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The 1964 Bulova Amazon Echo

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I present the world's only 1964 Bulova Amazon Echo  (so far...)  ;)  It started as a funny idea.  "What if there were a Mid-century Modern Amazon Echo device?"  Kim and I both adore the MCM aesthetic, and have styled our living room largely in it.   On a lark, I started looking at clocks and clock-radios from the period on eBay.  Tangent - my goodness there are a lot of phony / fake "antique" clocks and radios on eBay!  Caveat emtpor!  Anyhow, I ran across this fairly common "mini clock radio" from the 1960s, made by the New York City based Bulova watch company: The Bulova 130. There were lots of them on eBay.  This particular one was nearby, in seemingly good cosmetic condition, and importantly the clock worked but the AM radio didn't .  Perfect!  That makes it cheaper, and also makes me feel less guilty about gutting some electronics out of an antique!  ðŸ¤£ The clock arrived fairly quickly and I confirmed ...

Caveat Emptor: Sedona Car Rentals

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There's only one rental car company at Sedona Airport:  Sedona Car Rentals Their website only listed two classes of available cars:  "Economy" and "SUV".  I didn't need an SUV to shuttle the three of us to / from the AirBNB and hiking trails, so I opted for the economy car.   Here's the reservation confirmation I received: Thursday, upon arriving at KSEZ, the FBO ramp worker retrieved the car and brought it plane-side for us (awesome!).  FIRST CAR: The car was a 2011 Ford Focus with 152200 miles on it (and a TPMS warning light.)  I noticed immediately upon leaving in it that it drove like a broken shopping cart:  Vibrated, and pulled left.  The transaxle made a loud whining noise that varied with the automobile's speed (not the engine RPM.) On our way to the AirBNB we attempted to take this vehicle on the highway and it immediately revealed that it wasn't suitable for highway use.  At 55 MPH it began to shake violently.  It wouldn't...

Sedona, AZ

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We set out on a trip to Sedona, AZ (KSEZ) with the two schnauzers for Spring Break.  I'd always wanted to land at KSEZ, since the airport is set atop a 500' mesa surrounded by the famous red rock formations of the area. As promised, the airport was nothing short of breathtaking.  We rented an AirBNB that was too far away in Munds Park (closer to Flagstaff than Sedona) but it was a nice place, affordable, and dog friendly. We rented a car from Sedona Car Rentals and had such a bad experience with them that I'm writing a separate post just about them . Anyway, here's Wonderwall some pictures: Miles flying Ivanpah Solar Power Facility Arriving in Sedona View from the airport mesa Luna prefers the shade.  She stopped in shadows on every hike. Montezuma Castle cliff dwelling (Sinagua, 1100-1400 AD) A cliff dwelling at Montezuma Well Montezuma Well View from Hwy 89A Tuzigoot National Monument Tuzigoot National Monument Tuzigoot Tuzigoot Luna thought this was an "extra l...