May 4 Observations from the Grand Lake Bum

Was anybody on Monkey Island over the past weekend? Or maybe I should ask, was there anybody NOT on Monkey Island? I swear, the population of the Island must have increased ten-fold last Saturday. Between the almost 400 participants in the highly successful fundraising Cinco de Poker Derby at 9 Island locations and the 1,000 guests who showed up for the big Ian Munsick concert at Shangri-La’s Battlefield the Island causeway bridge that is still narrowed to one-late traffic got a total workout! What a weekend!

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The most important holiday of the year is this week – Mother’s Day! There’s always the popular Mother’s Day Brunch options so she doesn’t have to cook or do dishes…but DO NOT ask her to cook a special meal for your friends and siblings! That’s just like every other day of her life. If you want to do something really special, you might think about bringing her a nice lunch, then leaving her alone. There’s one thing Moms never get enough of: SLEEP!

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Well, I hope Oklahoma school kids are accustomed to not having cell phones in school because the legislature just made that “test” a permanent law! I guess kids will have to resort to talking to each other.

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Our legislative leadership is working hard to put things they don’t think you’ll like (cutting Medicaid and changing the way judges are selected) on a ballot where you won’t notice. They’re still trying to put those controversial and unpopular questions on the August 25 runoff ballot (where only about 10% of the voters show up) instead of the General Election Ballot in November (where up to 60% of voters show up). In the past 25 years, only one legislative referendum has been put on that run-off ballot – Right to Work back in 2001. They trust voters to elect them, but they don’t trust voters for anything else. To put that “10% approval rating” number in perspective, 12% of Americans say the moon landing was faked, 10% believe the Earth is flat. Hopefully our voter turnout is not the same 10%....but you never know.

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I thought we already had an “official state” everything-you-could-think-of. We have an official state flower, tree, meal, animal, fish, floral emblem (not to be confused with “flower”), wildflower (also not to be confused with “flower”), grass, reptile, insect, rock, musical instrument,  color, horse, flying mammal, pet, fiber, motto, nickname and, of course, song. I thought that was everything. Nope. Thanks to the legislature, we now have an official state crop – wheat. It’s good to know our lawmakers are focused on the really critical issues.

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Speaking of important legislation, legislators also passed a bill making it a felony to give anyone an abortion-inducing drug. So now, it will be a felony offense to provide anyone with a drug that is perfectly legal. Not everything the legislature does is required to make sense.

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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Grand Lakers Janie Tipton, Anita Cole, Jimmie Tramel, Pam Borin, Jamie Boschee, Tony Coatney, Kristi Wallace, Shelly Thomas, Cherie Long, Heather Hurley, Troy Hitzeman, Chris Rooker, Donna Belt, Charles Swinton, Robert Bailey, Pam Wyrick, James Brock, Laura Strickland, Roger Cook, Beverly Funke, Curt Landry, Darryl Gupton, Lynn Goss, Pat McConn, and Lorri Dyer.

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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS THIS WEEK: Thursday night is “Thursday Trivia” at BOOM at The Regatta in Grove (6:30 p.m.). Friday morning is an Open House & ribbon cutting  at the new Wolf Creek Expo Center in Grove. Saturday is Farmers Market at Grove’s Downtown Square (8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.). Saturday is also the Nichols Marine & Shangri-La Marina Customer Appreciation Luau at Eddy’s Lakeside Bar (5:00-8:00 p.m.). Sunday is the always fabulous Mother’s Day Brunch at The Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La.

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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: Gordon Sumner taught primary school for two years before becoming…”Sting.”

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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: Cooper Flagg is the first player in basketball history to win National High School Player of the Year, NCAA Player of the Year, and NBA Rookie of the Year.

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ODD FACT OF THE WEEK: The winner of the very first Kentucky Derby collected a winning purse of $2,850. Golden Tempo’s winning purse in Saturday’s 152nd running of the Derby was $3.1 million.

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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: I’m at the age where I know more medications mentioned on The Pitt than I do musical guests on Saturday Night Live.

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WORD FUN THIS WEEK: I set my WIFI password to  2444666668888888. When someone asks, I tell them 12345678.

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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK: With Purchase of a Bed - Free One Night Stand

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BEST BLUESKY POST OF THE WEEK: The shooter was led away shouting, “I never would have done this in a really big brand new Ballroom!”

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PUN OF THE WEEK: When I die, I want my ashes pressed into a record. It’s my vinyl request.

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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: When I eat, I’m always hopeful of not wearing my food on my clothes – so why do advertisers think it’s more appealing to see ketchup running out the side of a burger, beer running down the outside of the glass, meat squirting out one side of a bun when a diner bites the opposite side, or BBQ sauce squirting off of a sandwich?

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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: It’s hard to describe to anyone that doesn’t live in Oklahoma how sleepy we are. Between thunderstorms, tornadoes, OKC Thunder playoff games, and OU softball, we haven’t slept in two months.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there would be a shortage of sand.” -Milton Friedman

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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Professional golf icon John Daly turned 60 years old last week. Country music legend David Allan Coe (yep, “the perfect country-western song”) died last week at the age of 86; and Actress Michael Learned, perhaps best known from her role as Olivia on The Waltons, turned 87.

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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: It’s another weekend of great Grand Lake area entertainment. On Monkey Island, The Monkey Bar starts the weekend Wednesday with Karaoke by Sundown Entertainment. Thursday night, Erin Fitzgibbon will be on stage followed by more karaoke Friday night, and more live music from Larrry Newsom Saturday night. Friday night, Crystal Ott hosts fun 60s & 70s Disco Music Trivia at The Anchor at Shangri-La (8:30) followed by DJ Kyle hosting a Disco Inferno Dance Party at 10:00. Three Dollar Rocket will entertain guests at the Nichols Marine/Shangri-La Marina Customer Appreciation Party at Eddy’s Saturday; and Magen Faulconer will be on stage Saturday night at South 125 Bar & Grill.

On South Grand Lake, Sharky’s has a full schedule of entertainment at Hammerhead Marina. Lil’ Red and The Sidepiece kick off the Sharky’s music Friday night followed by Straight Shot Saturday night. The Beaty Creek Duo will be on stage Thursday night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill in Disney followed by Casey West Friday night and Sierra Bravo Saturday night. Vince Turner will entertain Sunday afternoon at 4:00.

In Grove, Stonehorse provides the musical entertainment Friday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655 followed by Diversity Saturday night. Travis Kidd will be on stage Friday night at Cherokee Casino Grove’s 1897 Bar followed by 1994 Saturday night. There’s karaoke with DJ Laid Back Larry Saturday night at R-Bar Dance Hall & Saloon.

In Miami, there’s a live Saturday night performance of “Who’s Live Anyway?” at the Coleman Theatre with Greg Proops, Jeff Davis, Ryan Stiles, and Joel Murray.

The Brandon Butler Band starts the music Friday night at Downstream Casino’s Legends Sports Bar. Members Only take over Saturday. Brett & Terrie kick off the weekend Thursday at Indigo Sky Casino followed by Funkin’ Gonuts Friday and Thomas Martinez Saturday; and Riverbend Casino’s Club 60 West will feature Dewayne Bowman & The Swingin’ West Band Saturday night.

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DINING & DRINKING UPDATE: The Summit Restaurant features a special Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday at Shangri-La (11:00-5:00). There will be no dinner service Sunday night at The Summit this week. Blind Swine Duck Creek at Harbors View Marina, Whitecap at The Landings Marina, Sharky’s at Hammerhead Marina, and Ugly’s Grill & Bar at Thunder Bay Marina are all open for the season. South 125 Bar & Grill on Monkey Island has expanded hours for the season – open six days a week – at noon Wednesday-Friday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Saturday, and 4:00 p.m. Monday, offering brunch at 10:00 Saturday & noon Sunday. Cregan’s Confections in Ketchum also has expanded hours – 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. daily. Eddy’s Lakeside Bar at Shangri-La opens for the season Friday, May 15; and The Shebang on Monkey Island will also reopen later this month (currently closed for remodeling).

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BUM MUST-SEE TV: The new series MIA debuts on Netflix Thursday. Disaster: The Chernobyl Meltdown airs Sunday night at 8:00 on CNN; and The Roast of Kevin Hart airs at 7:00 Sunday night on Netflix.

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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: The Sheep Detectives, Mortal Kombat II, and Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour join The Devil Wears Prada 2 in movie theaters this week.

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SAVE THE DATE: Friday, May 15 – Grove Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament at Quail Run Golf Course (12:00 p.m.). Friday, May 15 – Eddy’s Lakeside Bar opens for the season at Shangri-La (4:00 p.m.). Saturday, May 16 – Art in the Garden event at Lendonwood Gardens in Grove (9:00 a.m.-04:00 p.m.). Saturday, May 16 – Mayfest at The Lake celebration at Grand Towne Center in Langley (10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.). Saturday, May 16 – Burning of the Socks party at Safe Harbor Harbors View Marina (4:00-8:00 p.m.). Friday-Monday, May 22-25 – Memorial Day Run Rock Crawling at the Disney Off-Road Area (6:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.). Saturday, May 23 – Memorial Weekend Fireworks Show at Honey Creek Landing Marina. Monday, May 25 – Memorial Day Celebration & Veterans’ Appreciation Day at Har-Ber Village (9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.). Saturday, May 30 – Grove Rotary Club Lobsterfest at Wolf Creek Expo Center (5:30-9:00 p.m.). Thursday-Saturday, June 11-13 – American Heritage Music Festival and National Fiddle Contest at Har-Ber Village (9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.). Thursday-Sunday, June 11-14 – Toes in the Grand Festival at Wolf Creek Park & Expo Center in Grove.

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In the world of sports, we’re into Conference Semifinals. Thunder-Lakers games are Tuesday at 7:30 (NBC), Thursday at 8:30 (Prime), Saturday at 7:30 (ABC), and Monday at 9:30 (Prime).

There are some great WNBA matchups this week. New York hosts Connecticut at 6:30 Friday. Dallas is at Indiana Saturday at noon followed by Phoenix at Las Vegas at 2:30. Los Angeles hosts Las Vegas Sunday at 5:00.

In the college softball world, it’s Conference Tournament time. The SEC Tournament is this week in Lexington, Kentucky as two-time regular season champion OU tries to take the tournament title. Their first game is Thursday at 6:30 against the winner of the LSU/Georgia battle. SEC semifinal games are Friday at 4:00 and 6:30. The Championship game is Saturday at 4:00, all on ESPN. OSU is one of 8 teams in the Big 12 Tournament which starts Thursday in Oklahoma City. The Championship Game is Saturday at 11:00 a.m. on ESPN. Texas Tech is the regular season champ.

PGA Golfers are split between the Carolinas this week. Coverage of the Truist Championship from Charlotte, North Carolina begins on the Golf Channel at 6:00 Thursday, 8:00 Friday and noon Saturday & Sunday. CBS picks up the final two rounds at 2:00 Saturday & Sunday.

The PGA’s ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic is also this week in South Carolina. Coverage is exclusively on the Golf Channel at 1:00 Thursday & Friday, and 2:00 Saturday & Sunday.

UFL Football play kicks off Friday night at 7:00 this week with St. Louis hosting Columbus. There are two games Saturday – Louisville at DC at 12:30 and Dallas at Birmingham at 7:00 – and Houston hosts Orlando Sunday afternoon at 5:00.

There are some good Major League Baseball match-ups on TV this week, too. The Yankees host Texas Thursday morning at 11:30 and the Cardinals travel to San Diego Thursday night at 9:00. The Dodgers host Atlanta Friday night (9:00) and the Cardinals face the Padres again Saturday night at 6:00.

NASCAR drivers are in Watkins Glen, New York this week. Coverage of the Go Bowling at The Glen is Sunday at 2:00 on FS1.

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Weather for the weekend ahead looks pretty nice. We’ll have sunshine and light winds, for the most part, with highs around 80 and lows around 60. It’s about time we had some high temperatures starting with an “8.”  Get out and enjoy your lake! 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