June 2 Random Observations of The Grand Lake Bum
I hope you made it through an incredible weekend of perfect weather, fun on the water, and fun events that allowed Grand Lakers to prove we’re always willing to have a big party and open our wallets for a great cause. Congratulations to the Grove Rotary Club for their smashingly successful Shrimpfest at Shangri-La Friday night. Grove Rotary does more to support important programs and needs in the Grand Lake community than any other single organization – and events like Shrimpfest allow us all to be a part of it, whether we are Rotary members or not. I’m proud that everyone jumped in to raise a lot of money. There’s always a party for a great cause at Grand Lake.
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So much for the decades of “Bags Fly Free” branding by Southwest Airlines. Southwest Credit Card holders and “A-List Preferred Status” passengers still get a free bag, but everyone else is now paying $35 for the first bag and $45 for a second. Oddly enough, just last year Southwest Executives predicted that, while the new baggage fees will gain $1.5 billion in revenue, lost business from unhappy customers would probably cause them to lose $1.8 billion. Airline experts agreed: “Southwest is now just another airline.” I’m not a smart business wizard, but I’m a little confused by the advantages of this game-changing decision.
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It’s not just Southwest, though. United Airlines has changed its check-in policy. Now domestic passengers must check in at the airport at least 45 minutes prior to departure – or United will not let them board. Pretty soon it’s going to be both cheaper – and faster to just drive.
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Well, Oklahoma voters can breathe a little easier. The legislature has adjourned for the year. It wasn’t without some nasty fights, though. Governor Stitt vetoed 68 proposed laws. When the legislature said they would try to override some of his vetoes, he first said he was “fine with that – it’s part of the process.” But when they overrode 47 of his 68 vetoes, he lost his cool and called for the ousting of a bunch of fellow Republican lawmakers because they voted to override his vetoes. The legislature retaliated by firing the Stitt-appointed Director of Mental Health. It wasn’t a pretty ending to the legislative session for Governor Stitt, but thank goodness it was at least an ending. Your income tax rates will come down a little, so that’s something, I guess.
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You teenagers be careful out there…and those of you who aren’t good judges of age be careful out there, too. Governor Stitt just signed a new Oklahoma law raising the age of consent from 16 to 18.
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What a week for sports in Oklahoma! The OKC Thunder are in the NBA finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA MVP and MVP of the Western Conference finals, Lu Dort was named to the first team All-NBA Defensive Team, and SGA and J-Dub were both starters on the All-Star team. At the college level, Oklahoma State University’s golf team are National Champions again, OU’s softball girls are in the Women’s College World Series again (and they landed four players on the All-American team), and Oklahoma City University won the national championship runner-up honors in NAIA softball. We do love our sports!
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I read somewhere that they finally invented a golf ball that uses a GPS signal to locate the hole, and then roll in. Just don’t carry the ball in your back pocket.
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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Grand Lakers Lance Locke, Hank Kraft, Julie McFerron, Chris Mullen, David Eimen, Donna Ferguson, Gordon Kucera, Kim Schoppa, Mary Jobst, Clayton Shumaker, Matt Reed, Bill Pettit, and Marnie Pettit.
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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS THIS WEEK: The American Heritage Music Festival begins Thursday night at Snider’s Campground and continues Friday & Saturday at Har-Ber Village. Thursday is Trivia Night” at both BOOM at The Regatta and Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill. Friday evening is the awesome Barkaritaville fundraiser for Second Chance Pet Rescue at Honey Creek Barbeque at Hilltop Inn & Suites in Grove (6:30-10:00 p.m.). Saturday is the annual Fairy Festival at Lendonwood Gardens (11:00-4:00); and Monday is the South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament at Shangri-La (11:00 a.m.).
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RANDY KREHBIEL’S FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Pre-Gunsmoke and Miss Kitty, Amanda Blake played the titular “Miss Robin Crusoe” in a 1953 reimagining of the Daniel Defoe classic.
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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: Dolly Parton’s “Dollywood” has been named America’s Favorite Theme Park again. This is the third consecutive year the park in Pigeon Ford, Tennessee has received the honor from the National Amusement Park Historical Association’s annual survey which highlights guests’ favorite attractions around the country. Second place honors went to Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
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ODD FACT OF THE WEEK: Phil Robertson, the bearded patriarch of “Duck Dynasty,” died last week at the age of 79 – but I’ll be there is part of his life you knew nothing about. He was the starting quarterback at Louisiana Tech University in 1966 and 1967, starting ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famer and No. 1 draft pick Terry Bradshaw, who went on to win four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Robertson started ahead of Bradshaw for 16 games before he dropped football to pursue his passion for hunting and fishing.
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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: I got a parking ticket yesterday, but I’m not sure why. The sign said “Fine for parking.”
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WORD FUN OF THE WEEK: “Gimme” is a word used to describe an agreement among a group of golfers, none of whom can putt.
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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: Bus Stop. No Stopping.
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BEST BLUESKY POST OF THE WEEK: I’m not paying back my student loans. They need to learn financial responsibility. Who the hell lends $50,000 to an 18-year-old with no job?
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PUN OF THE WEEK: The worst pub I’ve ever been to was called The Fiddle. It was a vile inn.
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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How did jobs work before email? Like, did you just get home from work and…work was over?
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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: The older I get, the more I have in common with computers. We both start out with lots of memory and drive, then we become outdated, crash unexpectedly, and eventually have to have our parts replaced.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Nothing disturbs me more than the glorification of stupidity.” – Carl Sagan
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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Academy Award-winning actor, producer, director, and narrator Morgan Freeman turned 88 Sunday, and iconic actor/director Clint Eastwood turned 95 years old over the weekend. Singer/songwriter John Fogerty, the founder of the legendary band Creedence Clearwater Revival, turned 80 years old last week. Two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Stevie Nicks, most famous for her years with Fleetwood Mac, turned 77 last week; and Loretta Swit, the talented actress most famous for her role as Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the M*A*S*H television series, died last week at the age of 87.
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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, Sundown Entertainment hosts Thursday night karaoke at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La (6:00-9:00 p.m.) and Gavin Tucker performs live Friday night at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La. Whiskey Poet Society will provide the music Saturday night at Eddy’s Lakeside Bar. Sundown Entertainment provides the karaoke fun Wednesday night, and DJ Kennedy with Rockstar Entertainment leads the singing Friday night at The Monkey Bar – and Dustin Treiber performs live Saturday night.
On South Grand Lake, The Yacht Club Band will kick off the weekend Friday night at Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina followed by Reverse Reaction Saturday night, and Dillon Leggett Sunday afternoon at 3:00. Jacob Dement starts the weekend music Friday night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney followed by Wanda Watson Saturday night and Robbi Bell Sunday afternoon (4:00). DJ Lip will provide the musical entertainment Saturday night at The Drunken Rooster in Cleora.
In Grove, Brett & Terri will entertain at the Barkaritaville fundraising festival at Honey Creek Barbeque at Hilltop Inn & Suites Friday night (6:30-10:00). The Honky Tonk Renovators will provide the music Friday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655 followed by The Chain Project Saturday night. There’s musical Bingo every Wednesday night and DJ Laidback Larry will provide the musical entertainment Saturday night at R-Bar Dance Hall & Saloon. Magic J featuring DJ Joe will be the Friday night entertainment at Cherokee Casino Grove followed by Erin Fitzgibbon Saturday.
There are three nights and one afternoon of music this week at Indigo Sky Casino. Brett & Terri start the music Thursday night followed Mayday by Midnight Friday, and Damsel Saturday. Travis Kidd will entertain at Indigo Sunday from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The Beer & Chicken Band entertains Saturday night in Riverbend Casino’s Club 60 West; and The Blue Underground will be on stage at Buffalo Run Casino’s Backwoods Bar Saturday night.
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DINING & DRINKING UPDATE: Patricia Island Country Club has opened “The Eagles Nest,” a new open-to-the-public restaurant. Drunken Rooster On the Water is now open at Honey Creek Landing Marina. Eddy’s Lakeside Bar at Shangri-La Marina, Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina, Ugly’s Grill & Bar at Thunder Bay Marina, Quarterdeck Café at Tera Miranda, and Blind Swine on Duck Creek at Harbors View Marina are all open, as well.
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BUM MUST-SEE TV: The NHL Stanley Cup Championship Series (Florida & Edmonton) begins Wednesday night on TNT and the NBA Championship Series (Oklahoma City Thunder & Indiana) begins airing Thursday night on ABC. Late to the Party: Coming Out Later in Life airs Friday night at 7:00 on ABC. Good Night, and Good Luck live streams on CNN Saturday night at 6:00. The 78th Annual Tony Awards air live Sunday night at 7:00 on CBS.
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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: It’s a really big movie week! The Phoenician Scheme, Dangerous Animals, The Ritual, and From the World of John Wick: Ballerina all open in movie theaters this weekend. Captain America: Brave New World is available on Disney+.
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SAVE THE DATE: Thursday-Saturday – Carnival at Wolf Creek Park (6:00-10:30 p.m. Thursday & Friday, Noon-10:30 p.m. Saturday. Friday-Sunday, June 13-15 – Toes in the Grand Festival at Wolf Creek Park. Saturday, June 14 – Home of Hope Annual Banquet at Hard Rock in Catoosa (5:30 p.m.). Tuesday-Thursday, June 17-19 – State Amateur Golf Tournament at Shangri-La. Saturday, June 21 – Rock the Dock Comeback Tour 2025 concert at Check-In Bay (12:00-5:00 p.m.). Monday-Wednesday, June 23-25 – Kids’ Camp at The Anchor at Shangri-La (8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.). Wednesday, July 3 – Vinita Fireworks at Craig County Fairgrounds. Thursday, July 3 – Grove Fireworks at Wolf Creek. Friday, July 4 – Duck Creek Fireworks. Friday, July 4 – Huckleberry Fireworks in Jay. Friday, July 4 – Miami Fireworks at Buffalo Run Casino. Saturday, July 5 – Monkey Island Fireworks at Shangri-La. Saturday, July 5 – Grand Lake Fireworks at Disney. Saturday, July 5 – Blue Bluff Harbor Fireworks. Saturday, July 5 – Horse Creek Fireworks near the unfinished bridge. Monday-Tuesday, July 14-15 – Racquet Club Kids’ Pickleball Camp at The Anchor at Shangri-La (8:00 a.m.-noon).
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It’s an incredible week for sports fans. The NBA Championship series gets underway Thursday for the OKC Thunder with home games Thursday & Sunday before hitting the road to Indiana for game 3 next Wednesday in the best-of-seven series against the Indiana Pacers; and in the NHL Stanley Cup Championship series drops the first puck Wednesday for the best-of-seven series rematch between Florida and Edmonton.
It’s also a huge week for college softball and baseball. The Women’s College World Series is wrapping up with the Championship Series beginning Wednesday with the best-of-three battles; and NCAA baseball competition moves into the Super Regional phase (Friday-Monday).
PGA Players are north of the border in Toronto this week. Coverage of the RBC Canadian Open begins at 1:00 Thursday-Saturday and noon Sunday on The Golf Channel. CBS picks up the coverage at 4:30 Saturday and 1:30 Sunday.
It’s another big week for horse racing. The final race of the Triple Crown series, The Belmont Stakes, is Saturday with coverage beginning at 3:00 p.m. on NBC. Actual post time for the race is 5:45 p.m.
NASCAR drivers are in Michigan for the Firekeepers Casino 400. Coverage is exclusively on Prime Video again this week with coverage at 1:00 Sunday afternoon.
UFL football moves into the playoff round this weekend with two Sunday games. Michigan faces Birmingham in game one (2:00) followed by DC vs. St. Louis (5:00 p.m.).
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Weather for the weekend ahead doesn’t look as perfect as the weekend behind us – but it looks pretty good. Aside from a periodic chance of rain off and on, we’ll have highs around 80 degrees and lows in the mid-60s. There’s plenty happening around the lake this weekend, so get out and have some 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 in Grove (at Sailboat Bridge)
Bradford BBQ in Ketchum
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
Chickanella’s 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)
Cove Club in Langley
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 on Grand (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)
Honey Creek BBQ in Grove (south of Honey Creek bridge)
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
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
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 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
