in bar)

Ceasar’s Place in Vinita and at Littlefield Corner

Checkered Past in Grove

Chickanella’s in Grove

Chicken Coop West of Langley

Clanton’s Café in Vinita

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

Monkey Island Pub (Smoking)

Monkey’s Uncle at Littlefield Corner (Breakfast & lunch)

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

Morrow’s Bar & Grill at Morrow’s Landing

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)

Scooters in Langley (smoking)

Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina (smoking)

Sticky Fingers Barbecue in Ketchum

Stuffn’s Restaurant in Ketchum (Smoking on patio)

The Grill at Indian Hills Resort & Marina in Bernice

The Landings Marina (smoking on the deck)

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 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