April 6 Observations from the Grand Lake Bum
I hope you had a fabulous Easter weekend – and I hope you found all your eggs, especially if you used real eggs. There’s nothing worse than finding a missing egg a month later after it has rotted sufficiently by stepping on it while wearing flip-flops. Yep. Voice of experience.
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With Easter in the rearview mirror, it’s time to crank up the summer fun. This weekend features food trucks, a cruise night, barbecue competition, a pickleball tournament, a fishing tournament, trivia competition, and lots of live entertainment. If you can’t find something fun to do at Grand Lake, you’re not really trying.
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The arrival of April also means it’s campaign season in this election year. A near-record 611 folks filed their candidacy for public office last week in Oklahoma. The only time we have had more candidates was in 2018 when everyone was looking for a paying job – 794 candidates filed that year.
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Signs of big thirst! When he finally rammed a deputy sheriff’s vehicle, ran into a ditch, and had to be pepper-sprayed to get him out of his vehicle, Randall Baker tested positive for DUI. Apparently he wasn’t satisfied yet, though, because the vehicle they pulled him out of was a Bud Light semi that he had stolen from a liquor store. Wow! And you thought YOU had a drinking problem?.
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It’s not just beer that has thieves motivated, either. A truck full of 27,000 pounds of chocolate Kit Kat candy bars was hijacked on the way from Italy to Poland. That’s almost half a million candy bars. They weren’t just any Kit Kat bars, though. These were molded in the shape of Formula I race cars. Maybe the thieves thought they were Hot Wheels! Nestle took the theft in stride. “We always encouraged to have a break with Kit Kat bars,” the company said, “but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 metric tons of our chocolate.”
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Among the many unnecessary bills approved by legislators so far this year is HB 3240 by Representative Tony Hasenback (R-Elgin). The legislation proposes to protect “voluntary prayer in schools.” Put that one at the top of your list of useless proposed laws. As long as there are tests in schools, there will be voluntary prayer. Trust me.
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Speaking of legislation we don’t need, Representative Eddy Dempsey has gained House approval of a bill allowing human remains to become soil after a funeral – legalizing “natural organic reduction.” I may be confused. Is there actually some way to prevent that from happening to all of us?
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Don’t you hate the social media posts and signs asking a question, but they either begin or end with “Be Honest with me”? Do they think we would take the time to lie to them with our response if they didn’t remind us to “be honest”? What do you think? Be honest with me.
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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Grand Lakers Donnie Smith, Brian Pitts, Jennifer Colvard, Tiera Henry, Kim Carter, John Swartz, Angela Timberlake, Patrick Sheeler, Lindsay Crane, Alex Frost, Bill Schenke, Frank Love, Peggy Howard-Burgess, Jerry Cookson, Bill Dalton, Sheri Price, Bobby Hendren, Jack Moore, Doug Frans, Tripp Markwell, Melanie Athey, T.J. Phipps, and Ashley Davidson.
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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS THIS WEEK: Wednesday (April 8) is a First Responders Appreciation Dinner at The Battlefield at Shangri-La honoring area first responders (5:00-7:00 p.m.). Thursday night is “Thursday Trivia” at BOOM at The Regatta in Grove (6:30 p.m.). Friday is Food Truck Friday and “Cruisin’ Grove” Cruise Night in Grove (rescheduled from last week). The Bass Cat Owners Invitational Fishing Tournament is both Friday & Saturday at Wolf Creek; and Saturday is the big Que’n at the Lake BBQ Cookoff in Ketchum (6:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.). Saturday & Sunday are dates for the Mary Bulten Memorial Pickleball Tournament at The Anchor Racquet Club at Shangri-La (8:00 a.m.).
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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Hobart, Okla., is named for Garret Augustus Hobart, a New Jersey businessman who served as William McKinley’s first vice president. The popular Hobart’s sudden death in 1899 opened the way for Theodore Roosevelt to become McKinley’s 1900 running mate and, upon McKinley’s death, president.
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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: Remember the band called “The Champs”? They recorded the hit instrumental song with only one vocal word – “Tequila.” Members of The Champs included Glen Campbell, Jim Seals and Dash Crofts (Seals & Crofts). Thanks to my pal George Sherman for sharing this fun fact with me…and with you!
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ODD FACT OF THE WEEK: Every year, an Italian town puts the local politician who made the year’s dumbest decision in a cage and dunks them in a cold river as the town watches.
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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: Last week I filled up my car with gas for $110 and drove off without paying. Today in court, I was fined $75. Stay tuned for more money-saving tips.
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WORD FUN THIS WEEK: I before E except after C…or except when your foreign neighbor Keith receives eight counterfeit beige sleighs from feisty caffeinated weightlifters. Weird.
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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Attention: Any person (except players) caught collecting golf balls on this course will be prosecuted and have their balls removed.
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BEST BLUESKY POST OF THE WEEK: Gas prices got so high the mailman is working from home. He called me and read my bills to me.
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PUN OF THE WEEK: I just realized cottage cheese is not actually, in reality, a cheese. It just a curd to me.
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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Flour comes from a plant. Chocolate comes from a plant. Sugar comes from a plant…so why don’t cookies qualify as a salad?
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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: As a kid, I was so proud when someone said, “You’ve gotten so big since I saw you last.” As an adult, not so much.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “A statesman is a man that can do what a politician would like to do but can't, because he is afraid of not being elected.” ~ Will Rogers
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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Eric Clapton turned 81 years old last week. Actress Shirley Jones, star of the acclaimed movie Oklahoma, turned 92; and singer Celine Dion turned 58.
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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, The Monkey Bar features Karaoke Wednesday night followed by live music with Erin Fitzgibbon Thursday, and more karaoke with Sundown Entertainment Friday night, and a Sunday Open Jam with Becky Sparkman (3:00-7:00).
On South Grand Lake, Lil’ Red and Sidepiece will entertain Friday night at Juan Montez at Red Arrow Marina. Bobby DeGonia will be on stage Friday night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney followed by The Conor Culpepper Trio with Matt Martin and Rick Huskey Saturday. The Beaty Creek Band will be on stage at Scissortail Marina Friday night. Robbi Bell performs Friday night at Pickles on the Lake in Langley followed by The Beaty Creek Duo Saturday.
In Grove, The Honkytonk Renovators will perform Friday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655 followed by Heather Wright Saturday. The Downbeat entertains Friday night at Cherokee Casino Grove’s 1897 Bar followed by An Evening of Yacht Rock with Tony Sabelo Saturday night. There’s karaoke with DJ Laid Back Larry Saturday night at R-Bar Dance Hall & Saloon.
The Tri-State Troubadours start the music Thursday night at Downstream Casino’s Legends Sports Bar. Kurt Allen takes over Friday night followed by Retro Rockerz. Saturday night. Jon Dooley kicks off the weekend Thursday at Indigo Sky Casino followed by The Johnny Dale Roberts Band Friday and The Josh Holland Band Saturday. The Bison will entertain at Buffalo Run Casino’s Backwoods Bar Saturday night while Fuel performs at the Peoria Showplace; and Riverbend Casino’s Club 60 West will feature Morgan Squared Saturday night while the Simply Seger Tribute Band performs in the Event Center at Riverbend.
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DINING & DRINKING UPDATE: VIP Pizza at Hammerhead Marina, BOOM at The Regatta, The Quarterdeck Café at Tera Miranda, and Big Shots Rhythm & Booze on Monkey Island are now open for the season. R-Bar Dance Hall & Saloon in Grove now opens at noon 7 days a week.
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BUM MUST-SEE TV: Matlock airs Thursday night at 8:00 on CBS. A new series Perfect Crown is available Friday on Disney+. Another new series The Audacity debuts Sunday at 8:00 on AMC.
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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: You, Me & Tuscany and Faces of Death debut in movie theaters this week.
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SAVE THE DATE: Thursday-Sunday, April 16-19 – A Walk Through Time (Civil War Days) at Har-Ber Village (9:30 a.m.). Thursday-Sunday, April 16-19 – K.I.S.S. Camp Scrapbooking Event at Wolf Creek Expo Center (9:00 a.m.). Saturday, April 25 – Cleora Fire Department Golf Tournament at The Coves (10:00 a.m. shotgun). Friday, May 1 – Food Truck Friday and Creative Alliance Art Splash at the Downtown Square in Grove. Saturday, May 2 – Ian Munsick Concert at The Battlefield at Shangri-La (8:00 p.m.). Saturday, May 9 – Nichols Marine & Shangri-La Marina Customer Appreciation Luau at Eddy’s Lakeside Bar (5:00-8:00 p.m.).
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In the world of sports, it’s the biggest week of the year in the world of professional golf – The Masters! There’s plenty of coverage. The Par 3 Tournament airs Wednesday at 1:00 on ESPN. Coverage of The Masters begins at 12 Thursday & Friday on Prime Video and switches to ESPN at 2:00. Saturday & Sunday coverage of the final two rounds begins at 1:00 p.m. on CBS.
We’re wrapping up the final regular season play in the NBA. After back-to-back games with the Lakers (Tuesday at 9:30) and the Clippers (Wednesday at 9:00), the OKC Thunder wraps up regular season play at Denver Friday (8:00 p.m.) and Sunday at home hosting Phoenix at 7:30. The Play-In Tournament to determine the final qualifiers for the playoffs are next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
There’s some fantastic softball on television this week, too. The OU girls travel to Texas for a three-game series Friday (6:00 on ESPN2), Saturday (7:00 on ESPN), and Sunday (1:00 on ESPN2) before matching up in a huge Bedlam game with OSU at Oklahoma City’s Devon Field next Wednesday night at 8:00 (ESPN2).
OU’s baseball team is at Vanderbilt this weekend. Thursday’s game is televised on the SEC Network Thursday at 6:00. It’s Bedlam baseball next week, as well. OU and OSU meet at Tulsa’s ONEOK Park next Tuesday night at 7:00.
UFL Football match-ups this week feature Orlando at Louisville Friday (7:00), Houston at DC Saturday (11;00), and two games Sunday – Columbus at Dallas (11:00) and Birmingham at St. Louis (2:00).
NASCAR drivers are at Bristol this week. Coverage of the Food City 500 is Sunday at 2:00 on FS1.
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You know what they say about “April showers,” right? So, the weekend ahead has a chance of thundershowers, but other than that, it looks great. We’ll have high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s and lows in the mid-60s. It’s perfect for Grand Lake weekend fun. Get out and enjoy yourself. But remember, wherever you 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.
Anchor Sports Bar & Activity Park at Shangri-La
Big Shots on Monkey Island (Open Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights)
Billy’s Burger Bar & More in Ketchum
Blind Swine on Duck Creek at Safe Harbor Harbors View Marina
Blue Bluff Café at Blue Bluff Harbor
BOOM at The Regatta (at Sailboat Bridge)
Buffalo Bar at Shangri-La on Monkey Island
Buffalo Run Casino in Miami (smoking)
Casa Gutierrez in Gro
Cesar’s Place in Vinita
Cesar’s Place in Langley
Checkered Past in Grove
Chickanellas on Monkey Island
Chicken Coop west of Langley
Chubby’s Grill at On Target in Grove
Clanton’s Café in Vinita
Copper Penny Bar in Ketchum
Cosby’s Catfish on Highway 28 in Eucha (East of Disney)
Cregan’s Confections & Ice Cream (Ketchum)
Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Resort Hotel
Domino’s in Grove
Downstream Casino in Quapaw (smoking)
Drake’s Restaurant in Grove
Drift at the Regatta (at Sailboat Bridge in Grove)
Drunken Rooster Bar & Grill (Cleora)
Drunken Rooster – on the Water (Grove)
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
Galley at The Anchor, Shangri-La Resort
Gambino’s Pizza in Ketchum
Goodfella’s Pizza (Cleora and Grove)
Grand Getaway Mercantile (north of Grove)
Grand Lake Casino, north of Grove on Highway 10 (smoking)
Grand Lake Coffee Company in Grove
Hero’s Deli in Grove
Hero’s Deli in Langley
High Winds Casino east of Miami (smoking)
Indigo Sky Casino west of Seneca, Mo. (smoking)
Island Bar & Grill at The Landings Marina
Juan Montez Restaurant & Cantina at Red Arrow Marina
Keagan’s Coffee at Littlefield Corner
La Casita de Martin in downtown Grove
Legacy Eatery in Grove
Lighthouse Supper Club in Ketchum
Los Garcia’s in Langley
Lupe's Mexican Restaurant in Grove
Matt’s Place in Grove
Monkey Bar on Monkey Island
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
Mosa Hibachi and Sushi in Grove
Mulligan’s at Patricia Island Golf Club in Grove
Nu Taste Restaurant in Grove
One-Eyed Monkey at Littlefield Corner, Monkey Island
Our House BBQ 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
Poppin’ on Grand in Cleora
Quarterdeck Cafe at Tera Miranda Harbor
R Bar Dance Hall & Saloon in Grove
Raggedy’s in Grove
Rancho Viejo in Grove
Rise-N-Dine, Ketchum
River Bend Casino in Wyandotte (smoking)
Road Hog Saloon at the entrance to Monkey Island
Roberts Bar & Restaurant in Langley
Royal Liquor Store in Grove
Scissortail Lounge at Scissortail Marina
Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina
South 125 Bar & Grill on Monkey Island
Speedy’s Chophouse in Grove
Sugar Shack at Lee’s Grand Lake Resort
Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La on Monkey Island
The Artichoke Restaurant in Langley
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
VIP Pizza at Hammerhead Marina (smoking on deck)
Wolf Creek Diner in Grove
