February 14 Random Observations Of The Grand Lake Bum

Another Super Bowl is in the books – and there’s a really big takeaway (aside from the obvious). Estimates are that 31.5 million Americans wagered a whopping $7.6 billion on the game. If the Oklahoma legislature doesn’t approve pending legislation to legalize sports betting, we’ll continue to leave all that money to other states.

*****

Super Bowl commercials set a new price record, by the way. I hope you enjoyed them because sponsors paid a bundle for them - $6.5 million for each 30-second spot.

*****

If you never want to see things improve in Oklahoma, support SJR 30 by Oklahoma State Senator Warren Hamilton (R-McCurtain). His legislation proposes that no State Question could be approved unless it receives approval in two-thirds of Oklahoma’s counties (52 of the 77). Historically, that would mean we wouldn’t have a variety of bond issues moving our state forward – and we wouldn’t yet have the lottery, pari-mutuel racing, liquor-by-the-drink, medical marijuana, Medicaid expansion, etc. I thought we lived in a society ruled by the majority. Senator Hamilton doesn’t think we should. If we want to see the entire State of Oklahoma in as much of a sluggish stalemate as the United States Senate, this would be the way to do it. SMH.

*****

U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) gets a lot of things wrong, but she cracked up the entire country last week with her latest faux pas. Deriding a Capitol Police Officer for photographing an unsecured congressional office, she referred to the Capitol Police as “Nancy Pelosi’s gazpacho police.” I’m sure she was thinking of “gestapo,” but referred to a cold soup instead. Best response? Lawyer and political pundit George Conway tweeted to remind folks that Greene is “one of the most constant and effective critics of this administrone.”

*****

While we’re worrying about important things, my friend George Sherman has a thoughtful question: “Will fans of the newly-named NFL Washington Commanders be called ‘commies’?”

*****

Next Valentine’s Day, I need to buy an entire cake to give more room for a message to my sweetheart. I just got a cupcake this year and had to abbreviate. My tender thoughts weren’t appreciated the way I intended. I only had room to write “Enjoy Your V.D.”

*****

Speaking of such things, if you’re still in the mood to celebrate, this is actually “National Condom Week” continuing through next Monday. Celebrate appropriately.

*****

It happened in the days of prohibition, too. If you want people to engage in something, try to take it away from them. The current banning & burning of books may have a good side effect – increasing reading! After a wacko Tennessee school board banned the book “Maus,” sales of the book have jumped 753%.

*****

A Grand Lake landmark had a tough time during the recent winter storms. The famous dinosaur which famously marks “Dinosaur Point” at mid-lake, bit the dust, falling from its pedestal and breaking. The dinosaur has stood proudly on the point since Maynard Hemphill erected it almost 50 years ago. No worries, though, Maynard’s grandkids and their friends are quick to the rescue – and the dinosaur will soon proudly mark the famous point again.

*****

If you still have the urge to go to a boat show this week, you need to head for Florida. The Miami International Boat Show runs February through Sunday. We’re running out of options. In our area, only the Grand Lake Boat Show March 3-6 at the Grove Civic Center remains on the show schedule.

*****

GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Lissette Coston, Sandy DiPasquale, Rich Talley, Greg Pitcher, Trisha Wooderson, Brandi Lolato, Misty McComb, Zach “Peach” Roach, Blake Keeton, Larry Haney, Jim Wyche, Todd Gayer, Bob Howard, Ryan Stoner, Greg Hopeman, and “Ugly” John Mullen.

*****

BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Friday night is the Championship Match for Shangri-La’s indoor Winter Golf League competition in the simulator bay at The Anchor. Next Tuesday is 2-22-22. Appropriately enough, Shebang with host a “Tutu” party with featured Guest Chef Mark McDowell. Tuesday is also Trivia Night at The Anchor at Shangri-La.  

*****

RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: The dots on dominoes are called pips.

*****

FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: Dolly Parton wrote the smash hits “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” in the same day.

*****

BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: During labor, the pain is so great that a woman can almost imagine what a man feels when he sees his boat shrink wrapped for the winter.

*****

BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Two-hour parking 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

*****

TWEET OF THE WEEK: Practice is important if you want to get it right. I like to have at least five practice cocktails before my actual cocktail.

*****

BEST PUN OF THE WEEK: I am writing a book about all the things I should be doing in my life. It’s an oughtobiography.

*****

UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Did the guy who put the first “R” in February also decide how to spell “Wednesday?”

*****

OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: The Winter Olympics have been fun, but I must say - The U.S. Men’s Curling Team looks like a group of dads that were just trying to get away from their families for the weekend, but somehow ended up competing in the Olympics.

*****

FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: While we’re celebrating George Washington’s 290^th birthday this week and Abraham Lincoln’s 213^th, there’s a birthday of more current interest. Singer/songwriter/superstar Carole King turned 80 years old last week.

*****

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Breaking up is like knocking over a Coke machine. You can’t do it in one push. You have to rock it back and forth a few times, and then it goes over.” – Jerry Seinfeld

*****

BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, Thursday night Karaoke & Singo with Jason Morgan kicks off the weekend fun at Doc’s Bar & Grill. Cory Lee performs at Doc’s Bar & Grill Friday night. Thursday night is karaoke night at the Blind Swine on Monkey Island, and Erin Fitzgibbon entertains Friday night at the Swine. Saturday is also karaoke night at Monkey Island Pub.

On South Grand Lake, Daniel Chesser will provide the music Friday night at Drunken Rooster Bar & Grill followed by Reverse Reaction Saturday night.

In Grove, Joe Leiter entertains Saturday night at The Regatta. There is Friday night live entertainment by Whisky Outlaws at Venue 655 at Grand Lake Casino followed by karaoke Saturday night. At Cherokee Casino Grove, The Shotgunbillys entertain Friday night, and Lyle Parman and the Slidebar Band take the stage Saturday night.

Indigo Sky Casino this week presents TJ Scarlett in the Echo Bar Thursday night. Friday night features Uncrowned Kings, and Funkin Gonuts wrap up the weekend Saturday night. At Downstream Casino’s Legends Sports Bar, Croy & Company will be on stage Friday night, followed by Brandon Butler Saturday night. Liverpool Legends will be in concert one night only Friday night at The Pavilion at Downstream. Saturday night, both Great White and Slaughter will be in concert at Buffalo Run Casino’s Indoor Peoria Showplace.

*****

DINING AND DRINKING UPDATE: Barbara and Paul Staten will be the featured Guest Chefs at The Shebang Wednesday night, February 16, assisted by Guest Sous Chef Peggy Howard-Burgess. The Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La is open to the public Sunday nights. Opening soon for lunch service only: The Table Bites & Bottle at The Lakehouse in Grove. Bella Donna’s, is planned for a May opening at Honey Creek Landing Marina (the former location of The Parrot). Cadillac Jack’s, a new restaurant at Scissortail Marina (formerly Port Carlos), is also hiring for a planned opening this spring.

*****

BUM MUST-SEE TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is available Friday on Prime Video. Space Force and Texas Chainsaw Massacre are available Friday on NETFLIX. America’s Got Talent: Extreme premiers Monday at 7:00 and The Endgame debuts at 9:00, both on NBC. For sports fans, coverage of the Winter Olympics continues daily on NBC and USA with closing ceremonies Sunday night on NBC. The Daytona 500 airs Sunday at 1:30 on Fox and the NBA All-Star game is Sunday night at 7:00 on TNT.

****

BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Jackass Forever, Blacklight, Dog and Uncharted are all exclusively in movie theaters this week. Marry Me is in theaters and streaming on Peacock this week. Sneakerella is available on Disney+.

*****

SAVE THE DATE: Friday-Sunday, February 25-27 – 918 Grand Prix at Mid-America Outdoors. Saturday, February 26 – Mardi Gras Party at Monkey Island Pub. Sunday, February 27 – Grand Lake’s Don White will be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame at Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. Wednesday, March 2 – Home of Hope drive-thru Chocolate Affair at HOH in Vinita (4:00-8:00). Thursday-Sunday, March 3-6 – Grand Lake Boat Show at the Grove Civic Center. Friday-Sunday, March 4-6 – Welcome Back Weekend and Ice Breaker Poker Run! Saturday, March 5 – WAAMI Fundraising Chili Luncheon at Monkey Island Community Center (11:00-2:00). Sunday, March 6 – Fundraising Lunch & Auction to benefit Retta Coats at Vinita High School Cafeteria (lunch at 11:00, auction at noon). Thursday, March 10 – Grove Chamber of Commerce Member Luncheon at Grove Civic Center. Saturday, March 12 – Boater Safety Class at GRDA Ecosystems & Education Center in Langley. Saturday, March 12 – Glow Golf (nighttime golf) at Shangri-La Golf Club (6:00). Sunday, March 13 – First Day of Daylight Saving Time. Friday-Saturday, March 18-19 – John Sumner’s Big Meat Run below the Pensacola Dam in Disney. Friday-Sunday, March 18-20 – Home & Garden Show at the Grove Civic Center. Saturday, March 19 – St. Patrick’s Day Party at Monkey Island Pub. Saturday, March 19 – InVESTment dinner to raise money for protective vests for Delaware County officers. Sunday, March 20 – Open House at Spring Valley Ranch (1:00-4:00).

*****

Football fans are undoubtedly going into withdrawal this week, but the Winter Olympics are happening full on through Sunday! Coverage is on NBC and USA daily with prime time coverage at 6:00 each evening.

It’s All-Star week for the NBA. Coverage of Friday night’s All-Star Celebrity game is at 6:00 (ESPN) with Rising Star competition scheduled at 8:00 (TNT). Saturday night at 7:00 is All-Star Saturday coverage beginning at 7:00 and including Skills Challenge, 3-Point competition and the popular Slam-Dunk competition. The All-Star Game is Sunday night at 7:00.

There’s great college basketball this week. OU is at Iowa State and K-State is at OSU, both at 1:00 Saturday. Arkansas hosts Alabama at 3:00 and Kansas is at West Virginia at 7:00. Monday night, OSU hosts Baylor; and there are three big games Tuesday night: Arkansas at Florida at 6:00, OU at Texas Tech at 7:00, and Kansas State at Kansas at 8:00.

The PGA players are in Pacific Palisades, California this week for the Genesis Invitational. Live coverage will begin on the Golf Channel at 2:00 Thursday & Friday, and noon Saturday & Sunday. CBS picks up the final two rounds at 2:00 Saturday and Sunday.

NASCAR season has arrived, too. It’s Daytona week. Coverage of the Bluegrass Vacations Duel begins at 6:00 Thursday night (FS1). Sunday is the big day. Coverage of the Daytona 500 begins at 1:30 on Fox.

*****

It looks like Spring might be making a little test run this weekend. It’s certainly better than the weekend gone by! We’ll have sunshine and highs starting with 50 on Friday and getting better all weekend – up to 60 by Sunday. It looks like a dandy weekend for all activities – indoors OR outdoors. Remember, though, 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

Want more information on advertisers you see in the Grand Lake Bum?  No problem.  Just click on their ad and you will be connected to their website.  If you would like to join the growing list of sponsors of The Grand Lake Bum e-blast and the Bum’s page on both  Grand Lake Living and www.360grandlake.com, the cost is only $50 a week and the list of readers is growing.  E-mail or contact grandlakebum@gmail.com to sign up. The Grand Lake Bum column is also published in The Grand Laker newspaper. 

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

Cafeteria at The Layk House on Monkey Island

Cesar’s Place in Vinita

Cesar’s Place in Langley

Changos Locos at Littlefield Corner, Monkey Island

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)

Forage 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