This is the Two Union Square building at 6th and Union in downtown Seattle. It's 58 stories tall. I work on the 19th floor. (click on the image to see the entire building)

It's hard for me to look at the building and not think of the World Trade Center buildings and 9/11. Then add the fact that this is earthquake country. I see people bustling to and fro in the lobby and they seem unconcerned about all this on the surface as they go about their business. But I can feel the subsurface tension in us all. Whether we ignore it, deny it, worry it or face it, we're having to deal with it on some level. I've been told that people needed counseling to cope with their fears after 9/11 and the 6.8 quake in early 2001. I don't doubt it. It takes either courage, faith or ignorance to work in a high rise and maybe all three.

In the short time I've been working here, there have been two alarms sounded. While I was still interviewing, a fire alarm was sounded on the 58th floor. The elevators were shutdown temporarily and I watched the fire department coming up 7th Avenue. Never having worked in a high rise, I felt a bit trapped. So I walked down 19 floors in the stairwell. I was halfway down when the all clear announcement was made. The next alarm came on my second day on the job. Some white powder was discovered in a package. The building was locked down and the police were called in. It turned out to be Cream of Wheat. On my 7th day on the job, we took a few minutes to practice doing an earthquake drill called Duck, Cover and Hold. As you huddle under your desk, you realize that the cleaning crew doesn't really do a very good job. One guy says he sees the same Tic-Tac that's been lying under his desk for years.

As I stand on the 19th floor and look out the windows, I marvel at the creativity and audacity of humans. To build such structures on the skin of the gigantic living creature we call Earth is mighty bold. It certainly hints at the complex and often troubled relationship we have with Her. Nevertheless, the views from the 19th floor are wonderful. Looking to the South, Mt. Rainier can be seen on a clear day. The expressway you see is I-5. (click on the South image to see the entire view)

Looking to the North, you can see Lake Union which lies between Lake Washington and Puget Sound. The big expanse of rooftop below is the Washington State Convention Center. I can now see why rooftops are being landscaped more and more these days to absorb rainfall. (click on the North image to see the entire view)

Looking to the West, that's Puget Sound and the spit of land is Alki Beach. Off in the distance is the Kitsap Peninsula and on a clear day, the Olympic Mountains are visible. If you look carefully, you can see my reflection in the glass. (click on the West image to see the entire view)

Lastly, is the view to the East from my cubicle. From here I can see Pill Hill, where many of the hospitals are located, and Capitol Hill. I can actually see the hospital where I stayed for five days for my open heart surgery if not the room itself. What an excellent reminder of the lessons I learned from that whole experience. When you click on the photo, look for the arrow that marks the spot. (click on the East image to see the entire view)

Looking straight down from my cubicle, I'm overlooking I-5 and the Freeway Park. The noise from I-5 is so loud, we can hear it up on the 19th floor as constant background buzz. (click on the Freeway Park image to see the entire view)

The last image is of the Information Systems Department cubicle farm. (click on the photo to see the entire view)

On the street level, during the day, there is a constant hustle and bustle - stores, espresso shops, homeless people, business people, tourists, espresso shops, restaurants, scooters, bicycle couriers, motorcyclists, taxis, espresso shops, buses, cars, birds and yet more espresso shops. Trust me, I'm not exaggerating about the coffee situation! This town runs on caffeine.