TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD (FRI): Bobby Got Over A Bug + Anonymous $15k Donation Helps 450 Students

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show – "Tell Me Something Good (FRI): Bobby Got Over A Bug + Anonymous $15k Donation Helps 450 Students"

Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Bobby Bones (Premiere Networks)
Segments: Tell Me Something Good

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Brief Overview

In this episode of "The Bobby Bones Show," the team gathers for their feel-good Friday segment, “Tell Me Something Good.” Each member shares uplifting personal stories, from overcoming minor life struggles to community acts of kindness. The episode also spotlights two major stories: an anonymous $15,000 donation eliminating student lunch debt in Kansas, and a young girl in Illinois whose quick thinking saved her father's life. The tone is light, supportive, and laced with the show’s typical banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal “Good News” Roundtable (00:17–10:00)

a. Lunchbox's Story – Getting Prepared for the Winter Storm (00:17–01:45)

• Lunchbox is grateful that an impending winter storm prompted his wife to plan ahead and buy several days' worth of groceries—departing from her usual “one day at a time” shopping style.
• The group discusses grocery store restocks, shortages, and the universal pre-storm small talk.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I am so thankful, and I'm so excited that we have food in the pantry and we don't have to think about every night, what are we gonna have for dinner?" – Lunchbox (00:38)

b. Bobby’s Shopping Woes (01:46–03:17)

• Bobby shares frustration with supply shortages, even on Amazon, and a failed attempt to buy a screwdriver set needed for assembling baby gear.
• The “Amazon not delivering on time” leads to conversation about denture cleaners for retainers.

c. Amy’s New Bird Feeder and Personal Growth (03:47–06:22)

• Amy talks about her new bird feeder, hoping to see symbolic birds that remind her of her parents (mom: cardinal, dad: blue jay).
• She finds joy watching a female cardinal visit first, capturing it on video.
• Amy describes her evolving love of birding, which began during a low point in her life but now is a source of happiness in a more positive season.
• Notable Quote:
  “I'm kind of excited to start a new birding season of my life that's not coming from a place of being sad or depressed.” – Amy (05:45)
• Banter ensues about whether family members tease them for their quirky hobbies.

d. Eddie’s Relief About Concession Stand Duty (06:22–07:39)

• Eddie is thrilled to discover he doesn’t have to work the concession stand at his child’s basketball game (it’s “just” his wife’s job).
• Parents joke about who should volunteer and how the winter storm may impact school events.

e. Weather Anticipation and Sleep Talk (07:39–09:23)

• Storm update: shift from snow to mostly ice—no chance for fun sledding.
• Bobby, feeling under the weather all week, celebrates a “90 sleep score” from his Oura ring and describes his elaborate bedtime phone use strategies.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I try to balance it with my knees, but it's really hard... It's a mess.” – Bobby (09:04)

f. Ray’s Refinance Success (09:23–11:55)

• Ray excitedly announces that refinancing his mortgage is saving him $200 per month.
• Bobby tries to recall his own confusing mortgage history (“80/20 piggyback loan”), with Amy helping clarify mortgage terms.
• Notable Quote:
  • “We saved $200 a month, baby. Yeah.” – Ray (10:20)

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2. Community Good News Highlights

a. Anonymous $15,000 Donation Erases Student Lunch Debt (11:55–13:52)

• Bobby reports on an anonymous donor giving over $15,000 to Winfield Unified School District in Kansas, wiping out unpaid student lunch accounts for about 450 students.
• The hosts discuss how, in small towns, everyone usually knows who did it, but sometimes the wealthy remain quietly hidden.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "An anonymous donor gave over $15,000…and it eliminated all the outstanding student lunch debt. That's pretty cool." – Bobby (11:56)
  • "Sometimes people that are rich, you don't know that it's in a small town." – Amy (12:48)
• Bobby tells a story of a local “hoarder” woman who, unbeknownst to all, ended up leaving her money to the church after her death—demonstrating how appearances can be deceiving.

b. 7-Year-Old Girl Saves Dad’s Life After Fall (14:04–15:03)

• Amy tells the story of Mia, a 7-year-old Illinois girl who called 911 and secured the family dog after her dad fell and was injured, ensuring first responders had safe access.
• Her quick thinking reportedly saved her father's life, earning praise from local officials.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "She got his phone, called 911. Then she secured the family dog... They said directly helped with saving his life with her quick thinking." – Amy (14:09)
  • "Linwood mayor comes over, you know, you made it." – Bobby (14:45)

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Memorable Moments & Banter

• The lighthearted debate over birding as a hobby and its “respectability” in the eyes of family and friends. (05:45–06:22)
• Bobby’s over-the-top, detailed explanation of using his phone in bed—creating a pillow “fort” to not disturb his wife. (08:34–09:17)
• The team’s playful teasing over mortgage terms and “piggyback” loans, with collective confusion exposing how common it is not to fully grasp mortgage structures. (10:22–11:55)
• The story of the secretive “rich” woman, blending town folklore and real-life surprise inheritance. (12:54–13:39)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp (MM:SS) | Segment/Quote | |-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:17–01:45 | Lunchbox’s winter storm gratitude | | 03:47–06:22 | Amy’s bird feeder and personal transition | | 09:23–11:55 | Ray’s refinancing story and mortgage banter | | 11:55–13:52 | $15k anonymous school lunch debt donation | | 14:04–15:03 | Story of 7-year-old Mia saving her father |

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Notable Quotes with Attribution

• Lunchbox (00:38):
  “I am so thankful, and I'm so excited that we have food in the pantry and we don't have to think about every night, what are we gonna have for dinner?”

• Amy (05:45):
  “I'm kind of excited to start a new birding season of my life that's not coming from a place of being sad or depressed.”

• Bobby (09:04):
  “I try to balance it with my knees, but it's really hard... It's a mess.”

• Ray (10:20):
  “We saved $200 a month, baby. Yeah.”

• Bobby (11:56):
  "An anonymous donor gave over $15,000…and it eliminated all the outstanding student lunch debt. That's pretty cool."

• Amy (12:48):
  "Sometimes people that are rich, you don't know that it's in a small town."

• Amy (14:09):
  "She got his phone, called 911. Then she secured the family dog... They said directly helped with saving his life with her quick thinking."

• Bobby (14:45):
  "Linwood mayor comes over, you know, you made it."

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Summary Takeaway

This episode serves up a hearty dose of warmth and optimism—showcasing small personal wins, quirky humor, and community kindness. From small joys (like a well-stocked pantry and birdwatching) to lifesaving heroics and community generosity, “Tell Me Something Good” delivers exactly what its title promises: good news from both the hosts’ everyday lives and the wider world, wrapped in the Bobby Bones Show’s signature blend of empathy, wit, and relatability.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. It's time for the good news. Tell me something good. Let's go around the room. Everybody's got something. Let's go to lunchbox first. Lunchbox. Tell me something good, man.

[B]

I'm going to say I'm thankful for this winter storm that's coming. And the reason is it actually got my wife to go to the grocery store and get groceries for more than one day. She has a habit of. Of like, oh, I'm gonna have dinner tomorrow night. So she'll go and get dinner for the next night. But that's it. This time she went and planned out three or four meals, got all the groceries, so now we're stocked. And so I am so thankful, and I'm so excited that we have food in the pantry and we don't have to think about every night, what are we gonna have for dinner? So that's what I'm thankful for. That's telling me something good.

[A]

Was there food at the grocery store?

[B]

Yeah, no problem. She had no problem getting food.

[C]

Really?

[D]

I heard that if you go early in the morning.

[A]

You heard? You heard?

[D]

I heard. Where'd you hear this? On the street at the basketball game last night.

[A]

Got it.

[D]

They were talking about when you go in the morning, it's all restocked. When you go later in the day, they take it all. I mean, everyone takes it.

[C]

It's so interesting because it's all. I was at a basketball game last night, too, and it's like everybody's conversation started. Like, every single person is like, oh, hey, good to see you. So you ready for the storm?

[D]

That's exactly how it works.

[A]

This is like small talk heaven for Eddie. Like, everybody's small. Talking about the storm. I love it, and Eddie loves it. I. When I tried to go, there was nothing. But I guess I'm a bit surprised. I never worked in a grocery grocery store. I did different kind of retail, but if something was out for the most part, we'd go and fill it back up midday. So if all the groceries were out, I'm surprised they don't fill it back up as it goes.

[D]

Yeah, they're not doing that at our grocery stores.

[A]

They fill it up and then in.

[D]

The morning, it's full, like, overnight.

[A]

Because I went in the afternoon and there was nothing. I said there was no bread. There's not a literal loaf of bread. And then. So I didn't even look yesterday because I just figured it was out. And even Amazon is slow right now. I tried to order some Screwdrivers.

[C]

Yeah, saw that too. I was trying to order some denture cleaner for my retainer.

[A]

Yeah. Mine had nothing to do with the winter storm. All the winter storm stuff was done. I tried to order like a. A small generator. And we talked about the heating stuff yesterday. None of that for sure. I got it. Or if you could. It was like a seven day. There was no prime. But I. I ordered a screwdriver set, and it said, throw three hours. It didn't even come at all yesterday.

[C]

Oh, interesting. Oh, it even gave you the, like, will show up. And then they didn't. I kept getting like, January 29th.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And I'm like, what?

[A]

It's only that for effort for denture cleaners.

[C]

Well, that's what I clean my retainer in. Like, after I take it out, I drop it in, like, denture solution.

[D]

The one that bubbles.

[C]

Huh.

[D]

That's cool.

[A]

We had 17 screwdrivers, and I had every one of them, and none of them fit this Phillips head.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, Not a single one. And so we're just putting together baby stuff.

[C]

Did you try a butter knife?

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And I tried a really small flathead.

[D]

Yeah, that's tough.

[A]

And it. I. I could get it to go like a tenth every time.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And then my fist started hurting because I was, like, grinding into it. And then I realized I was stripping the screw a little bit. And so then I wouldn't be able to get it, but I would probably never need it out anyway. Just buy new one, knowing me. But anyway, it was a whole process. But no, I can't. It's not here still.

[C]

Yeah, it's probably not coming.

[A]

Wait a minute.

[D]

Uh. Oh.

[A]

What's.

[D]

What's what today?

[C]

Is it. Is it out there now?

[A]

Let me look at pictures. The problem is sometimes they put our stuff on our. How was your delivery? I don't know. I didn't see. Don't they do pictures?

[D]

Amazon.

[C]

Sometimes I feel like sometimes I see them. It's not all the time.

[A]

Maybe they.

[D]

Whenever they want.

[A]

Maybe they can.

[C]

Depends on the driver.

[A]

Middle of the night. Anyway, it didn't come in time, and that's why. Okay, thank you, Lunchbox. Amy, you're up.

[C]

I got a new bird feeder, which I'm really excited about, and I didn't know if my mom or my dad was gonna show up first, and now I know.

[D]

Your mom?

[C]

It was my mom. How did you know?

[D]

Because there are more cardinals than blue jays.

[A]

Oh. I was gonna say your mom was always there for you. You went literal birds, realistic based on the Season. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. So I. My. A cardinal was first. My dad's a blue jay. My mom's a cardinal, and my mom really showed up first. My dad still has yet to come, but it's only been a couple of days. But it was pretty awesome to get it and I got her on video, so it's perfect. And it was actually a female cardinal, which. They're the brown ones. The red ones are male. Normally she doesn't identify what the brown ones.

[A]

They're not that pretty.

[C]

Yeah, they are.

[A]

They're fine.

[D]

They're really not. It's crazy that the girl's not that pretty, but the boy is like beautiful red.

[A]

Typically in birds, it's how it happens. Like a peacock. The ones with all the feathers, those are the dudes bros. Yeah, they are true.

[C]

I don't know.

[A]

Well, I saw on your TikTok. No, your Instagram story that you were waiting for birds to come.

[C]

We were waiting, but they finally come. I haven't posted any update, but I have the video on my phone of the cardinal and then. Eddie, you'll like this.

[D]

Come on.

[C]

A bunch of tufted titmouses.

[D]

Love those guys.

[C]

They are the cutest ever. And I love that they have found my feeder. I had to build a little trail because no birds were coming because I. I got the suction cup kind in my window.

[D]

Those are the best.

[C]

Yes. And so my cat is loving it, but it's kind of behind a tree. And so birds are like, not. They weren't finding it. So I built a little trail out into my yard with feed. With bird seed. Yeah. And they found it. They will come. And as soon as it hits the bird gossip mill.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Once word gets out.

[C]

Yeah. I don't know how they communicate it, but they do.

[D]

No, they definitely communicate. Cause same like you'll have no birds for like a week and then all of a sudden one comes in, then he goes back, and then 10 come. Like, he told the whole crew guys, I found food.

[C]

So I'm kind of excited to start a new birding season of my life that's not coming from a place of being sad or depressed.

[A]

Like, I just think, like, looking for birds for your happiness?

[C]

Well, it was just a pastime that came when I was at a low in life and it brought me joy. And now I'm not at that low. And so I feel like I'm going to get to experience it in a totally different way. Like, I got my little chart out. Like, it's awesome.

[D]

Does your family make fun of you with, like, about the birds?

[C]

No.

[D]

Oh, mine does.

[C]

Well, a lot of times I'm alone.

[D]

Oh, well, that makes sense.

[A]

It gets darker.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Eddie, man, I got great news. So I got on my calendar that we were going to. My wife and I were going to run the concession stand at the basketball game tonight, and I'm like, I don't want to run the stupid concession stand. It's the worst job ever. So I asked her. I'm like, what's this all about? She's like, no, no, it's just me. They don't allow two people back there. So it's just gonna be me. I'm out. I get to watch the game.

[A]

You wouldn't say, I'll do it instead of you?

[D]

Oh, I didn't think about that.

[A]

No. I don't know if she wants to do it. I don't know if it's something she signed up.

[D]

I'm like, why would you. She's the one that said, I'll do it.

[A]

Do all parents have to sign up at one point?

[D]

It's just kind of like a unwritten.

[C]

Do you think it'll get canceled tonight?

[D]

I don't think so.

[C]

No.

[A]

I don't think anything moves until midnight or so. Like the first part of the storm. But everything's changing now. They're going. You're not gonna get a lot of snow. You're just gonna get ice. That's really worthless.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

That's only the bad.

[D]

I can't sled or anything.

[A]

Well, I don't even like snow, but at least that's kind of fun and pretty fine.

[D]

Dude. You don't like looking out your window.

[C]

And being like, wow, winter, wonderful cardinal in white snow.

[A]

How muddy it gets after. It's not the. The trade off the after.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Because I see all the snow. I'm like, it's gonna be so muddy after.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yes. It's gonna be gross. Well, good for you. Glad that your wife is working the concession stand. Yeah, I got. I think I've had, like, a little bug all week.

[D]

Just.

[A]

Just a small one. Let me kind of pushing through it. And for the. I slept. I got a 90 sleep score last night. I'm telling you guys, that's good. I never get that. Maybe three times a year. And so I finally. We watched another episode of the Night Manager season two and then went to sleep. This ring that I wear. It's not a commercial. So just know that there's. We don't have a relationship with. Oura ring this. Oura ring that I Wear it will tell me what they say is my chronotype, which means I should fall asleep at this time. And it says I should fall asleep at, like, 10:30 or 10:45. I try to fall asleep way before that. So I'm trying to stay up just a little later to see if it. That helps, like, if it matches, because it says I should still wake up around the same time. I just. Should just get less sleep.

[D]

So what do you do? Like, you go to bed early and then roll around until you actually go to sleep?

[A]

Well, I go to bed, I lay down, and then my wife falls asleep. And then I build a pillow wall beside me so my phone isn't screaming light into her side. And then she just goes. I can see all that light over the pillow wall. And so sometimes I'll put the phone under the COVID under the comforter and the sheet, and I try to balance it with my knees, but it's really hard because if you don't put your head and tuck the COVID behind your head and then pull it, like, taut, the COVID goes in front of the phone. I deal with. This is something obviously I deal with a lot.

[D]

Yeah, that's tough, dude.

[A]

So you gotta put the COVID behind your head, lay back, make it tight. So you build like a fort. The phone rests in between your knees, and then you swipe with your finger. So sometimes you gotta hold it up with your other hand. It's just. It's a mess.

[D]

What a mess.

[A]

Yeah, it's a mess. So last night I fell asleep pretty early. I got a 90 sleep. Score. So pretty pumped about that.

[C]

That's awesome.

[A]

And then we just wait for the storm and pray to God our power doesn't go out. But it's. Mike. What? Have you seen the latest on the storm? Yeah, just ice. That sucks. That's said last night we're gonna get seven inches of snow. And then this morning it was like two.

[D]

So the ice comes from rain when it's not freezing. And then right after it rains.

[A]

So cold on the ground and in the. In the air here, it freezes. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what it is. And we're, like, right above, underneath, like, the highest amount of ice that everybody's gonna get. We're not in the pink, we're in the blue. And here's what I said. No, don't do it. No. Not gonna do it again. All right. Thank you. Hey, Ray, you have anything? You ever tell me something good? We barely go to you. Yeah, we just finally did our refinance at the house with the mortgage, and we saved $200 a month, baby. Yeah.

[D]

That's a lot of money.

[A]

That's awesome. I remember the first time I refinanced my house when I was in Austin. I understand it. And I refinanced it, and it was the greatest. There was just a bit of time where I paid a mortgage because I bought every house. Now I don't want to have any debt, but I bought a house. Didn't understand. I had two mortgages. Something called like, an 8020 is familiar to anybody.

[D]

Nope.

[A]

And for, like, six months, I had a. And I refinanced it, and my. My bill was cheaper, and I was like, screw this. I'm just paying the whole thing off.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah, it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool doing that. But I did have refinance my house once. That's my full understanding is I had an 80 20, which was two loans. You ever had that? Yeah. I can't even talk about it because I don't know what it is.

[D]

But you remember the number.

[A]

That's crazy. Yeah, I remember the 8020 part of it. That's cool. When do you. When does that start? I mean, it should be going down right now, but. Yeah. It's because interest rates change. Right. Am I right on that? Yeah. We just decided to strike when the iron was hot, and they said to do it then, so I believe we made the right decision. We did a lot of documents. That's for sure, man. I shouldn't talk about it because I don't know what I'm talking about. I literally don't.

[C]

80:20 is also called a piggyback loan.

[A]

Yeah, I got one of those for a minute.

[C]

Uses two loans to finance a home purchase, allowing buyers to avoid private mortgage insurance. I don't know.

[D]

Smart dude.

[C]

Keeps going.

[D]

Well, you avoided that insurance, which is.

[A]

Never a really good thing to do. It sounds like you should never avoid it.

[C]

Well, you also. Then you don't. You put down less than 20% because that's what. It allows you to avoid that. Because 20. Putting that down. I don't know, is a lot.

[A]

Yeah, no, I regretted talking about it since I opened my mouth. I'm sure I said a lot of things wrong there. All right, there you go. Tell me something good. That's what it's all about. That was. Tell me something good, Bones. It's time for the good news with Bobby. Tell me something good. An anonymous donor gave over $15,000 to Winfield Unified School District. This is in Kansas. And it eliminated all the outstanding student lunch debt. That's pretty cool. The gift directly affected about 450 students who had accumulated unpaid lunch charges. Some of the debt had been built up before certain students even qualified for free or reduced meals. That's from People magazine. And it was fully anonymous. But if that's a small town, like you probably know, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Where it gets around.

[B]

Everyone talks in a small town, you know who's rich.

[A]

That's what I'm saying. Like, there's only probably a few people in that town. In any small town.

[C]

But the thing, sometimes people that are rich, you don't know that it's in a small town.

[B]

You do.

[D]

Everyone knows everything.

[C]

You said in your small town. There was that one lady and she'd push a car. And then when she died, she had all this money.

[A]

Homeless woman, so. And she wasn't homeless. She had a home. But she always. She wasn't from Mountain Pine. She lived on the, like Hot Springs edge of Hot Springs.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

So you'd pass her house going to Mountain Pine.

[D]

Okay, but that's a bigger town, right? Hot Springs.

[A]

Hot Springs, yeah, definitely.

[C]

Yeah. But nobody knew she had money is the point.

[A]

Well, you drove by her house because she lived on the highway and her house, she was definitely a hoarder. And you would always see her through Hot Springs with this grocery cart, just putting stuff in it. And her house was like a junkyard. Her yard. She just piled up as tall as the house. So obviously you wouldn't think. And then when she died, she left a whole bunch of money to, like, the church. That's awesome. Dang. If she had money though. Yeah. Why would. She could have got her house?

[D]

But that's. That's not the way she wanted to live.

[A]

Yeah, she probably.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. Because she obviously had the money to do whatever she wanted to, but that's what she chose anyway.

[A]

Good for her. Good for this anonymous donor who gave $15,000. But they probably know who it is, right?

[D]

Yeah, they know.

[A]

That's awesome. There you go. That's what it's all about. That was. Tell me something good. It's time for the good news with Amy. Tell me something good.

[C]

The seven year old little girl in Illinois helped save her dad when he fell down the stairs in their home. He ended up hitting his head on the wall. And she realized right away that things were bad. So she got his phone, called 911. Then she secured the family dog in the cage so that when first responders showed up, the dog wouldn't be like going crazy. She let them in and they said directly helped with saving his life with her. Quick thinking.

[A]

Crazy enough that you go and put the dogs in the cages.

[D]

Who would think of that?

[A]

Yeah, they must have. Like, our dogs. Our dogs go crazy and we know people are coming over. Hey, put them in the room. She must have had to do that a few hundred times.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And she saved her dad's life.

[C]

Yeah. She got visits from the Linwood mayor and local police and fire stations.

[A]

Linwood mayor comes over, you know, you made it.

[D]

Big deal.

[A]

Yeah. Linwood mayor, man, that's awesome. He's okay.

[C]

Yeah, I think he's going to be okay.

[A]

Guessing we hope he's going to be speculating.

[C]

Okay. Ham says he was taken to the hospital and later said he was feeling better.

[A]

Okay, good.

[D]

All right.

[A]

Yeah, Good deal. What's her name?

[C]

Her name is Mia.

[A]

Mia Shout out to you. That's what it's all about. That was. Tell me something good. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.