March 19th Random Observations of The Grand Lake Bum

I hope everyone enjoyed the St. Patrick’s Weekend Grand Lake party fun as much as I did. Saturday night’s Tulsa Bagpipers’ performance at Monkey Island Pub and the Saturday night’s St. Paddy’s Shenanigans at Big Shots kept me out way too late. Like I always say, you’ve gotta love a holiday that is dedicated to the sole purpose of drinking!

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This weekend, Grand Lakers wrap up the Spring Break week, not only with boats and golf clubs, but with an estimated 10,000 visitors who will gather in Disney to watch the four-wheeled vehicles climb the rocks and crash to the bottom at Long John Sumner’s Big Meat Run in Disney. The RV parks and campgrounds in the Disney area will likely prove to be the equal to St. Patrick’s Day in terms of a consumption-of-beverages weekend. Should be a lot of fun!

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It looks like the lake area might very well have an opportunity to get rid of the ridiculous and antiquated tourism-killing Sunday & Holiday restrictions on the sale of liquor-by-the-drink. It appears that both Delaware and Mayes Counties are likely to allow votes on June 26 to repeal the archaic restrictions that keep us from competing on an even footing with the other tourism attraction areas of our state. It’s about time. We might actually join the 21^st century! And only a couple of decades late!

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Just in case you didn’t think you were getting ripped off by coordinated efforts of pharmacies and insurance companies, a USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics decided to launch a first-of-its-kind study to see how often you would actually pay less for prescriptions if you paid cash instead of using your insurance co-pay. They found that customers overpaid for their prescriptions 23% of the time, with an average overpayment of $7.69 on those transactions. Worse yet, pharmacists seem to normally have an agreement with insurance companies that they won’t voluntarily inform customers that they could actually spend less by paying cash. Sheesh.

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Here’s an odd thing that could only happen in Alabama. The state still has a Depression-era law on the books that allows sheriffs to "keep and retain" unspent money from jail food-provision accounts. Sheriffs across the state take excess money as personal income; but I’m not sure the authors back in the day anticipated Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin. That old law must be a really good incentive for keeping inmates slim and trim. Sheriff Entrekin, in addition to his $93,000 annual salary, he has also pulled $750,000 in unspent money from the food-provision accounts – and invested it wisely in a three-quarter million dollar beach house in Orange Beach. And yep. In Alabama, it’s perfectly legal. Now the sheriff is blasting the “liberal media” for calling him out on following the law. Things that make you go, “hmmmm.”

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A new NASA study indicates time in space can not only change how you view things…it can actually change who you are. After a year in space, tests conclude that astronaut Scott Kelly’s DNA changed so much that it no longer matches that of his identical twin brother! So, criminals…save your money for a trip in space. When you come back…no record that matches your DNA!!

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BEST FACEBOOK POST THIS WEEK: Robert asked the televangelist to pray for his hearing. After three minutes of shaking him violently and trying to push him over backwards, the preacher asked, “How’s your hearing?” Robert replied, “I don’t know. It doesn’t take place until Tuesday at the courthouse.”

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: When is International Men’s Day?

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TWEET OF THE WEEK:  If I see one more person texting and driving, I’m gonna roll down my window and throw my beer at them.

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FUNNIEST (FAKE) HEADLINE OF THE WEEK: Donald Trump, Jr.’s Wife Vanessa Suing for Divorce; Melania Seething with Envy

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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: It will come as no news to Grand Lakers, probably, but Tulsa has been ranked No. 8 among markets with the most major concerts per capita (source: SeatGeek). Pretty good company, too -  like Las Vegas, Nashville, Austin and Denver who joined Tulsa in the top 10.  Of the top 100 grossing tours over the past five years, Tulsa had 10.9 concerts annually per 100,000 residents.

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FEEL-POOR MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos makes $230,000….per minute! That’s more than four times what the average American worker earns…per year! It would take the combined wealth of 2.3 million Americans to equal his estimated wealth of $127 BILLION.

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK:  Levi Strauss, the dry goods dealer known for his popular American western-style denim jeans, was born in Buttenheim, Bavaria.

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Rusty Fleming, Richard Lippitt, Bobby Seybolt, Drew Faulkner, Julie Londagin, Jan Smith, Helen Oden, Spencer Londagin, Jana Kimball, Jason Macer, Todd Segress, Ryan Dalton, Matt Moyer, Lauren Hess, and William Cook.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: When a player is tuning his bagpipe, how does he know when he’s done?

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BEST EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Long John Sumner’s Big Meat Run is this weekend in Disney. Rock climbing vehicles, drivers, and spectators will begin gatheringThursday, if not earlier; but the biggest action will be Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Friday & Saturday also are the dates of the Renaissance Festival in Vinita.

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GRAND LAKE WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: There’s plenty of great entertainment around the lake this weekend. At The Shebang on Monkey Island, the talented Randy Lunsford entertains weekends. Across the street at Big Shots, dance the night away Saturday night. Just down highway 125 at Monkey Island Pub, Friday night is karaoke night at Monkey Island Pub. Further down the highway at Littlefield Corner, the Road Hog Saloon has great live entertainment every Saturday night.

On South Grand Lake, Friday night is Karaoke Night at Michelle’s Bar & Grill at Grand Lodge in Ketchum – and there’s always live entertainment at Michelle’s on Saturday night.

Area casinos have big entertainment plans, too. Cherokee Casino Grove features the music of Risky Business Friday night and The George Brothers Saturday. At Bordertown Casino’s Lost Creek Saloon, you are the star at Thursday night karaoke. Members Only will be on stage at Bordertown Friday night; and The Boston Mountain Playboys provide the entertainment Saturday. It’s a big weekend at River Bend Casino. In the Club 60 West Bar, The Bobby D Band will perform both Fridayand Saturday nights. In the Club 60 West Event Center, there will also be a fabulous “dinner & show” special Saturday night featuring traditional bluegrass music performed by Kentucky 31. At Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655,  Western Justice will provide the Friday night music, and Lickitty Split will take the stage Saturday night. Indigo Sky Casino offers three nights of musical entertainment beginning with 80 and Out Thursday and FM Live Friday night in the Echo Bar. Saturday night, music comes from Oreo Blue.

The best spots to catch all your favorite sports action, including the NCAA Tournament games, NBA Basketball, PGA Golf, and NASCAR are Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Resort Hotel, the Standing Room Only Bar at The Shebang, Monkey Island Pub, Blind Swine, Road Hog Saloon, 1909 in Grove, and Pickles at the Lake in Langley.

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BUM MUST-SEE TV: A great new series, Alexa and Katie will be available Friday on NetFlix. Porn star Stormy Daniels is scheduled to tell her story on 60 MinutesSunday night at 6:00 on CBS (although at press time, President Trump was still pushing legal action to block the interview).  The first new season premier (season10) ofRosanne is Tuesday night at 7:00 on ABC.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Sherlock Gnomes, Pacific Rim, and 7 Days at Entebbe

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The Interior Department reportedly spent $139,000 for a door for Secretary Zinke. $139,000 for a door? For that, you can buy a porn star’s silence AND a used Acura!” – Stephen Colbert

 

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SAVE THE DATE: Friday, March 30 – Blood drive at Shangri-La Resort Hotel, Holderman Ballroom from 11:00-4:00. Saturday, April 7 – GEFFE Gala at Grove Civic Center. Saturday, April 14 – Free Boating Safety Course at GRDA Ecosystems Center in Langley (8:00-5:00). Saturday, April 14 – South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce “Bootleggers Ball” at Cherokee Yacht Club. Saturday, April 28 – Burning of the Socks at Harbors View Marina. Thursday-Sunday, May 4-6 – In-Water Boat Show at Shangri-La Marina

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On the college basketball courts, March Madness continues. Sweet 16 games are on CBS and TBS Thursday and Friday nights beginning at 6:00, followed by the Elite 8 games on Saturday and Sunday.  The Women’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 games are Friday and Saturday, with the Elite 8 games Sunday and Monday.

As the NBA season starts pointing toward the approaching playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder has only two games on the schedule this week – and both are at home. They host Miami at 7:00 Friday night and Portland Sunday night at 6:00, both on Fox Sports Oklahoma.

PGA players are in Austin, Texas this week for FIVE days of match play competition. Coverage of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play begins on the Golf Channel 1:00 Wednesday, Thursday & Friday and 9:00 a.m. Saturday & Sunday. NBC picks up the final two days of coverage late, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday.

NASCAR drivers are at Martinsville this weekend. Coverage of the STP 500 begins Sunday at 1:00 on Fox Sports 1.

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The Grand Lake weather for the final weekend of Spring Break looks a little better than the earlier part of the week. We’ll enjoy cloudy to partly cloudy skies with highs around 70 and lows around 50. Good weather for the Big Meat Run and the Renaissance Fair! There’s a lot of stuff happening around the lake this weekend, so let’s get the fun started. But…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.

1909 in Downtown Grove

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 (smoking upstairs—open Friday & Saturday nights)

Blind Swine on Monkey Island

Blue Bluff Café at Blue Bluff Harbor

Bobbers Café in Langley

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 on Monkey Island

Checkered Past in Grove

Chickanella’s in Grove

Chicken Coop West of Langley

Clanton’s Café in Vinita

Coffee Shelter in Ketchum

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

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

Frosty & Edna’s (west of the dam in Langley)

Gabby’s Place in downtown Grove

Goodfella’s Pizza (Cleora and Grove)

Grand Lake Casino, north of Grove on Highway 10 (smoking)

Grand Lodge in Ketchum (smoking)

Hatfield’s Saloon in Grove

High Winds Casino east of Miami (smoking)

Indigo Sky Casino west of Seneca, Mo. (smoking)

Juan Montez Restaurant & Cantina at Red Arrow Marina

Karrie's Kaboose in Langley (smoking)

La Casita de Martin in downtown Grove

Lakeside Bar & Grill in Grove at Sail Boat Bridge

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.)

Morrows Bar & Grill in Raper Hollow

Mulligan’s at Patricia Island Golf Club in Grove

Nu Taste Restaurant in Grove

Okie Smokies Barbecue in Grove on Hwy 59 South

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)

Roadhouse 125 on Monkey Island (smoking deck)

Rusty Anchor (next to the cliffs at Dripping Springs)

Scooters in Langley (smoking)

Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina (smoking)

Smokin’ Spur BBQ & Trading Post at Old Towne Plaza, Cleora

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 Office on Monkey Island (smoking)

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