(part of our Tales of the WLBOTT series)
Lochlan and Lyra were tired from their trip to central Texas and took a day to rest and catch up on chores. But in the back of their minds, they were thinking about all that money. Forty million dollars. Instead of feeling wild, manic joy, they felt a little afraid – afraid of the responsibilities, of the ownership of unearned income, afraid of the changes it would bring to themselves and the people around them. They were both avoiding the subject.
After high school (Wink High – go Cats!, part of combined Wink-Loving ISD), they both enrolled in Odessa College. Lochlan earned an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), and Lyra went after an associates degree in Agricultural Sciences.
After graduating (0.2 difference in GPAs, won’t say who), and since they were down to one vehicle and low on money, they wanted to find work where they could car pool. Here’s where they really lucked out and their schedules aligned, like the stars up above. Both found jobs in Midland with M-Th 12 hour shifts. Lyra would become an assistant manager at the Verde, Verde y Verde nursery and greenhouse, and Lochlan would start as a long term care nurse at the Midland Brook-Willow-Court-Legacy-Manor nursing home. “We’re both in the nursery business!” shouted Lyra.
The Ball and Biscuit Rule
After settling into their new work-a-day routine, they noticed that they’d developed an annoying habit: the drive back to Loving was spent rehashing the day’s work. They were keeping their heads trapped in their jobs, and Lyra found Lochlan stories incredibly dull, and Lochlan found Lyra’s stories incredibly dull.
So they came up with the Ball and Biscuit Rule: on the drive back, you could only unload for the duration of the song playing in Old Blue (their 1956 Ford F-100 Styleside pickup) CD player.
They burned a CD that had just two songs: Ball and Biscuit by the White Stripes (7:19), and Steve Fromholtz’ Texas Trilogy (10:29). When Lyra picked up Lochlan, they’d flip a coin to see who went first, then she’d hit shuffle on the CD player. It was always a minor victory when one of them got Texas Trilogy, because it gave them three minutes and ten seconds of extra grousing.
There was, of course, a winner and loser, but also often a tie. They’d vote on who had the worst day. Once when Lochlan won the coin toss to start the game, and before the first riff of Ball and Biscuit finished, he said, “Sam Johanson. Impacted stool.” He hit next on the CD player; Lyra conceded. All she had for her day was 400 pounds of peat moss falling from a fork lift.
Being twins, Lyra and Lochlan were naturally competitive, but over the years they’d found healthier ways to channel their competitiveness. One method was to invent games, argue over the rules, fine tune the play, and give it an honest post-game scrutiny. This started out with cards and board games (you wouldn’t believe what checkers evolved into) but also games to lighten the dull daily routines.
This love of games expanded into their reflection of their newly discovered wealth. On the Tuesday following their central Texas trip, they’d finished up their Midland shifts. Their one-way two hour commute back home was unusually quiet. Finally Lyra said, “We’ve got a lot of money.” Lochlan replied, “Money we didn’t earn.”
Lyra nodded. She was thoughtful for a moment, then said. “We don’t want to end up like those bozos we saw on TMZ. Remember the guy who won the lottery, quit his job at Walmart, blew through $17 million buying the dumbest stuff on God’s Green Earth, and then a year later he begged for his job back?”
“Bone head,” agreed Lochlan.
“I’ve got an idea,” said Lyra. “The Tiers. First Tier: we take care of a few things to make our life easier and blow a little money, to get it out of our system. Second Tier: we think of all the stupid ways we can spend the money. Third Tier: we get real and see how we can make life better for our Wink-Loving people.”
“Sounds reasonable,” said Lochlan. “First Tier?”
“We get a place in Midland. This four hour commute is not as much fun as I thought. We’ll head back to Loving on the weekends. As for getting it out of our system, I’ve always wanted to taste real Canadian maple syrup. We’ll head over to the new Midland Whole Foods with $200 in our pockets and head our own way. Your shopping cart, my shopping cart. Then we’ll see who’s got the best stuff.”
“I like that idea,” said Lochlan. “I’ve always wanted to see a Whole Foods, find out what the deal is. And let’s find that place in Midland. The gas is killing us, and it’s putting a lot of miles on Old Blue.”
The Wink-Loving Wildcats
The Wink-Loving Wildcats are a UIL 2A (11 man) football school. 2A is for schools with an enrollment of 105–175.5. Wink-Loving fits in the lower end, with a current enrollment of 137. We’re not sure how the 0.5 student factors in.
Today, October 16th, 2026 is a big day for the Wildcats. It is the battle of the titans – two undefeated teams square off tonight at 7:00pm. They are playing the McCamey Badgers. It’s an away game for the Wildcats, so plan ahead! The game’s at Badger Stadium, 100 Badger St in McCamey, Texas.
Getting There
It’s a 139 mile drive (each way) for Lyra and Lochlan. The stadium holds 2,234, and they want to get there early.
Right: Badger Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin (you’re in the wrong place)
Elder G Nets It Out For Us
GREAT SCOTT! Two undefeated teams, a Friday night in West Texas, and the entire reputation of two small towns riding on the shoulders of teenagers in shoulder pads!
This is practically a chapter from Friday Night Lights. And what a coincidence that it’s Lyra and Lochlan’s alma mater!
Wink Wildcats
7–0
300 points scored
VS
McCamey Badgers
7–0
318 points scored
Friday, October 16, 2026 · 7:00 PM CDT
At McCamey · District matchup
Wink has outscored its opponents 300–86, including a 59–22 victory over Iraan last week. McCamey has been equally impressive, scoring 318 points in seven games. These are two teams that know how to find the end zone.
And the stakes are real: both are undefeated in district play.
Can we watch it live?
Possibly, but I haven’t found a confirmed livestream for tonight’s varsity game.
Here are the most promising places to check:
- NFHS Network: Wink football. They carry Wink games, including replays and upcoming home games, but tonight’s away game isn’t currently listed.
- NFHS Network: McCamey. The home team’s page is another possibility, but it also doesn’t list tonight’s varsity matchup.
- MaxPreps: Wink vs. McCamey. Good for checking the score and game information.
The local CBS7/KOSA sports coverage is another promising lead. They covered Wink’s win over Iraan last week and highlighted the importance of tonight’s matchup.
GO CATS! 🏈
