Tim Phillips Show, 9/3/26

Prep for seasonal pests - When temperatures drop, pests like mice and bugs find their way inside. This fall, the ones to watch for will be ticks, ants, mosquitoes and stinging insects because of warmer weather, according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). Keep the creepy crawlies from coming into your home by pest-proofing your home and yard.

Schedule HVAC maintenance - It’s time to get the HVAC system serviced to check the air conditioner, furnace or heat pump and make sure it’s all working properly and is ready for cooler weather.

Prepare outdoor living spaces - You still have months to enjoy your deck and patio, but now’s the time to nail down loose boards, clean debris from gaps and tighten loose railings.

Clean gutters and check drainage - When the leaves start falling, your gutters fill up, so they’ll need to be emptied. If climbing up on a ladder and doing the dirty work of scooping out the mess is more than you want to deal with, you can always hire someone to do it.

Seal air leaks around windows and doors - Check for drafts, inspect the weatherstripping, clean the tracks on patio doors and look at exterior caulking to make sure you won’t be letting cold air in later this year.

Deep clean the house - Hit everything up from floor to ceiling, and don’t forget to change filters around the house, too.

Get the pool ready for off-season - Before you close it up for swimming until next spring, get all the leaves and debris out, test and balance the water chemistry, shock it with chlorine, lower the water level and clear the plumbing lines so water doesn’t freeze and damage the pipes.

Prepare the lawn for next year - Now’s the time to set the yard up for spring success, which includes aerating and overseeding, applying fall fertilizer, and protecting trees and shrubs with mulch.

Source: USA Today

WILL I EVER MAKE IT HOME -   INGRAM HILL    2005

It’s time for a trip back in time, on Throwback Thursday. We’re headed to a year where the Live 8 benefit concerts were held, Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, the video-sharing website "YouTube" was founded, and some of the top films were: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, War of the Worlds, and King Kong. The year, 2005. Who was at #1 for us this week, that year? The answer is coming up, from a band who named themselves after a road in Mississippi on Throwback Thursday.

There’s only so much social media scrolling that people can do before they feel like escaping the feeds and unplugging. Those looking for more balance in their daily lives are ready to do just that and they’re turning to hobbies that give them a chance to create instead, according to Pinterest. Their 2026 Hobbies Trend Report has just come out, revealing a growing interest in crafting, curated collections, and analog activities.

These are the top hobbies people are getting into now, based on Pinterest search data.

Kitchen witch - This trend embraces using the kitchen as a space for “me time” by getting creative with culinary practices, including concocting herbal infusions and blending spices. Inspired by the upcoming release of “Practical Magic 2,” searches are soaring on Pinterest for “herbal apothecary” (up 595%), “midnight margaritas” (up 140%), and “candle making tutorial” (up 118%).

Home cafe engineering - People are ditching coffee runs and creating DIY “house specials” and dessert-coded lattes. The current banana craze has searches for “banana syrup recipe for coffee” climbing 916%, along with those for “biscoff latte recipe” (up 359%) and “blueberry coffee recipe” (384%).

Backyard botanist - People are leaning into the study of nature with a focus on art, including “dried and pressed flowers” (searches up 457%), watercolor sketchbooks and illustrated field guides.

Secondhand sidequest - Thrift shopping has become a treasure hunt for hard-to-find and never worn pieces from the 90s and early 2000s, like dead stock tees, uniform tops, vintage sportswear, and archive streetwear.

Curated clutter - People are upcycling things like old trading cards, anime figures, vinyl, coins and travel stickers to turn them into intentionally arranged micro-collections meant to be displayed and seen.

Casual crafter - Interest on Pinterest is shifting to hands-on hobbies that “feel both personal, giftable and beginner-friendly,” but look high-effort. Users are searching more for “crochet parandi” (up 5,265%), “clay bag charms” (up 1,499%) and “hand embroidery art” (up 1,351%).

Source: Martha Stewart

Tim's News You Can't Use 

Top 10 Richest People ... According to a new article by Forbes ... Vanguard News says the 10 fortunes totaled an estimated $2.8 trillion, up from $2.6 trillion from the month before. Nine of the 10 were Americans, with Ortega the only non-American.
1. Elon Musk — $892 billion
2. Larry Page — $277 billion
3. Jeff Bezos — $268 billion
4. Sergey Brin — $256 billion
5. Michael Dell — $241 billion
6. Mark Zuckerberg — $197 billion
7. Larry Ellison — $193 billion
8. Jensen Huang — $191 billion
9. Steve Ballmer — $155 billion
10. Amancio Ortega — $148 billion 
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Dexerto says Shake Shack is going viral because they have introduced a new Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Shake for Halloween. The limited-time drink contains a whopping 1,900 calories. It combines vanilla frozen custard, Reese’s peanut butter, fudge, and chocolate.  The cup is lined with a crackable dark chocolate shell and topped with whipped cream, Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups, and chopped Reese’s Pieces. The average person is only supposed to consume 2,000 calories a day.
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Dexerto says a 16.7-pound prize-winning ham recently sold for $10 million at the Kentucky State Fair.  The ham was auctioned off during a charity auction. Joe Craft, CEO of Alliance Resource Partners, Kelly Craft, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Central Bank made the winning bid. The Crafts contributed $5 million while Central Bank brought the total to $10 million.  The charity bid and contribution will benefit scores of charities. 
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10News says the California town of Campo in southeastern San Diego County is on the market for $6 million.  The listing includes a church, a Border Patrol station lease, a VFW, 27 apartments, and a  hardware store.  Listing agent Nick Hernandez says, "It's bringing in about forty thousand a month in current rents." The current owner, John Ray, has owned the towns for 22 years and has not had time to develop it. 
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The Mary Sue says Rex, a four-month-old rescue kitten, recently took his first steps with help from a custom Lego wheelchair.  Rex was rescued by Rescue Connect NC. He has a neurological condition known as “wobbly leg syndrome.” Rex initially had very little movement, but improved with treatment.  Traditional wheelchairs for small pets can cost $1,800. A man named, Michael Hawley, designed a wheelchair using Lego pieces. Hawley had previously owned a dog with the same condition as Rex. The finished design uses wheels and a harness attached to a swing-set-style frame. Rex began walking almost immediately when he tested it. Rex is not currently available for adoption, but the center hopes to list him soon for a forever home.
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WKRN says Nashville resident Tony Turner was recently arrested after police tried to stop him in his Tesla for speeding. The Tesla continued driving, passed other vehicles using both lanes, and did not use turn signals. A police helicopter followed the vehicle before officers took Turner into custody. He was charged with one felony count of evading arrest by motor vehicle. Turner told officers the Tesla had been in “self driving mode.”
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A Houston father got a very unexpected DoorDash delivery when his Ring camera showed the driver arriving completely naked. Kiante Matlock said he was home with his daughter on August 24th when they received a notice that their food had arrived. After seeing the video, he threw the food away and contacted DoorDash. The company refunded the order and permanently removed the driver from its platform, calling the behavior unacceptable. DoorDash said it has no tolerance for sexual harassment or misconduct and urged customers to report unsafe situations. 
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Police in St. Petersburg, Florida learned an important lesson: never trust a drug dealer who goes by the name "Crooked Jess." Earlier this year, undercover narcotics investigators gave 41-year-old Jessica Straubel $60 to buy crack cocaine during a sting operation. Instead, she allegedly walked into a known drug house, disappeared into the backyard, and never came back. After waiting about an hour, deputies concluded that "Crooked Jess" may not be on the up-and-up and simply decided to take the money and run. A search of the neighborhood turned up nothing, and officers couldn't contact her because she reportedly didn't have a phone. Police finally caught up with "Crooked Jess" seven months later and arrested her on theft and drug-related charges. Authorities say her criminal record already includes multiple convictions involving drugs and prostitution. (The Smoking Gun)