July 31 Random Observations Of The Grand Lake Bum

Between a great night listening to Mark Gibson at Doc’s and Erin Fitzgibbon at Big Shots, the big party for Jon Wilson at The Pub Saturday night (not to mention the after-party), and a day trying to cool my temperatures on the water with too many adult beverages, I’m going to have to recuperate a little before another Splash Bash in Ketchum Cove this weekend.

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Speaking of Splash Bash - Dang it. I was wrong again! For the second week in a row, I erroneously announced the last on-the-water concert of the season before the Boats, Beats & BBQ two-day bash in Wolf Creek Labor Day weekend. I thought this week’s Splash Bash in Ketchum Cove was it. Nope. Arrowhead’s annual Woodstock on the Water is Saturday, August 12 in Leon Russell Cove (Lawhead Hollow to you outsiders). They’ll start the fun with an overnight raft-up Friday, August 11 – and the Barrett Lewis Band will provide the music Saturday afternoon, August 12. My bad.

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The Tulsa Zoo is home to a newborn giraffe. Nothing’s easy for a mama giraffe, by the way. Babies are generally about 6 feet tall and weigh 110 to 150 pounds at birth – and double in size before their first birthday. By way of contrast, a new baby Panda was born at the Oklahoma City Zoo. It weighed in at a whopping quarter pound.

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If you’re thinking about changing your name, what do you think about “Subway?” I’m not even making this up. Subway Sandwiches is running a contest that will give the grand prize winner free sandwiches for life in exchange for legally chancing his or her first name to…Subway. Apparently, they’re counting on more than one person to be stupid enough to do this because the rules say “the chain will choose a winner and pay their legal fees to assume a new iconic identity.”

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I’m not sure why Elon Musk decided to replace the little blue bird with a big X as the logo for Twitter. Maybe it’s because he finally realized that Twitter is now officially everybody’s “X favorite” social media app.

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Speaking of social media, I hope this was at least posted by a millennial…but it certainly takes the cake for the most embarrassingly stupid question I’ve seen posted for a while. The questioner asked, “Is Oppenheimer based on a true story?” Dude, you need to get Google so you don’t look so foolish in front of all your friends. What was it Mark Twain said? “It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it an remove all doubt.”

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Grand Lakers Cheryl Brecheisen, Mark Paden, Daniel Love, John Bond, Erin Bendel, Jennifer Eve Fish, Teresa Poindexter, Shaleen Wheeler, Paula Harbuck, Bob Abraham, Don Baxter, Connard Luper, Gerald Keeton, Jim Wolfe, Colby Fuser, Jack Adkisson, Kari Filson, Lori Gray, Linda McCulla, Sandy Kirkpatrick, and JoAnn Brice.

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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS THIS WEEK. This weekend is “tax-free weekend” in Oklahoma; so shop local and get all the back-to-school stuff you need without sales tax Friday-Sunday. Friday is “First Friday Wine Share” at Stone Restore Solutions in Grove – 5500 Highway 59 (6:00 p.m.). Friday is also “Food Truck Friday” The popular Run a Monkey Golf Tournament is at Shangri-La Golf Club Friday & Saturday. Saturday morning is Farmers’ Market in downtown Grove (9:00-2:00); and Saturday afternoon is another big Splash Bash concert & raft-up in Ketchum Cove at Hammerhead Marina (1:00).  

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Whiskey was once the recommended medication for tuberculosis.

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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: After Michael Jordan scored a career-high 69 points in one game, former OU star and Jordan’s teammate Stacey King said, “I’ll always remember this as the night that Michael Jordan and I combined to score 70 points.”

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ODD FACT OF THE WEEK: The popular commercial jingles “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There,” “I’m Stuck on Band-Aid Brand ‘Cause Band-Aid’s Stuck on Me,” and “You Deserve a Break Today at McDonald’s” were all written by the same songwriter – Barry Manilow.

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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: Instead of giving roads the names of leaders and celebrities, we should give them the names of the contractor who built them with his address and phone number. The quality of roads should improve immediately.

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: AN ACTUAL SIGN AT A GOLF CLUB IN SCOTLAND: 1) Back straight, knees bent, feet a shoulder width apart; 2) Form a loose grip; 3) Keep your head down; 4) Avoid a quick back swing; 5) Stay out of the water; 6) Try not to hit anyone; 7) If you are taking too long, let others go ahead of you; 8) Don’t stand directly in front of others; 9) Quiet please…while others are preparing; 10) Don’t take extra strokes. Well done. Now, flush the urinal, wash your hands. Go outside and tee off.

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BEST TWEET OF THE WEEK: Is Popeye’s Chicken fried in olive oil?

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BEST PUN OF THE WEEK: The inventor of autocorrect died. The funnel will be held tomato.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: If we don’t let athletes bet on games they have the ability to influence, why do we allow members of Congress to invest in companies they regulate?

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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: If you stir coconut oil into your kale, it makes it easier to scrape into the trash.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” – Ann Lamott

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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Lynda Carter, actress, singer, 1972 Miss World pageant winner, and star of the TV series “Wonder Woman,” turned 72 last week. Randy Meisner, bassist, vocalist and founding member of The Eagles died last week. He was 77. Remember when Garth Brooks’ “The River” rose to #1 on the Billboard country charts? That was 30 years ago. Golden Globe-award-winning actress Sandra Bullock is 59.

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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, the weekend fun kicks off on Doc’s Patio Thursday night with Jason Morgan leading the karaoke fun at the Thursday night Shrimp Boil. Kevin Price performs at Doc’s Bar & Grill Friday night. Eddy’s Lakeside Bar features Travis Kidd Saturday night. Terry Jordan entertains at The Summit Restaurant Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings. There’s karaoke Thursday night and DJ K-Bandito hosts the weekend musical fun Friday & Saturday nights at Big Shots Rhythm & Booze; and across the street, there’s karaoke on the Balcony Bar at The Shebang Friday & Saturday nights. Saturday night is Rockstar Karaoke fun at Monkey Island Pub featuring DJ Kennedy.

On South Grand Lake, The Downbeat provides the music Friday night at Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina, and Constant Chaos will perform at Saturday afternoon’s “Splash Bash” raft-up and concert in Ketchum Cove at Hammerhead Marina (1:00). Jamey Hooper kicks off the weekend Thursday night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill followed by Jacob Tovar Friday night and The Barrett Lewis Band Saturday night. The weekend musical fun always starts on Thursday nights with karaoke fun at The Drunken Rooster. This week, Glam will provide the musical entertainment Friday night at the Rooster followed by The Stars Saturday night.

In Grove, there is karaoke fun Thursday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655, followed by live music from Bobby DeGonia Friday night, and more karaoke Saturday.  Jacob Clark performs Friday evening at Food Truck Friday festivities on the Grove Community Center lawn. Audio Crush entertains Friday night at Cherokee Casino Grove, followed by The Cliff Boone Band Saturday night. There’s great live theater available at Playmakers in Grove. This is the final week of live theater performance of “Nunsense II – The Second Coming” Friday and Saturday nights.

Brett N’ Terri kick off the weekend Thursday night at Indigo Sky Casino, followed by Damsel Friday night and The Downbeat Saturday.

Mark Chestnutt will perform Saturday night at Buffalo Run Casino’s Peoria Showplace; and The Eli Young Band will be in concert at Downstream Casino’s Pavilion Saturday night.

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GRAND LAKE DINING & DRINKING UDATE: Blue Cat Bistro at Har-Ber Village is closed until further notice due to fire damage. The new Simple Simon’s Pizza is now open near Honey Creek Bridge in Grove. Two Chefs Chillin’ now offer food truck service at Monkey Island Pub Saturday evenings. The Canteen at The Battlefield Golf Course at Shangri-La offers food & beverage service Thursday-Tuesday (closed Wednesday). Lee’s Resort Café is now open daily from 8:00-8:00. The Galley at Shangri-La’s Anchor Activity Park now offers food service seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. Shebang is now serving Sunday Brunch (9:00-1:00).

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BUM MUST-SEE TV: The Hall of Fame Game kicks off the NFL preseason Thursday night with the N.Y. Jets and Cleveland Browns at 7:00 on NBC. Season two of Dark Winds continues Sunday night at 8:00 on AMC.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem joins Oppenheimer and Barbie in movie theaters this week. Haunted Mansion and Sympathy for the Devil are both also in theaters.

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SAVE THE DATE: Friday, August 11 – Mary Moore Charity Golf Tournament & Silent Auction at Shangri-La Golf Club. Friday-Sunday – End of Summer Family Bash at The Anchor – 3 vs. 3 Basketball Friday (7:00), Cornhole Tournament Saturday (7:00), 5 vs 5 Wiffle Ball Tournament Sunday (6:00). Saturday, August 12 – Woodstock on the Water 1:00-5:00 in Leon Russell Cove (Lawhead Hollow). Monday-Tuesday, August 21-22 – Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association Partnership Championship Tournament at Shangri-La Golf Club. Friday & Saturday, August 25-26 – Grove Pro Rodeo at Crosswired Cowboy Church Arena (7:00). Saturday-Sunday, August 26-27 – Race to Shangri-La Golf Tournament at Shangri-La Golf Club. Friday, September 1 – Food Truck Friday in downtown Grove. Friday, September 1 – Food truck Friday at the Grove Community Center. Friday, September 1 – First Friday Wine Share at Har-Ber Village (6:00). Friday-Sunday, September 1-3 – Jana Jae Fiddle Camp & Music Festival. Saturday & Sunday, September 2-3 – Boats, Beats & BBQ Festival & Formula 1 Powerboat Racing at Wolf Creek Park in Grove. Saturday, September 9 – Road Kill Chili Cook-Off at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Jay (11:30-1:00). Friday-Sunday, September 22-24 – Pioneer Days Living History Event at Har-Ber Village. (9:00-3:00 Friday & Saturday, 9:00-noon Sunday). Monday, September 25 – “Fore the Kids” Golf Tournament at The Coves Golf Club benefiting the Ketchum Warriors Backpack Program, sponsored by the South Grand Lake Foundation (9:00 a.m. shotgun).

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We’re still sputtering along in the sports world just ahead of a great football season. NFL Preseason action actually starts this week with the New York Jets facing the Cleveland Browns in the Hall of Fame Game Thursday night at 7:00 on NBC.

FIFA Women’s World Cup play continues this week, but because of the time difference between here and Australia, all of the games this week are in the wee hours of the morning.

PGA Golfers are in Greensboro, North Carolina this week for the Wyndham Championship. Coverage is on the golf channel beginning at 1:00 Thursday & Friday and noon Saturday & Sunday. The final two rounds move to CBS Saturday & Sunday at 2:00.

NASCAR drivers travel to Michigan for Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400. Coverage begins at 1:30 Sunday afternoon on USA.

There are a couple of excellent Major League Baseball games, too. The Yankees host Houston Thursday night at 6:00; and the Dodgers are at San Diego for a couple of games – Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 6:00.

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We’ll have lots of sunshine for the weekend ahead, but it’s gonna be hot again. Highs will be in the mid-90s with lows around 70. It looks like a great weekend for some serious summer fun. 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)

Bella Donna’s at Honey Creek Landing Marina

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 in Grove

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