This was the first chance for the public to check out "The Toy Store," Scanlon's nickname for his garage on Midland Avenue between Corral and East Second streets. The April 12 event was a fund-raiser for WUKY-91.3 FM radio, the Lexington Farmers Market and Partners for Family Farms.

There was music by the and a contest for creative bourbon recipes. of Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles won with his lamb chops, and Jonathan at Gratz Park won for its Bourbon Alexander.

Texaco, Quaker State and Cadillac signs adorned the room. The 10 cars on display included a black 1986 Corniche Rolls Royce, a red 1957 Thunderbird and a white 1961 Lincoln Mark II.

a Lexington businessman who calls himself an "avid and complete, dyed-in-the-wool, gonzo car freak," designed and built the garage. A couple of the cars on display -- a restored red Maserati and the Ferrari -- belong to him.

He points to a window and, in the enthusiastic tones I reserve for talking about clothing and shoes, he tells me it's an apse, because this is "the church of the internal combustion engine."

There are 25 auto-related architectural elements hidden in the design. Jones told Scanlon five of them and plans to let him spend the rest of his life discovering the other 20.

At Natasha's CafŽ last Saturday night, my family and a couple of friends took in the 10 p.m. show. The crowd included local jazz artist and cast members from Actors Guild's The Importance of Being Earnest.

The Bats -- fronted by vocalists and Thomas -- are a raucous, risquŽ cabaret act. They perform original and cover tunes about men, menopause, cosmetic surgery, dating and food. Mostly, they say, their songs are "about aging ... and drooping."

You don't have to be aging, sagging or experiencing a hormone deficiency. Last weekend's audience included men and women from their 20s to 70-something.

The Bats performed Love Shack, It's Raining Men and Love Train, the last of which inspired a conga line that snaked behind the bar, to the patio and through the warmly lit restaurant. As the train passed through, my 68-year-old mom raised her arms to show off some mock dance moves.

"I'm just here to generate interest in adult dance," dancersaid in an earlier interview. Cesler and his companion, are award-winning Las Vegas adagio-style dancers who moved to Central Kentucky in January. Cesler studied forestry at the University of Kentucky in the late '70s.

The Bats perform at Natasha's on May 12. Make your reservations early, because their shows tend to book quickly. Call (859) 259-2754. For more about the group, go to www.thebats.net .

This is cache, read story here