Well, summer is in full swing at my home and the kids are up to wilderness and aquatic fun as usual.
We made a trip to KMART which had slip and slides on sale for under 20 bucks and the front yard was transformed
into an aquatic paradise.

We always have a great time and the kids enjoy sliding around the front yard.  But, the fun doesn’t stop there!!!

In the last week of May, my father paid us a visit to hang out with the kids and I for a few days, which is always great!
The kids had and “Grampa” had some much needed catch up time and we did fun things like go fishing, tell stories, and catch fish!

Here are the kids and “Grampa” at Newport News Airport where Gramps got a very thrifty ticket
from NYC to here for a real deal!

Theresa caught her first fish with Grampa so there were smiles all around.

Of course with the weather being so nice, we hit our favorite beach
in Yorktown…and I must say, as they get bigger, these trips get more and
more fun!

We have also had our “Shakedown Campout” at Newport News City Park
where the kids ran like wild animals and we did fun things like roast hot dogs and
marshmallows.

Me? Well, I took some much needed time to myself and recently ‘got back in the game’ and
am enjoying good company and good friends.  Life got a little too interesting for me (to say the least)
and I realized some patterns I had.  With all this time I have been spending making sure the kids
were “AOK” with life’s changes, I kinda forgot about the guy in the picture above.  He’s working on
smiling more; and I like it a lot.

So what are you up to?

–Chuck

hit me up on facebook too.   http://www.facebook.com/chuck.doud1

 Lets talk moooovies.

1. “The Hangover Part II,” $105.8 million. ($137.4 million since opening Thursday)                                                                                      

2. “Kung Fu Panda 2,” $62.2 million.                                                                                          

3. “Pirates/Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” $50.4 million. (Worldwide total $649 million)                                                       

New revenue record of around $280 million for the 4-day (Fri-Mon) Memorial Day holiday weekend. Previous record was $254 million in 2007. Coming up: “Harry Potter,” “Transformers” and “Cars” sequels.

Jeff Conaway, best known for the sitcom “Taxi,” died Friday. He was 60. He endured a lifelong addiction to drugs. He was in a coma being treated for pneumonia and blood poisoning. On “Celebrity Rehab,” Dr. Drew Pinsky warned him his drug use would kill him.

The race car sponsored by Justin Timberlake’s William Rast clothing line won the Indy 500 in Indianapolis on Sunday. The car, driven by racing veteran Dan Wheldon, beat out 32 other drivers for the coveted Trophy. Timberlake co-founded William Rast in 2006.

Brad Pitt and longtime love Angelina Jolie said they wouldn’t marry until gay people could do so legally. That timetable might change. “The kids ask about marriage,” he says. “It’s meaning more and more to them. So it’s something we’ve got to look at.”

LeAnn Rimes got an unexpected result when she tweeted several pictures of herself in a bikini. Fans noted how gaunt she is…bones showing through skin. She wrote back, “those are abs. I promise you, I’m healthy.” But photographers & fans say she’s losing weight fast.

In Theaters This Weekend

The Hangover Part II – Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis are back as best buddies who travel to Bangkok for a wedding and end up with big problems. (R)

Kung Fu Panda 2 – Jack Black returns as the voice of Po the Dragon Warrior, facing his greatest challenge yet in another animated martial arts adventure. Includes the voices of Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, and Seth Rogen. (PG)

The Tree of Life (Limited) – Brad Pitt stars in the story of a man who finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Also stars Sean Penn. (PG-13)

Lindsay Lohan returned to a women’s jail before dawn on Thursday. She was released before rush hour to begin serving a sentence at her home for a probation violation. She must wear an ankle monitor for about 35 days, and complete her community service.

Scotty McCreery says he and Idol runnerup Lauren Alaina are just “really good friends.” She kissed him after he won. He said “me and her – it’s a brother-and-sister relationship.” His first single, “I Love You This Big,” on Thursday became iTunes most downloaded song. (P.S. want to know how much Idol paid them? Lauren Alaina got $87,500! (That will double for her when she records an album.) Scotty McCreery was paid $250,000 for winning. (Must be nice….)

Amy Winehouse has reportedly fallen off the wagon. The former addict downed a bottle of vodka at a North London store…on her way to rehab. Minutes before, she went to a hair salon & demanded to use the toilet. Customers heard her emptying her stomach.

Scotty McCreery won “American Idol,” pulling a record 122 million-plus viewer votes. The 17-year-old country crooner is from Garner, NC. He was never at risk of elimination. He’s the 4^th male in a row to win Idol. Jordan Sparks was the last female winner in 2007.

Star power dominated last night’s finale. High-wattage stars who appeared or performed included Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Tony Bennett, Tim McGraw, Gladys Knight, Bono, The Edge, Kirk Franklin, Jack Black, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

Another hoops star will join the Kardashian clan. Kim Kardashian is engaged to her boyfriend of six months, New Jersey Nets forward Kris Humphries. He proposed on bended knee with “will you marry me” spelled out in rose petals. Her 20.5 carat ring cost $2M.

Halle Berry received the Celebrity Fragrance of the Year award in new York for her popular perfume Reveal. Fergie was also honored with an award for creating Avon’s fragrance, Outspoken. Mary J Blige was also honored with two awards for her successful scent, My Life.

Cheryl Cole has quit the U.S. version of X Factor. Producers were concerned about her strong northern English accent, and her lack of chemistry with Paula Abdul. She told boss Simon Cowell she wanted out. Show co-host Nicole Scherzinger is expected to replace her.

Lady Gaga showed her compassion to Whoopi Goldberg after learning she had fallen ill this week. She had a fresh batch of chicken soup delivered to her door. Lady Gaga appeared on The View Monday. Whoopi was home sick with a cold.

Hines Ward added a disco-ball trophy to his Super Bowl shelf last night for winning “Dancing With the Stars.” Ward said he owes the victory to his partner Kym Johnson, hard work and the fans. Kirstie Alley, who shed 38 inches, finished second and Chelsea Kane third.

“American Idol’s” 3 judges are backing Lauren Alaina to win tonight. She and Scotty McCreery faced off in 3 performances in last night’s performance finale. The winner will be signed to Interscope Records. Alaina strained a vocal cord in rehearsal, but sang anyway. (Now there were reports that came in late last night that Lauren may not be able to perform in the finale due to her voice loss, American Idol apparently had Haley Reinhart on stand by BUT all was well as Lauren and Scotty both performed last night and your winner will be crowned tonight.)

The final episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” was taped Tuesday. She stood alone on her Chicago stage, talking to viewers about what they’ve meant to her during the show’s 25-year run. The finale will air today. She will now concentrate on her cable channel.

**Trivia: The Oprah Winfrey Show started in 1984 on WLS-TV as “A.M. Chicago.”

Police swooped on a beach near Paul McCartney’s home on Sunday after a headless body washed up on the shore. The corpse was found less than three miles from his sprawling mansion in The Hamptons, New York. Police believe it’s another victim of a serial killer.

Here is the Lady GaGa video link I was talking about today. She got tired of hearing David Letterman’s questions about rumors involving her, so what did she do? She tore up his cards and ate them……..don’t worry it’s not as harsh as you think. It was all in fun. Enjoy!
 http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment…

I told myself I would never watch Dancing With The Stars but I tell you what, I’ve been hooked on this season….last night Chelsea Kane and Hines Ward each scored 59 points for their 2 dances on DWTS. Fellow finalist Kirstie Alley finished with 54 points. Each will perform one final dance tonight, & the season 12 winner will be crowned. The Black Eyed Peas and the Go-Go’s perform.

“American Idol” is on at 8 pm tonight, so as not to compete against the DWTS finale at 9. 17-year-old Scotty McCreery and 16-year-old Lauren Alaina are the last 2 standing. The finale is tomorrow night, and will include performances by several major stars.

 Other finales tonight: Glee and The Biggest Loser

Lady Gaga was David Letterman’s guest last night. He asked her about eating the head off a Barbie doll during concerts (it’s true). She then said, “I’m so fed up with this.” She grabbed his note sheet (a list of rumors), tore it up, and ate it. She was also on The View yesterday.

Time to cash in. The mother of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s out-of-wedlock son has hired a Los Angeles law firm. Patty Baena is most concerned about “unflattering reports.” There is no plan to file litigation at this time.

Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance will team up on an epic, 40-plus-date tour this summer. Tickets go on sale June 10, but members of their fan clubs can get them June 6. They’ll be in Va Beach (amphitheater) Sept 18. The tour extends from Aug 5 thru Oct 15.

Well Thor has finally been knocked out of the number one spot in the theaters, guess who’s got the top spot?

 1. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” $90.1 million (domestically).

2. “Bridesmaids,” $21 million.                                                                                                  

3. “Thor,” $15.5 million.  ($145.4 million after only 3 weeks)                                                                                                        

4. “Fast Five,” $10.6 million.

“On Stranger Tides” took in a record $256 million at the international box office. Its combined worldwide total is $346 million, the fourth largest global opening ever. The first three “Pirates” movies earned a combined $2.7 billion worldwide. 

Make sure you set your DVR’s…or…VCR’s of you’re still goin old school. Three big reality shows crown winners this week, and a beloved talk show comes to an end. The winners will be announced on “Dancing with The Stars, American Idol, and Biggest Loser: Couples.” But the week belongs to Oprah, who caps 25 years in broadcast TV Wed.

Justin Bieber knows what he wants his female fans to smell like? Fruit. He has already launched a nail polish line and a unisex fragrance, “My World.” The new fragrance, called “Someday,” will be in stores in June. All proceeds of the $35 a bottle scent go to charity.

It’s been awhile since Sean “Diddy” Combs changed his name — but this time around, it’s only for a week. Just call him “Swag.” The rapper/entrepreneur announced the change via his official Twitter account. He said it’s in honor of his comeback.

Let’s talk movies shall we?

In Theaters This Weekend:

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides – Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow, who crosses paths with the fierce pirate Blackbeard and a woman from his past. Also stars Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, and Keith Richards. PG-13. Thor was number one last weekend but I have a feeling that will all change after this weekend.

It’s a sad sad day for me. “American Idol” finalist Haley Reinhart was eliminated last night and will not be in the finale. Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina move on to compete in next week’s finale. Reinhart had been at the bottom 4 times. They are the youngest finalists in the show’s 10-season history. At this point, I’m gonna go for Scotty because I feel like American Idol has never had a country BOY win. They had Carrie Underwood who is HUGE now, but I think it’s time for a cowboy.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is delaying his Hollywood comeback. He is bracing for what could be a costly divorce. He publicly admitted to an affair that resulted in a love-child. He has told his agent to postpone all projects. The boy & his mother have vanished since the revelation.  I also just read this, Arnold Schwarzenegger made a $65,000 down payment on a house for Patty Baena a year ago. He made 2 “gift” payments in April and May 2010. Patty’s house is in Bakersfield, CA. The purchase price was $268,000. He also gave her gifts over the years.

“Titanic 3D” will hit theaters on April 6th 2012. Director James Cameron told the press he can’t wait for everyone to see it, especially the new generation. Originally released in 1997, “Titanic” is the second highest grossing film of all time, just behind Cameron’s “Avatar.”

The final 3 performed on “American Idol” last night. Haley Reinhart, Scotty McCreery, and Lauren Alaina each performed in 3 rounds of songs. Each won a round. The judges did not hint at a favorite, leaving it to viewers. Tonight’s guests are Nicole Scherzinger and 50 Cent.

Forbes’ annual Celebrity 100 list is out. The most powerful people in entertainment earned $4.5 billion over the last 12 months. Lady Gaga toppled Oprah Winfrey from her No.1 spot. Notable drop-offs: Britney Spears (#6 last year) and Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe (#82)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on a honeymoon fit for a king and queen. William and Kate are vacationing on the ultra-private North Island in the Seychelles (Say-Shells), at a cost of $720,000 for a week-and-half stay. A private butler attends to all of their needs.

Tim McGraw and Curb Records could be headed to court. The independent label has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit, claiming his 5^th & final album was turned in outside of his contract agreement. It has not been released. He’s performing the album’s songs on tour.