Spring Break Weekend in Review by The Grand Lake Bum

Well, at least the last two-and-a-half days of Spring Break were perfect! Temps fell a little low early in the Spring Break, but Mother Nature rebounded nicely for the final weekend, running that temperature up to the mid-80s on the last day of break – just in time for the First Official Day of Spring, 2017. Congratulations, everybody. We made it!

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I had a terrific time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day over the weekend – AGAIN. My favorite night spots spreading one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year over two weekends had my liver really worried – especially since it was also the week of Spring Break Drinking Competition. I survived, though, just in time to put my training to work enjoying the increasing amount of daylight we’re seeing every day now. Spring has sprung!  If you’re not in shape by now, you’d better get with it.

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Leadership in the Oklahoma House of Representatives asked the Oklahoma Tourism Department to give them a list of planned actions that would result from a 14% budget cut. The list included closings of Grand Lake state parks and the Cherokee Golf Course below the Pensacola Dam, as well as an end to the legendary Oklahoma Today Magazine. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and someone can convince legislative leaders that a 14% cut – on top of the 38% budget cut Tourism has already endured since 2009 – is probably not a smart thing to do with the only agency in Oklahoma that actually brings business to our state. If you know a legislator – call them.

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It could be worse, of course. Just when you think no one could top the strange actions of the Oklahoma legislature, Illinois pops up. Lawmakers in that state apparently can’t do much about the highest property taxes in the nation, the lowest credit rating in the nation, a $130 billion unfunded pension crisis, and they haven’t been able to write a state budget for 19 months; BUT – they are doing something.  Last week, they voted to designate October as Zombie Preparedness Month, adding a zombie invasion to the list of potential natural disasters for which citizens should have a 72 hour supply of food & water on hand. Sadly, this is not a joke. It actually happened (the legislative vote – not the zombie invasion).

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Just in case you’re not feeling old…the singing group Hanson is beginning a new tour – their 25^th Anniversary Tour! Whaaaa?

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I’m confused. The Bible says we all came from the first two folks on earth – Adam & Eve. They had three sons. How does that work?

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Hmmm. It was probably fairly simple for Oklahoma State Senator Ralph Shortey (R-Moore) to explain why he was in a Moore motel room the other night. Apparently he had more difficulty explaining to cops what that teenage boy was doing in the room with him. If you’re keeping track, that’s “zero days since Oklahoma experienced a nationwide embarrassment. Keep up the good work.”

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Mother knows best – or you’d better hope she does. A new scientific study says it doesn’t matter how smart your daddy is, it’s not gonna help you. As it turns out, the genes for “intelligence” are passed along to all of us from our mothers, not our daddies. That should be really good news to the kids of some daddies I hang out with!

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I don’t usually spend any time mentioning new law firms, but I couldn’t resist this one. In McAlester, attorneys Warren Gotcher and Jeremy Beaver have teamed up. Think about it: Gotcher/Beaver? I pity the poor person who has to answer the firm’s phone with a straight face.

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DINING & DRINKING ON GRAND UPDATE: If you’re not a member at Shangri-La, it’s time to join if you want to eat at club house restaurant. The Summit Restaurant goes private May 1. With the opening of the new Resort Hotel at Shangri-La,Doc’s Bar & Grill at the hotel and Eddy’s Lakeside Bar at Shangri-La Marina will be open to the public, but service at The Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La’s club house will be limited to members, their guests, and resort guests.

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BEST T-SHIRT SEEN THIS WEEK: In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is freedom. In my boat there are both.

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 BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Turning on your lights and siren after you lose a drag race is just poor sportsmanship.

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BEST FACEBOOK POST THIS WEEK: Stop posting your problems on Facebook. Go to a bar like everyone else.

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BEST E-MAIL I RECEIVED THIS WEEK: Autocorrect has become my worst enema.

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy Birthday wishes go out this week to Julie Londagin, Jason Macer, Todd Segress, Jan Smith, Ryan Dalton, Spencer Londagin, Jana Kimball, Lauren Hess, Matt Moyer, Charles Gragg, Greg Brasel, and Amanda Dalton.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK:  Do Roman paramedics refer to “IV’s” as “4’s?”

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BEST EVENTS OF THE WEEK: Friday & Saturday is the Grove Area Merchants’ Spring Open House. In Disney, it’s rock crawling time!  Long John’s Big Meat Run is Friday-Sunday. The Smithsonian traveling exhibition: The Way We Worked opens this weekend at the Har-Ber Village Museum and will continue through May 8.

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GRAND LAKE WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: There are plenty of entertainment options around the lake this weekend, including Randy Lunsford performing through the weekend in the Burlesque Room and Clint Walker in the Back Stage Room at The Shebang on Monkey Island Friday & Saturday nights, and the Balcony Bar will also be open upstairs at The Shebang with Karaoke (if it’s above 60 degrees). Across the street at Big Shots Rhythm & Booze, Big Skillet Band will be live on stage for your listening and dancing pleasure. Friday night is Karaoke Night at Monkey Island Pub – and there’s always live music Saturday nights at Road Hog Saloon.

Area casinos have excellent musical options this weekend, as well.  Rod Robertson will perform atop the 1897 Bar at Cherokee Casino Grove’s 1897 Bar Friday night, followed by The Band DeLorean Saturday night. Grand Lake Casino will feature the music of Lickitty Split Friday night at Venue 655. At Buffalo Run Casino’s Trailer Park Bar & Grill, The Sex will perform bothFriday & Saturday nights. Asphalt Cowboys will be on the stage at Downstream Casino’s Legends Sports Bar both Friday andSaturday nights. At Indigo Sky Casino, there is live entertainment in the Echo Bar starting Thursday night with music by Georgia Coast. Friday night, Shawna Russell will entertain, followed by Hi-Fidelics Saturday night.

The best spots to catch all your favorite sports action, including NBA action, March Madness, and PGA Golf are the Buffalo Bar at Shangri-La, Monkey Island Pub, the Standing Room Only Bar at The Shebang, Road Hog Saloon, and Pickles at the Lake in Langley.

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BUM MUST-SEE TV: Season 3 of Grace & Frankie will be available Friday on NetFlix. Kiddos will want to catch the series premiere of Tangled: The Series, airing Friday night at 6:30 on Disney; and Trial & Error is a really good new series, airingTuesday nights at 9:00 on NBC.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Life, Power Rangers, and CHiPs

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I just learned that a spy device in my home can also be used to heat up food quickly.” – Andy Borowitz

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SAVE THE DATE: April 1 – GEFFE Gala (Grove Education Foundation for Excellence). Saturday, April 8 – South Grand Lake Chamber’s Bootleggers’ Ball at Cherokee Yacht Club. Sunday, April 16 – Easter Sunday Buffet at Shangri-La’s Summit Restaurant. Friday, May 5 – GRDA Lake Launch 2017. Saturday, May 6 – Burning of the Socks at Harbors View Marina.

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Things are getting really serious this week in the March Madness battles. NCAA Tournament action will fill the screens of CBS, TBS, TNT, and Tru-TV Thursday-Sunday this week. By Sunday night, we’ll know the Final Four teams. Women’s NCAA Tournament action hits the quarterfinals this weekend, with games on the networks of ESPN Sunday & Monday – check your local listings, as they say.

In the NBA, there’s a limited television schedule this week because all the networks are clogged up with college games; but the Oklahoma City Thunder will be featured in a national telecast at Houston Sunday afternoon (2:30 on ABC). Monday night, they’ll be in Dallas to take on the Mavericks (7:30 on Fox Sports Oklahoma). TNT will also have a Monday night double-header – Cleveland at San Antonio in the early game (7:00) and New Orleans at Utah late (9:30).

The PGA Tour players are headed for Austin, Texas this week. Coverage of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play begins at1:00 Wednesday, Thursday & Friday and 9:00 a.m. Saturday & Sunday on the Golf Channel. NBC picks up coverage of the semi-finals and finals Saturday & Sunday at 1:00. This week is also the Puerto Rico Open. Coverage on the Golf Channel begins at 9:30 Thursday & Friday mornings, 1:00 on Saturday and 1:30 Sunday.

NASCAR drivers are running the Auto World 400 this week. Coverage begins at 2:30 Sunday afternoon on Fox.

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Weekend weather ahead looks just like springtime is supposed to look. We might have a few morning showers Friday, then it clears off to be a really nice weekend – sunshine with high temperatures around 70. It’s your last chance for weekend Grand Lake fun in the month of March. The clock is ticking. Get your dancing shoes on! Remember, though, wherever you decide to play, 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)

Bobbers Café in Langley

Book ‘ems at South Wind Marina in Bernice

Buffalo Bar at Shangri-La on Monkey Island (smoking on the patios)

Buffalo Run Casino in Miami (smoking)

Café Italia on Monkey Island

Carlos Montez in Langley (smoking in bar)

Ceasar’s Place in Vinita and on Monkey Island

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)

Docks Bar at Harbors View Marina

Downstream Casino in Quapaw (smoking)

Drake’s Restaurant in Grove

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 Vinita (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)

Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney (smoking, etc.)

Morrows Bar & Grill in Raper Hollow

Nu Taste Restaurant in Grove

Okie Smokies Barbecue in Grove on Hwy 59 South

Book ‘ems Restaurant & Pub at South Wind Marina in Bernice

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

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)

Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La on Monkey Island (smoking on the 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

Wyandotte Nation Casino at Twin Bridges (smoking)