November 3 Observations from the Grand Lake Bum
Daylight Saving Time is officially over until March 8. I hope you remembered to reset your clocks back from “sunshine and happiness” back to “misery and despair.” If you have a 9-to-5 job, enjoy your drive home in the dark.
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I had a lot of fun over the Halloween holiday. It’s always been my favorite holiday because costumes allow you to pretty much do anything you want – and nobody will ever be able to hold you accountable. It’s kinda like being an ICE Agent for a day!
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I undoubtedly ate too much candy on Halloween; but I’ll tell you one thing I found out for sure – whoever determined that a little one-inch candy bar should be called “fun sized,” should really re-evaluate their standards for entertainment.
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There have been weeks of whining about the NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny as the halftime entertainer for the Super Bowl. As it turns out, complainers should be more focused on the pre-game National Anthem performer at World Series games. Last week, Game 3 of the World Series went 18 innings – almost seven hours! That has only happened once before, back in 2018. At both of those games, Brad Paisley performed the National Anthem. Maybe Major League Baseball should rethink THAT choice.
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King Charles III stripped Prince Andrew of all his royal titles and booted him out of his royal residence because of Andrew’s relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We don’t have rules like that in the United States, apparently. Rumor is that no-longer-a-prince Andrew is considering a move to the U.S. where he would be respected.
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Thank goodness the federal courts ordered the President to continue to fund SNAP programs during the government shutdown, using the contingency funds that were already approved by Congress for just such an emergency. I’m so glad that 42 million Americans who depend on SNAP to help feed their families won’t be left to worry about food. A buddy of mine asked me why there were so many people getting SNAP payments (or “food stamps,” as we used to call them), so I did a little research. If the minimum wage had kept up with inflation over the past few decades, it would now be $26 per hour. I’m sure lots of folks would be delighted to get off of SNAP payments if they were paid enough to keep up with rising food costs. These days, it seems like the Federal Courts are the only federal government we have left.
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Once again, one of the very best jobs on earth has been filled by Brian Kelly. The fired LSU coach becomes the latest to enjoy the huge benefits of that best of all jobs – “fired coach.” His buyout is $800,000 per month for the next five-and-a-half years - $55 million total…for not working.
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GRAND LAKE BUM SHOUT-OUTS: A big shout-out goes to the Heart of Monkey Island group who raised more than $37,000 to purchase Christmas gifts for kids who otherwise would have none. Most of the money was raised at a single event – Oktoberfest held at South 125 Bar & Grill October 25. Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Grand Lakers Steve Odle, Mary Lee, Cindi Lillard, Otis Winters, Bud Hawkes, Candy Couch, Abby Moser, Shaleen Wheeler, Devone Chezem, Mitch Lindley, Holly Williams, Jot Hartley, Jacob Wallace, Kate Sullivan, Greg Feldman, Kenny Neal, Christie Livingston, Tyler Graham, Maddy Cook, Tom Quillin, Beverly Wade, and Sara Bailey.
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BEST GRAND LAKE EVENTS THIS WEEK: Thursday is a Shop Grand Lake Launch Party at Eagles Nest at Patricia Island Country Club (4:00-6:00 p.m.). Saturday night is DCCSAN Winterset at Shangri-La Resort (6:00 p.m.) and the annual “Chili Feed & Pie Auction” fundraiser at Cleora School (5:30 p.m.). Sunday morning is the “Carry a Warrior Ruck March” honoring military heroes from the lighthouse at Shangri-La Marina to South 125 Bar & Grill (10:30 a.m.).
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RANDY KREHBIEL’S RANDOM FACTOID OF THE WEEK: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam are the only countries in the world that consider themselves communist.
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FUN FACT OF THE WEEK: John Lennon once received a letter from a student telling him his teacher made them analyze The Beatles’ lyrics. Amused by this, Lennon composed “I Am The Walrus” with intentionally confusing and meaningless lyrics to baffle those who tried to analyze the song.
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ODD FACT OF THE WEEK The famous baseball anthem “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was written in 1908 by two men, Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, neither of whom had ever attended a baseball game.
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BEST FACEBOOK POST OF THE WEEK: Since light travels faster than sound, people may appear bright until you hear them speak.
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WORD FUN OF THE WEEK: When I was little, my parents always fed me alphabet soup, claiming that I liked it; but they were just putting words in my mouth.
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BEST SIGN SEEN THIS WEEK (seen at an Eye Clinic): If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.
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BEST BLUESKY POST OF THE WEEK: The leading cause of injury in older men is them thinking they are still young men.
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PUN OF THE WEEK: Adultery is a sin. You can’t have your Kate and Edith, too.
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UNANSWERED QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What if oxygen is killing us, and it just takes 75 to 100 years to work?
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OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK: If I ever have to run for my life, I’m afraid it’s probably not going to end well.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Wild that we don’t scrutinize what billionaires spend their money on, but we will dissect a single mom’s grocery cart like it’s a crime scene.” – National Organization for Women (NOW)
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FEEL-OLD MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton turned 78 years old last week. Legendary journalist and CBS network news anchor Dan Rather turned 94 over the past weekend; and philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates turned 70.
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BEST WEEKEND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: On Monkey Island, Ryan Graham performs live Friday night at Doc’s Bar & Grill at Shangri-La. There’s Karaoke Wednesday & Friday at The Monkey Bar, both hosted by Sundown Entertainment; and Jukebox Match Saturday. Becky Sparkman will host an open jam for all musicians Sunday. DJ K-Bandito will provide the entertainment Friday & Saturday nights at Big Shots Rhythm & Booze.
In Grove, Travis Kidd will be on stage Friday night at Cherokee Casino Grove’s 1897 Bar followed by Brandon Butler Saturday night. Eddie Valen will provide the music Saturday night at Grand Lake Casino’s Venue 655. Redbud Hill will be on stage Saturday night at the Grove Middle School Auditorium as part of the River Ridge Bluegrass Association concert series. There’s musical Bingo every Wednesday night at R-Bar Dance Hall & Saloon; and DJ Laidback Larry will provide the musical entertainment Saturday night.
On South Grand Lake, The Smith Brothers start the music Friday night at Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill followed by B and Ava Saturday. Pullin Strings will provide the music Friday night at Pickles Pub in Langley followed by a Sunday performance from Jimmy Lee & COBE. Lil’ Red & Sidepiece entertain Saturday night at Juan Montez.
Indigo Sky Casino features music by Brett & Terri Thursday night, and continuing with The Downbeat Friday. Thomas Martinez will provide the entertainment both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at 1:00. Morgan Squared starts the music Thursday at Downstream Casino’s Legends Sports Bar followed by Western Justice Friday and The Brothers Moore Saturday. Montgomery Gentry featuring Eddie Montgomery will be in concern Thursday night at Downstream’s Indoor Pavilion. Playlist will provide the music in Riverbend Casino’s Club 60 West Saturday night
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DINING & DRINKING UPDATE: Blind Swine on Duck Creek and the Quarterdeck Café at Tera Miranda are both now closed for the season. The Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La has discontinued lunch service for the season. Mocha Madness & Frickster’s BBQ are open at the former Grand Getaway Mercantile location in Grove. Poppin’ on Grand has closed their shop in Cleora and will reopen soon at 313 W. 3rd in Grove.
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BUM MUST-SEE TV: Wicked: One Wonderful Night airs Thursday night at 7:00 on NBC. Happy’s Place returns to the NBC lineup Friday night at 7:00. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony airs Saturday night at 7:00 on Disney+. The Paper debuts Monday night at 7:30 on NBC; and Sesame Street moves to NETFLIX for it’s 56th season Monday.
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BUM MUST-SEE MOVIES: What an incredible week for movie lovers! Nuremberg, Sarah’s Oil, Predator: Badlands, Die My Love, Grand Prix of Europe, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, Christy, and Long Shadows all open in theaters this week.
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SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, November 15 – “Candy Cane Corner” with vendors and Santa photo ops at Salty Sisters on Highway 59 in Grove (10:00-5:00). Saturday, November 15 – Annual Boutique Shop Hop – Grand Panache, Den of Uniquity, The Mercantile, Sassy & Classy Boutie-Q, and Bootylicious (10:00-3:00). Saturday, November 22 – Festivus Celebration & shopping extravaganza at the Shangri-La club house & golf shop (5:00-8:00 p.m.). Thursday, November 27 – The Anchor is open at Shangri-La 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. for Thanksgiving Day Football! Thursday, November 27 – Traditional Thanksgiving Day Dinner in the Roosevelt Ballroom at Shangri-La (11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.). Friday, November 28 – Black Friday Seafood Extravaganza at The Summit Restaurant at Shangri-La (4:00-9:00 p.m.). Friday, November 28 – Ozark Mountain Christmas display opens at Har-Ber Village. Friday, December 5 – Ice Rink opens on Grove’s Downtown Square. Friday, December 5 – Ron Lay “Light Up Downtown” Memorial Celebration on Grove’s Downtown Square. Saturday, December 6 – Langley-Disney Christmas Parade across the Pensacola Dam. Saturday, December 13 – Grove Christmas Parade (6:00 p.m.). Saturday, December 13 – Cherokee Yacht Club Lighted Boat Parade (5:30 p.m.).
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I’m not sure what Grand Lake football fans are going to do all weekend. OU, OSU, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Dallas Cowboys are all idle this week; but there are some great games.
In the college football world, Georgia & Mississippi State, BYU & Texas Tech, and Colorado & West Virginia all play at 11:00 Saturday. Texas A&M takes on Missouri at 2:30 while Kansas faces Arizona and Iowa State is at TCU. Auburn & Vanderbilt play at 3:00 and LSU & Alabama face off Saturday evening at 6:30. And how ‘bout Indiana at Penn State? That should be a dandy, as well.
The NFL may not have any Chiefs or Cowboys on the field this week, but action kicks off Thursday night with Denver hosting Las Vegas. Sunday football spotlights another early start with Atlanta taking on Indianapolis from Berlin, Germany at 8:30 followed by New England at Tampa Bay and Baltimore at Minnesota, both at noon. The L.A. Rams are at San Francisco for the 3:30 game, and the Packers host the Eagles Sunday night. Monday Night Football features the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Arizona Cardinals.
The NBA features a busy Thunder schedule starting with a tough road trip. After facing Portland Wednesday night, the Thunder are at Sacramento Friday (9:00) and Memphis Sunday afternoon (5:00) before returning home for a tough back-to-back schedule hosting Golden State Tuesday (7:00) and the Lakers Wednesday (8:30).
PGA players are in Los Cabos, Mexico this week. Coverage of the World Wide Technology Championship begins at 2:00 p.m. Thursday-Sunday exclusively on the Golf Channel.
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Grand Lake weather for the weekend looks perfect – just like the rest of the week. We’ll have sunshine, for the most part, with high temperatures around 70 and lows in the mid-40s. And it’s NOVEMBER! There’s plenty happening at Grand this weekend, so get out there and enjoy the great weather and all 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)
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 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
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
