Arlette
@arletterocks.bsky.social
Half sprezzatura, half wabi sabi, half cockamamie, all chaos Muppet. An adequate motorcyclist and a terrible dancer. She/her.
After weeks and weeks of prep in my automotive painting class (fighting with and cleaning an under-maintained sandblast cabinet, mostly) I have finally powder coated something!
November 26, 2025 at 7:11 AM
After weeks and weeks of prep in my automotive painting class (fighting with and cleaning an under-maintained sandblast cabinet, mostly) I have finally powder coated something!
Got to talk my aunt down from a probably overdue “coming to terms with age and advancing cognitive decline” meltdown today, now I’m apologizing in advance to my carsickness-prone elderly cat for tomorrow’s drive so they can hang out for what’s probably the last time.
November 4, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Got to talk my aunt down from a probably overdue “coming to terms with age and advancing cognitive decline” meltdown today, now I’m apologizing in advance to my carsickness-prone elderly cat for tomorrow’s drive so they can hang out for what’s probably the last time.
I’m so so so so tired and not done yet but also today I showed someone how to drain the float bowl on his motorcycle and I hope made him a little less nervous about carburetors in general.
November 2, 2025 at 3:50 AM
I’m so so so so tired and not done yet but also today I showed someone how to drain the float bowl on his motorcycle and I hope made him a little less nervous about carburetors in general.
Was completely unprepared for the art store paint department guy surrounded by oils and canvas to home in on the can of 1 Shot I’d picked up, have me try out a sign painter’s brush and then sell me the brush as a demo for five bucks. It’s Oakland, of course the art store has a secret pinstriper.
October 19, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Was completely unprepared for the art store paint department guy surrounded by oils and canvas to home in on the can of 1 Shot I’d picked up, have me try out a sign painter’s brush and then sell me the brush as a demo for five bucks. It’s Oakland, of course the art store has a secret pinstriper.
The welding teacher teased me about whether I’d have any MiG welds done today, so I banged out a third of the sheet and got all nines out of ten. (Brady’s never been observed giving a perfect score.) Whew.
October 14, 2025 at 10:20 PM
The welding teacher teased me about whether I’d have any MiG welds done today, so I banged out a third of the sheet and got all nines out of ten. (Brady’s never been observed giving a perfect score.) Whew.
Buddy fell asleep spooning my leg last night.
October 9, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Buddy fell asleep spooning my leg last night.
Last week at the Habitat ReStore I snagged three sandwich bags of solid aluminum rivets (“Maybe I can use these with that rivet gun I got!”) and decided to sort them. One week and one bag later I now know wayyyyyyyy too much about rivets for someone who’s never actually bucked one.
October 8, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Last week at the Habitat ReStore I snagged three sandwich bags of solid aluminum rivets (“Maybe I can use these with that rivet gun I got!”) and decided to sort them. One week and one bag later I now know wayyyyyyyy too much about rivets for someone who’s never actually bucked one.
Chatty hardware store cashier: “Lacquer thinner? Acetone? Wow, you’re serious!”
Me: “Yeah, I’m gonna take some STUFF off some STUFF!”
Me: “Yeah, I’m gonna take some STUFF off some STUFF!”
October 2, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Chatty hardware store cashier: “Lacquer thinner? Acetone? Wow, you’re serious!”
Me: “Yeah, I’m gonna take some STUFF off some STUFF!”
Me: “Yeah, I’m gonna take some STUFF off some STUFF!”
Well the cat is starting to nod off in my lap so he’s way more over that earthquake just now than I am
September 22, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Well the cat is starting to nod off in my lap so he’s way more over that earthquake just now than I am
My plug welds sure got better once we put on a new spool and the wire started feeding right. Lookit that center one!
September 19, 2025 at 6:21 PM
My plug welds sure got better once we put on a new spool and the wire started feeding right. Lookit that center one!
Taught another motorcycle lesson today. Felt hopeful but mostly sorta lost for two hours until the last 15 minutes where it all came together for the student and I had to concede that yeah, maybe I don’t totally suck at this.
September 8, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Taught another motorcycle lesson today. Felt hopeful but mostly sorta lost for two hours until the last 15 minutes where it all came together for the student and I had to concede that yeah, maybe I don’t totally suck at this.
Reposted by Arlette
Going through my photos from this morning, and when I saw this owlet with this expression, I immediately thought of Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That movie really messed with my head, I guess. 🪶
September 7, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Going through my photos from this morning, and when I saw this owlet with this expression, I immediately thought of Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That movie really messed with my head, I guess. 🪶
Whoa, DIA finally finished overhauling the security screening and TSA Pre is SLEEK. No more queueing up in a little ribbon maze outside the regular pen like you’re waiting to get into a club!
September 4, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Whoa, DIA finally finished overhauling the security screening and TSA Pre is SLEEK. No more queueing up in a little ribbon maze outside the regular pen like you’re waiting to get into a club!
The friend who is catsitting Buddy sent a photo of him being fed exactly to spec but being judgy anyway.
September 4, 2025 at 12:17 AM
The friend who is catsitting Buddy sent a photo of him being fed exactly to spec but being judgy anyway.
Reposted by Arlette
A fun thing to do is ask tradesmen if they're scared of snakes before they come into your house. You don't even have to have a snake! You can just ask!
September 1, 2025 at 9:17 AM
A fun thing to do is ask tradesmen if they're scared of snakes before they come into your house. You don't even have to have a snake! You can just ask!
Remember last year when I got on a tear about yet another late-19th-century Western landscape photographer and was like UGH WHAT’S THE CLOSEST CARLETON WATKINS TO WHERE I LIVE?! Today I just shortened the answer from “the Pardee Museum by my apartment” to “my apartment” with this 1870s stereograph.
September 2, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Remember last year when I got on a tear about yet another late-19th-century Western landscape photographer and was like UGH WHAT’S THE CLOSEST CARLETON WATKINS TO WHERE I LIVE?! Today I just shortened the answer from “the Pardee Museum by my apartment” to “my apartment” with this 1870s stereograph.
“Colorado is so outdoorsy” oh yeah why am I the only one at this restaurant drinking beer on the patio
September 2, 2025 at 10:50 PM
“Colorado is so outdoorsy” oh yeah why am I the only one at this restaurant drinking beer on the patio
I was only window shopping, I swear, but I was looking at Craigslist and accidentally tripped and fell.
August 30, 2025 at 4:07 AM
I was only window shopping, I swear, but I was looking at Craigslist and accidentally tripped and fell.
I miss hearing people pronounce “Nevada” right, with a short “a.” Enough of this “nuh-VAAAH-duhhh” horse shit.
August 27, 2025 at 2:52 AM
I miss hearing people pronounce “Nevada” right, with a short “a.” Enough of this “nuh-VAAAH-duhhh” horse shit.
just tipsy enough to properly appreciate my friend’s KTM track bike
![An SMS chat log saying “RC three FIIIIINETY / You”” have to excuse me, I’m at [favorite bar] on beer four”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cnqgxglfqgxhljjcngmv7nes/bafkreicxe36327wgaotm2ufrdvbi4k4gotif4bl45hifdagwkmdnsdvoo4@jpeg)
August 16, 2025 at 2:17 AM
just tipsy enough to properly appreciate my friend’s KTM track bike
Well, that was the most intense game of Find the Leak Source I’ve ever played.
August 12, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Well, that was the most intense game of Find the Leak Source I’ve ever played.
Talked with a friend yesterday about the prospect of donating the non-running ‘83 Z28 I drove and loved in my early 20s; woke up crying a little today from a dream where I arranged to have it hit by a train.
August 4, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Talked with a friend yesterday about the prospect of donating the non-running ‘83 Z28 I drove and loved in my early 20s; woke up crying a little today from a dream where I arranged to have it hit by a train.
Buck the Truck project status: After running all over for two sets of brake wheel cylinders that didn’t fit, it’s a relief to find that the unicorn 4.10 truck axle that surfaced at the last minute is smooth and tight and clean as a whistle!
July 26, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Buck the Truck project status: After running all over for two sets of brake wheel cylinders that didn’t fit, it’s a relief to find that the unicorn 4.10 truck axle that surfaced at the last minute is smooth and tight and clean as a whistle!