October 29 Random Observations of The Grand Lake Bum

Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as “Halloween Overload.” I tried my best, but there were just too many events. Saturday morning was absolutely beautiful for the Poker Run & Pancakes on South Grand – and I managed to join lots of other boaters on a beautiful day to squeeze in a little early fall foliage sight-seeing before the awesome Community Fall Festival put on by Shangri-La Resort. Then, it was on to the costume party at Monkey Island Pub and a little Mad Scientist action at Blind Swine. I couldn’t make it to parties at Juana Montez, Mooney’s, Cherokee Yacht Club, Road Hog, or any of the Grove festivities. It’s another reason I always ask, “What off-season?” when people talk about the “off-season” at Grand Lake. Next up? Jello Wrestling for a good cause, fundraising parties for kids’ Christmas, and Thanksgiving celebrations. Before you know it, it will be Christmas parade time everywhere. Start decorating those boats and floats!

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I didn’t win the lottery…again. However, Earl Livingston had some good luck. He was on his way to buy a lottery ticket in Stratford, New Jersey, when he fell and broke his hip. The medical crew at the hospital felt sorry for him – and told him he could join their pool in the purchase of lottery tickets. He agreed. Their winning ticket was worth $1 million. Okay, I’ll say it. What a lucky break!

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There was someone luckier than Earl Livingston, of course. That would be whomever won the $1.6 billion single-winner Mega Millions. As I write this column, no one has come forward yet. All we know it was some lucky person in South Carolina. Please don’t let it be Senator Lindsey Graham.

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Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself. The “Titanic II” will sail in 2022, traveling the same route as 1912 disaster - Dubai, Southampton and, hopefully, New York. That New York leg of the voyage didn’t work out so well the last time they tried it in a “Titanic.”

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DINING AND DRINKING ON GRAND UPDATE: Morrow’s Bar & Grill is now closed for the season. Shangri-La Resort changes restaurant operations for the winter Monday, November 5. Doc’s Bar & Grill will be open at the resort hotel daily from 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. serving breakfast and lunch. Shangri-La Member and hotel guests may enjoy dinners at The Summit Restaurant nightly, seven days a week from 4:00 p.m. and Sunday Brunch from 10:00-2:00.

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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: I scared the postman by coming to the door completely naked. I don’t know what scared him more – the fact that I was naked or that I knew where he lived.    

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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: Drinking at home is so much better than the bar because there isn’t last call, and I can be naked.

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: In Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein's monster is last seen cast adrift on a piece of ice in the Arctic.

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Without farming, you would be hungry, naked, and sober.

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TWEET OF THE WEEK: People came around last night telling me my dogs were chasing people on bikes. My dogs don’t even have bikes.

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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: The Atari video arcade game made its technological debut 41 years ago, following the debut of Pong three years earlier. The same guy, Nolan Bushnell, developed both games for the consumer market…and he also founded the Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theatre arcade chain. Not every business decision was a good one for him, though. In 1976, Steve Jobs approached Bushnell, offering him one-third ownership of a start-up company for $50,000. Bushnell declined. The company was Apple.

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PARENTAL ADVICE OF THE WEEK: When punishing kids, don’t take away their electronics. Take their charger. Watch the agony as their battery slowly dies.

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BEST OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: In Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein's monster is last seen cast adrift on a piece of ice in the Arctic.

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Christal Lavery, Mitch Whitehead, Randy Lunsford, Nancy Jackson, Scott Brecheisen, Hall Ellis, Mary Lee, Bud Hawkes, Cindi Lillard, and Dave Vloedman.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?

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BEST EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Friday and Saturday mark the celebration of Cherokee Heritage Days at Har-Ber Village Museum. Saturday is the big Boogie Boys Reunion Concert at Cherokee Yacht Club. Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night. It’s that time. Daylight Saving Time is gone. Election day is Tuesday, November 6.

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GRAND LAKE WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: There’s plenty of great entertainment around the lake to kick off the new month. On Monkey Island this weekend, the dance floor will be hoppin’ with karaoke fun and great dance music at Big Shots Rhythm & Booze. Just up highway 125, Friday night is Karaoke Night at Monkey Island Pub. At the Blind Swine, there’s live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night (including Erin Fitzgibbon Friday), and KJ Flip hosts karaoke Sunday and Tuesday; and at Littlefield Corner, there is always live entertainment at the Road Hog Saloon Saturday nights.

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. At Bordertown Casino’s Lost Creek Saloon, you are the star at Thursday night karaoke. Splinter Middleton entertains at Bordertown Friday night, followed by Honkytonk Renovators Saturday. At River Bend Casino’s Club 60 West Bar, Earl & Them will perform Friday night. Indigo Sky Casino offers three nights of musical entertainment this week. James Muns performs Thursday night in the Echo Bar, followed by Donnie Ray Stevens Friday and Sweet Trouble Saturday.

The best spots to catch all your favorite sports action, including the PGA, College Football, NFL games, NASCAR, and NBA games 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: House of Cards (minus Kevin Spacey) will be available Friday on NETFLIX along with The Other Side of the Wind. The series premiere of  Shut Up and Dribble airs Saturday night at 8:00 on Showtime, and Our Cartoon President: Election Special 2018 airs Sunday night at 9:30, also on Showtime.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Beautiful Boy and Bohemian Rhapsody

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism is when hate for people other than your own comes first. Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism.” – Charles de Gaulle

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SAVE THE DATE: Friday-Saturday, November 9-10 – Grove Merchants Christmas Open House. Saturday, November 10 – Jello Wrestling at Blind Swine benefiting the Combat Vets Association. Friday, November 16 – Flying J Ranch Extravaganza benefiting St. Jude. Saturday, November 17 – “Fill ‘em Up Breakfast Pancake Feed from 8:00-10:30 at The Shebang sponsored by Larry & Joyce Duke and The Shebang benefiting the Monkey Island Clothes & Toys for Kids Fund. Saturday, November 17 – Monkey Island Thanksgiving at the Monkey Island Pub. Thursday, November 22 – Thanksgiving Feast at Arrowhead Yacht Club. Friday, November 23 – Shangri-La Members’ “Black Friday Night Seafood Buffet” at The Summit Restaurant. Saturday, November 24 – Christmas Tree Lighting and “Ugly Sweater Party” at Cherokee Yacht Club. Thursday, December 6 – Vinita Christmas Parade of Lights. Saturday, December 8 – Polar Bear Plunge at Arrowhead Yacht Club. Saturday, December 8 – Jingle Bell 5K Fun Run in Grove. Saturday, December 8 – Gingerbread Christmas Festival & Parade in Grove. Saturday, December 8 – Christmas Parade across the Pensacola Dam. Saturday, December 8 – Christmas Lights Boat Parade from Cherokee Yacht Club.

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It’s week #10 in the world of college football. OU and OSU are both on the road south of the border this week. Saturday the Sooners are at Texas Tech (7:00 on ABC) and the Cowboys are at Baylor (11:00 on FS1). The Tulsa Golden Hurricane team is at home, hosting UCONN at 6:00 Saturday night (CBSSN). K-State is at TCU and West Virginia is at Texas.

Thursday night NFL action features Oakland at San Francisco at 7:00 (Fox). Sunday noon games include Kansas City at Cleveland (CBS) and Detroit at Minnesota (Fox). The 3:30 game on Fox sends the L.A. Rams to New Orleans. Sunday night’s game has Green Bay at New England (7:00 on NBC); and Monday Night Football features Tennessee at Dallas (7:00 on ESPN).

There’s great NBA action this week, too. The OKC Thunder have back-to-back road games Thursday night at Charlotte (FSOK) and Friday night at Washington (ESPN) before hosting New Orleans at Chesapeake Monday evening at 7:00 (FSOK). Wednesday night, they’re back on the road at Cleveland (6:00 on FSOK).

In the world of professional golf, it’s off to Las Vegas for the PGA players. Coverage of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is on the Golf Channel at 3:30 Thursday-Sunday.

This is also the biggest weekend of the year in the Thoroughbred Horse Racing world. It’s Breeders’ Cup Weekend. “Future Stars Friday” racing by top 2-year-olds is Friday on NBCSN at 2:00. “Championship Saturday” race coverage begins on NBCSN at noon and switches to NBC at 2:30 Saturday afternoon.

NASCAR drivers are in Fort Worth this week for the AAA Texas 500. Coverage begins at 2:00 Sunday on NBCSN.

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The weather forecast for the weekend ahead isn’t as picture perfect as the one gone by, but it looks pretty good. We’ll have light winds and partly cloudy skies for the most part with highs in the mid-50s and lows in the mid-40s.  Party on! That’s what we do! Have fun and remember…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

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

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 at Littlefield Corner

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

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)

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