January 5 Observations from the Grand Lake Bum
Can you believe it? It’s already boat show season in Oklahoma. The first show is this weekend – The Oklahoma Boat Expo Boat & RV Show in Tulsa’s Arvest Convention Center Friday-Sunday. The show opens at 11:00 a.m. Friday and 10:00 a.m. Saturday & Sunday. If you miss the Tulsa Show, the Oklahoma City Boat & RV Show is the very next weekend – also Friday-Sunday at the Bennett Event Center, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in OKC. Friday is an especially big day at this week’s show. It’s “Shangri-La Day” where all Shangri-La members will be admitted to the show free of charge courtesy of Nichols Marine at Shangri-La.There will be Grand Lake dealers at both shows, but almost all of them will be at the Tulsa Show this weekend. There’s another show on the distant horizon. The Tulsa Boat, Sport & Travel Show is a little more than a month away – February 2-8 at the Sagenet Center at Tulsa’s Fairgrounds.
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There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that these tariffs are now threatening my personal life. Jim Beam and Jack Daniels have both shut down their biggest plants due to decreased demand brought on by the tariff war with Canada & Mexico. The good news is that a new study released by Oxford University says regular trips to a local bar may be linked to better overall wellbeing. Researchers found that people who frequent neighborhood bars tend to have wider social circles, stronger community connections, and higher life satisfaction. Cheers!
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People are sure kicking off the new year in weird ways. I know a lot of people make resolutions they never keep, but I didn’t know people had started
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Our federal elected officials are stumbling all over themselves bragging that they voted for securing $223 million for rural Oklahoma health care by passing the Rural Health Transformation Program for 2026. I guess they’re hoping we’ll ignore the fact that they all voted to cut Medicaid funding which will deprive Oklahoma’s rural healthcare system of $6 BILLION. Don’t you love to play shell games? They apparently do!
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Cautionary labeling has finally gone too far. I bought a package of salted nuts the other day. On the package it said, “Warning: may contain nuts.” You can’t make this stuff up.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed ending pensions for members of Congress…because, you know, he’s not IN Congress.
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If you’re watching the NBA – especially if you’re a Thunder fan – take note of this mid-season fact: Shai Gilgeous Alexander is the first player this season to score 1,000 points. He is 17th in the total number of minutes played. Not too shabby, huh?
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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Grand Lakers Robert Jenks, Danny Banning, Carol Cable, Joan Cameron, Jim Parrish, Kendra McGeady, Tracie Sconyers, Morgan Grubb, Bill Sanford, Doug Schoppa, Carrie Connor, Julie Favela, Mark Cavins, Cathy Elliott, Amanda Davis, and Tammy Sexton.
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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS THIS WEEK: Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. is the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new bike trails in Grove. This week is the first big Boat Show of the season. The Oklahoma Boat Expo Boat & RV Show at Tulsa’s Arvest Convention Center runs Friday-Sunday. Friday is “Shangri-La Day” at the Oklahoma Boat Expo (Shangri-La members admitted free of charge).
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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: The term “proof”, as it applies to alcohol, originated with the practice of checking the alcohol content of whiskey by trying to light gunpowder soaked in it.
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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: Dolly Parton once anonymously entered a “Dolly Parton Look-alike Contest” in Los Angeles. She lost to a drag queen.
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ODD FACT OF THE WEEK: When President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, hospital staff cut away his clothing. Finding a laminated card in his suit pocket, they discarded it into his shoe on the floof where it was left unattended. That card was the list of nuclear launch codes.
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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: I went to a medical school when I was young. At the entrance exam, we were asked to rearrange PNEIS to form the name of an important human body part which is most useful when erect. Those who answered SPINE are doctors today, while the rest of us are on Facebook.
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WORD FUN OF THE WEEK: When you are stressed, you eat ice cream. Why?? Because STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS.
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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Do Not Place Hand in Garbage Disposal
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BEST BLUESKY POST OF THE WEEK: It’s true that exercise helps with decision making. I went for a run on New Year’s Day and decided never to do that again.
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PUN OF THE WEEK: Sweet dreams are made of cheese. Who am I to dis a Brie?
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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I’ve been watching a lot of TV over the holidays. Will donations of “$19 dollars a month – just 63 cents a day” pretty much solve all of the world’s problems?
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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: I’ve never been nor will I ever be a winter person. I hate winter so much, it’s made me hate spring and fall because they touch it.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Putting a lie detector in the Oval Office would be like putting a smoke alarm in Willie Nelson’s dressing room” – Seth Meyers
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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Famed Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax, “the Left Arm of God,” turned 90 years old last week. The Beatles’ “White Album” hit #1 on the U.S. charts this week…57 years ago! Guess who turned 50 years old last week. Yep. Tiger Woods.
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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, Lee Lawson hosts Tuesday Trivia at The Anchor Tuesday night (7:00). Erin Fitzgibbon entertains at The Monkey Bar Tuesday night (9:00). They also have Music Bingo Wednesday night and Karaoke with Sundown Entertainment Friday night, and more live music with Dustin Treiber Saturday night. There’s an Open Jam with Becky Sparkman Sunday.
On South Grand Lake, Robbi Bell will be on stage Friday night at Pickles Pub in Langley followed by the Jake Marlin Band Saturday night. Bobby DeGonia will entertain Friday night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney; and Sierra Bravo will take over Saturday night.
In Grove, the Jimmy Lee Jordan Band entertains Friday night at Cherokee Casino Grove’s 1897 Bar followed by Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure Saturday night. RocKFiscH starts the weekend music Friday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655 followed by Big Smitty Saturday night.
Jon Dooly kicks off the weekend early with a Thursday night performance at Indigo Sky Casino. Thomas Martinez takes over Friday night and Oreo Blue wraps up the weekend music Saturday. Saturday night is Xtreme Fight Night at Buffalo Run Casino’s Peoria Showplace. Riverbend Casino’s Club 60 West will feature Morgan Squared Saturday night.
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DINING & DRINKING UPDATE: Doc’s Bar & Grill is closed for the season, reopening March 10. Boom at The Regatta in Grove is also closed for the season, reopening in the Spring. The Anchor and The Galley Restaurant at Shangri-La are open seven days a week.
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BUM MUST-SEE TV: Abbott Elementary returns Wednesday night at 7:30 on ABC. Golden Eve airs Thursday night at 7:00 on CBS spotlighting Golden Globe-related Cecil B. DeMille Award and Carol Burnett Award winners. Grey’s Anatomy returns to ABC Thursday night at 9:00. The 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards program airs live Sunday night at 7:00 on CBS; and the 4th season of Industry finally debuts Sunday night at 8:00 on HBO.
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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: Primate, and Greenland 2: Migration open in theaters this week.
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SAVE THE DATE: Friday-Sunday, January 16-28 – Oklahoma City Boat & RV Show at the Bennett Event Center at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. Wednesday, January 22 – The Mom’s Unhinged Comedy Show comes to the Coleman Theatre in Miami (7:00 p.m.). Thursday-Sunday, February 12-15 – Oklahoma Tackle, Hunting, and Boat Show at the new Wolf Creek Expo Center in Grove. Friday & Saturday, February 20-21 – Grove Home, Garden & Travel Show at the Wolf Creek Expo Center.
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In the college football world, the CFP competition continues this week with Semifinal games – Miami vs. Ole Miss Thursday night, and Oregon vs. Indiana Friday night, both at 6:30 p.m.
The NFL is also in playoff mode. Wild Card Playoff games are this weekend with two games Saturday, three Sunday, and the final Wild Card match-up Monday night.
The NBA has a busy schedule. After home games hosting Charlotte Monday and Utah Wednesday, the OKC Thunder hit the road for a rematch with Memphis Friday (7:00), then return to OKC to host Miami Sunday (6:00), and San Antonio Tuesday (7:00).
There’s some good college basketball, too. Saturday televised games include Kansas State at Arizona State (2:00), Arkansas at Auburn (5:00), Missouri at Ole Miss (5:00), Texas at Alabama (7:00) and BYU at Utah (9:00). There are a couple of great women’s college games televised this week, too – especially a couple of good games Sunday – Texas at LSU (2:00) and OU at Kentucky (3:00).
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The weather gets progressively cooler as we roll into another Grand Lake weekend. After highs in the 60s most of the week, we’ll drop down to a high temperature closer to 50 on Saturday and mid-40s Sunday with low temps just below freezing. It’s a good weekend to enjoy some indoor fun around the lake – or head to the Oklahoma Boat Expo at Tulsa’s Arvest Convention Center Friday-Sunday. Most of Grand Lake’s dealers are in that show. Whatever you pick, get out of the house and join the fun! Remember, though, 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 Garcias 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
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
