November 15 Random Observations Of The Grand Lake Bum

I always feel sorry for the folks who still think Grand Lake has an “off-season.” I’ve never been so tired as the past weekend. Saturday alone, I had to be at The Anchor at Shangri-La bright & early for the OU-Baylor game. Naturally, I had to stay for the Tulsa game. That overtime thriller lasted so long, I missed the DCCSN Winterset Cocktail parties. In fact, the game was barely over before it was time for the annual Monkey Island Potluck Thanksgiving Dinner at Monkey Island Pub – and the kickoff of the OSU game.

I had so much fun visiting with the Island Thanksgiving crowd, I almost missed the annual Jello Wrestling tournament benefiting the local chapter of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. Then, back to The Anchor for the tail end of the OSU game. Since it was too late to catch the Megan Faulconer Band at the new Drunken Rooster, I guess I should have just stayed at The Anchor ‘cause I had to be back for the noon Sunday Browns game and the 3:00 o’clock Cardinals game. And, of course, the Chiefs played Sunday night at the same time as the Nets-Thunder game. I never made it on the water to enjoy the fabulous weekend weather; but I do love those gigantic video walls at The Anchor on game days. What a weekend! They ought to put my name on one of those bar stools.

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I’m sure we’re all relieved that Singer Britney Spears is all grown up. She’ll be 40 years old December 2; and a judge canceled the conservatorship that has controlled her finances and her personal life for the last 14 years. Now, we can’t blame others for her future mistakes. As Mike Gundy would say, “Criticize HER. She’s a WOMAN. She’s 40!”

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How in the world do these guys get those fabulous college coaching jobs? I still want to get one of those dream jobs and get fired from it. So, Scott Frost has such a terrible record at Nebraska that they were thinking about firing him. Instead, they cut his base pay to a mere $4 million per year, extended his contract to 2026 and decided that, if he’s good enough to still be there in a year, they’ll boost his pay to $5 million a year. If he’s so bad they have to fire him before next season, he only gets a $7.5 million buyout. If I were a betting man, I’d bet on the latter. If I were a working man, I would PREFER the latter!

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All my buds who went to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show are back home now. If you’ve never been, you should make plans for next year. Nothing can make you feel smaller, poorer, or more insignificant that walking around that show! I decided to hang here at the lake and wait for the January boat shows in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Those shows make me feel poor enough without spending my entire annual boating budget on a trip to Fort Lauderdale!

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Speaking of travel, you can easily spend your entire life traveling – and pass along the same fate to several subsequent generations – without ever changing destination cities. If you spent just one night in each of the hotel rooms in Las Vegas, it would take 400 years!

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 55-year-old fool died in Spain after being gored during the traditional and crazy “running of the bulls.” I guess all the wackos aren’t at Grand Lake, after all. What the hell is wrong with people?

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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Wednesday night at 6:00, Drunken Rooster Bar & Grill hosts a wine tasting event at 6:00 – “An Evening Under the Stars.” Thursday night is the South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet at Shangri-La Resort. Featured speaker is Brent Kisling, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Saturday night, Shangri-La Members will celebrate the holidays at the annual “Festivus” party at The Anchor.   

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Pawhuska, Okla., gets its name from Paw-Hiu-Skah, or White Hair, the sobriquet of an Osage leader who, while attempting to scalp an American officer during the 1791 Battle of St. Clair's Defeat, pulled off a white wig instead. Through a daughter, Paw-Hiu-Skah was an ancestor of U.S. Senator and Vice President Charles Curtis.

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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: Paul McCartney says he liked the Everly Brothers better than The Beatles. “The biggest influence on John and me was The Everly Brothers,” he writes in his new book, The Lyrics. “To this day, I just think they were the greatest. And they were different.” (I’ll bet he wouldn’t want to trade bank accounts, though.)

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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: With the big name change promotion for Facebook, we can no longer refer to a 30-day social media ban as “Facebook Jail.” I guess it must now be referred to as “Metapause.”

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Baiting deer is illegal. This corn pile is intended for squirrels, chipmunks, and other such animals. Any deer found eating this corn will be shot!

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TWEET OF THE WEEK: My ancestors navigated the oceans using only stars. I’m over here missing my exits with a GPS.

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BEST PUN OF THE WEEK: Have you had a chance to visit the new restaurant named “Karma?” There’s no menu. You get what you deserve.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Are you breaking the law if you drive past those road signs that say “Do not pass”?  

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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: When people say I’m hard to shop for, I’m always astonished that they don’t know the location of a single liquor store.

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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Superstar actress Sally Field, who has been a television and film star since she was 15 years old, turned 75 last week. We have lost a “Knight in White Satin.” Graeme Edge, drummer for the legendary group “The Moody Blues” died last week. He was 80 years old.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Never argue with stupid people, because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” – Mark Twain

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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, the Thursday Night Prime Rib and Karaoke with Jason Morgan kicks off the weekend at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La, followed by Mark Gibson Friday night. Terry Jordan entertains Friday & Saturday nights at The Summit. At Big Shots Rhythm & Booze, DJ K-Bandito leads the cavalcade of great DJs and dance music at Big Shots Rhythm & Booze. Saturday night is also great dancing and singing at Monkey Island Pub. Erin Fitzgibbon performs at the Blind Swine on Monkey Island both Wednesday and Friday nights; and Tuesday is Karaoke Night at the Swine.

On South Grand Lake, Gusto Dave Jackson provides the entertainment Saturday night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney.

In Grove, there will be karaoke fun Friday night at The Regatta and great entertainment by Zeke Daniel Saturday night.

Indigo Sky Casino this week presents TJ Scarlett in the Echo Bar Thursday night, followed by The Downbeat Friday and Uncrowned Kings Saturday. Mime & comedian Tape Face performs Thursday night at The Indoor Peoria Showplace at Buffalo Run Casino followed by great Friday night music by Members Only. There is live entertainment by Torn Friday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655, with karaoke Saturday night. The Uncrowned Kings entertain Friday night at Legends Sports Bar at Downstream Casino followed by The Juice Saturday night; and Audio Crush performs Friday night at Cherokee Casino Grove followed by The Jacob Dement Band Saturday.

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DINING AND DRINKING UPDATE: The Drunken Rooster is now open at Grand Meridian RV Park. Quarterdeck at Tera Miranda has reduced operating hours to Friday & Saturday 11:00-8:00 and Sunday 11:00-6:30. Blind Swine on Duck Creek and VIP Pizza at Hammerhead Marina are now closed for the season. The Blind Swine on Monkey Island is now offering breakfast on Saturdays & Sundays from 9:00-noon. Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La has expanded hours of operation and now offers breakfast 7:00-10:00 a.m. seven days a week (in addition to lunch and dinner) and Sunday Brunch specials 7:00-2:00. “Taco & Tequila Tuesdays” have returned to Doc’s, along with Craft Burgers & Booze Wednesdays and Friday night weekly “Chef’s Special.”

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BUM MUST-SEE TV: Star Trek: Discovery debuts Thursday on Paramount+. The Wheel of Time premieres Friday on Prime Video. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies air Saturday night at 7:00 on HBO; and the American Music Awards will be televised Sunday night at 7:00 on ABC.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Ghostbusters: Afterlife debuts in movie theaters this weekend. King Richard is in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Bruised is available on NETFLIX next week; and Hawkeye premieres on Disney+.

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SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La (10:00-7:00). Thursday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Feast at Cherokee Yacht Club (10:00-3:00). Friday & Saturday, November 26-27 – Santa’s Ozark Mountain Village opens at Har-Ber Village. Friday November 26 – Annual Black Friday Seafood Buffet at The Summit at Shangri-La. Saturday, November 27 – Small Business Saturday. Shop LOCAL! Saturday, November 27 – Bedlam Football Hooray Grill Cook-out and Watch Party at The Anchor at Shangri-La. Saturday, December 4 – Route 66 Christmas Parade in Miami (6:00). Monday, December 6 – 25^th Annual Community Giveaway at the Grove Civic Center (4:00-7:00 p.m.). Saturday, December 11 – Grand Lake Christmas Light Boat Parade (Cherokee Yacht Club). Saturday, December 11 – Lights on the Lake Grove Christmas Parade (6:00). Monday, December 13 – Grand Lake Association Annual Banquet at Shangri-La Resort. Saturday, December 18 –Winter Gala at Shangri-La Resort. Saturday, December 18 – Christmas Party and Ugly Sweater Contest at Monkey Island Pub.

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SPORTS WATCH: College football is in week # 12 and every game matters now. Saturday, OU hosts Iowa State (11:00), OSU takes on Texas Tech (7:00), Tulsa hosts Temple (3:00), Baylor is at Kansas State (4:30), and Arkansas is at Alabama (2:30). Other college games of interest include Oregon at Utah, SMU at Cincinnati, Michigan State at Ohio State, and Texas at West Virginia.

In the NFL, Atlanta hosts New England Thursday night. Sunday games include Detroit at Cleveland, Houston at Tennessee, Green Bay at Minnesota, and New Orleans at Philadelphia, all at noon; Cincinnati at Las Vegas at 3:00, and Dallas at Kansas City and Arizona at Seattle, both at 3:30. Sunday night, the Chargers host the Steelers. Monday Night Football features the Giants and Buccaneers in Tampa Bay.

NBA action includes some tough competition for the OKC Thunder. They’re on the road at Milwaukee Friday night (7:00) at Boston Saturday night (6:30), and Atlanta Monday night (6:30) before returning home to host Utah next Wednesday (7:00).

The PGA Tour is at Sea Island, Georgia this week for the RSM Classic. Coverage is exclusively on the Golf Channel beginning at 11:00 a.m. Thursday & Friday, noon Saturday & Sunday.

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The pre-holiday weekend weather at Grand Lake looks very fall-like. We’ll have partly cloudy skies with light winds – high temperatures around 60 and lows around 40. Enjoy a beautiful fall weekend on Oklahoma’s most fabulous playground; but 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

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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

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

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

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)

Gabby’s Place 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