The Kentucky Wildcats finished the exhibition season with a convincing win over the Akron Zips. Here's what's on my mind after a fun-filled night at Commonwealth Stadium.

1. This looks like the most all-around solid team that Kentucky has fielded in a long time. But we won't really know until they get a few games into the SEC schedule.

2. Someone on the Kentucky strength and conditioning staff needs to teach Scratch the mascot how to do a proper one-armed pushup. Here's a hint - bobbing your head while balanced on one arm doesn't count as a pushup.

3. Good to not hear the Hartline Haters. But then, it's hard to hate a QB who's been as efficient as Hartline has been so far this season.

4. Why doesn't the SEC trust me to drink a beer like an adult?

5. Someone needs to show the UK Marching Band what a straight line looks like.

6. Dear AT&T: Why can't I send a text message from the second deck of Commonwealth Stadium? And don't even get me started on trying to make an internet connection.

7. After sounding off a few weeks ago about the trash around Papa John's Stadium it was disturbing to see the mess left behind by a few tailgaters. Thankfully the slobs seemed to be the exception and not the rule. 

8. Bring on the SEC. Of course, that means bring on the worst officials in college football....

I'm just back home from the season-opening University of Kentucky -- University of Louisville football game. Here's what's on my mind....

1. Papa John's Cardinal Stadium is an excellent environment for a college football game. And they serve beer. It's way past time for the powers that be to give Commonwealth Stadium a much-needed facelift. Being a realist, though, I don't expect the whole they don't serve beer thing will change.

2. Booking a hotel room within walking distance of the stadium was the best idea I've had this year. Free parking, football on the TV while enjoying a cocktail in the room until just before game time and not having to fight the post game traffic made it worth the cost.

3. Walking to and from the stadium I was amazed with the amount of trash that people left behind. I'm thankful that the area around Commonwealth Stadium doesn't have the garbage dump feel that Central Avenue around Cardinal Stadium did.

4. If Mike Hartline continues to play as he did yesterday the UK offense will be just fine. The defense and special teams, on the other hand....

5. SEC officials are still the worst in major college sports.

6. Louisville fans were friendly before the game and gracious in defeat. Well, with the exception of the one drunk frat boy I encountered who didn't appear to have watched the same game as the other 55,000 of us.

7. College football rocks.

If I had a wider lens you would see that there are 3 very large, very comfortable dog beds on the floor in front of that couch.

I should have such a rough life.

I've been short of bookcase space for quite some time; I finally made the time to do something about it. Nothing fancy, just a basic walnut bookcase sized to fit a specific space in my office.

We're spending the day at Churchill Downs, enjoying the amenities of Millionaires Row. Sadly, I'm losing more than I'm winning.

Meet Kindred, our new retired racer. He's joining us courtesy of GPA Nashville.

I just finished building this raised dog feeder. It's patterned after the larger one in the rear of the picture and will come in handy when we add a 3rd rescued Greyhound to the family.

I needed more work & storage space in the woodshop so I whipped this baby together in my spare time.

From the Belgian Unicorn Hitch Class (3 horse hitch w/ 1 in front and 2 behind) at the Wayne County Fair