September 2000

Friday, September 1, 5:15 p.m. - I didn't get home all day so my first view of the site today is what you are seeing and is it ever deserted!  Looks like everyone has left for the 3 day weekend.  More rocks moved but otherwise, I can't see a whole lot of new action.

Saturday, September 2, 1 p.m. - No action at all. Looks like they took the entire three day weekend off.  So, looks like this page is going to be a bit boring for a couple of days... sorry.

Sunday, September 3, 3:15 p.m. - Again, no action, so let's talk stats.  These are from the past 2.5 weeks.  An average of 52 of you visit the page every day.  But, on Tuesday, August 22, there were 95 of you here!  Thursdays see the most visitors.  (What's with Thursdays?) Most of you check in between 10 and 11 a.m. (Pacific time) but a good amount check in from 4-5 and about the same from 5-6.  Interesting, eh?

Monday, September 4,  4:15 p.m. - All last week our weather guys were predicting rain for the whole Labor Day weekend.  We got about 4 drops last night.  We did get a bit of thunder and lightening which is very rare here.  But, rainy days?  I don't think so.

Tuesday, September 5, 4:15 p.m. - Well, everyone is back to work now - things are hopping over there.  Today's photos have some circles.  The circle on the right shows where part of a wall fell down.  I went back over some photos and it looks like this happened about August 30.  The other circle shows a new wall that looks like it went up about September 2nd.    Not exactly show stopping developments, but interesting.

Wednesday, September 6, 4:15 p.m. - We've got action today! Check out the closest tower.  It got a new hat today.  Plus, in case everyone  was worried about the comfort of the workers, they now have Porta-Potties on top of each tower.

Thursday, September 7, 4 p.m. - It may be the aftermath of not having anything going on for three days last weekend, but it sure seems like it's just a bee hive of activity out there now.  There look like two more seat stanchions to go up on the east side and then they will all be in place.  It's actually beginning to take real shape.

Friday, September 8, 5:30 p.m. - Rikketyrik sent me a note shortly after I posted yesterday's photo.  He noted that the northeast tower had a new top yesterday!  And, today, it has a decoration on the new top!  It looks like rebar around which they will put concrete and, maybe even a notch for the roof like on the southeast tower.  Bonus photo:  It started to rain about the time I started taking today's shot and the rock pile (which I haven't shown you in a while) looked kind of cool.  It doesn't look nearly as cool in the photo but, I figured, what the heck, it's view you don't get to see here often.

Saturday, September 9, 2:30 p.m. - There are a few folks working on the site today.  First time I've seen that on a Saturday.  It's a really nice Fall day out.  Cool and breezy.  I love Seattle.  Where I grew up (North Carolina) September was usually as hot and sticky as August.  This is much better.

Sunday, September 10, 1:30 p.m. - They appear to have taken Sunday off.  No action at all.  We did get a good rain this morning and the site is pretty soggy.  Yesterday they covered a whole section of the rock pile with plastic.  Wonder why they don't want the rocks getting wet...

Monday, September 11, 4:30 p.m. -  There's a lot of work going on today - people and trucks moving around.  Oh, and I did hear from a regular viewer who grew up in Tacoma and now lives in the very North Carolina town (now a city) where I grew up.  He says he prefers the Fall weather they have there.  I think it's fun that we both ended up where we like it!

Tuesday, September 12, 4:15 p.m. - Check out the tower.  See those little dots in the middle of the red circle?  If they look like men crabbing up the wire, it's because they are!  The other tower, the one on the other side of the photo, also has a new 'outfit' on today.

Wednesday, September 13, 4:15 p.m. - It's funny how some days it looks like nothing is going on and other days, like today, everything on the site seems to be moving or being moved.  There also seem to be a lot more trucks and piles of stuff around.

Thursday, September 14, 4:30 p.m. - Today's red circle shows where they've built the wooden frame for concrete pouring on the tower closest to me.  There are also some real slight changes in the seating structures.  It's beginning to look like something.  But, I think I'll probably say that a few dozen times over the next couple of years.

Friday, September 15, 3:45 p.m. - No big exciting changes that I can spot today.  Just more of the same - little things here and there.  It will be interesting to see if they will work again on Saturday like they did last week.

Saturday, September 16, 4 p.m. - Today there was some work going on - two guys built out the wooden frame on the north side of the tower.  I circled it for you.  And a bonus picture!  This is more of the straight out view from my terrace.  You can see that same tower to get the perspective.  Last week they dumped some shiney gutter things on the rock pile (see circle).  And this photo shows some of the elaborate trailer offices.  The other circle shows one of them even has a covered patio.  And the arrow towards the bottom of the picture shows a fancy tent for some of the equipment.  The fences on the left hand side of the photo are being set up for tomorrow's Race for the Cure which will start and end in my neighborhood.  The buildings 1,2,3 and 5 (5 is a parking garage).  Have all been built in the last two years.  It's amazing to me that they have all sprung up.  4, off in the distance, is the headquarters of Amazon.Com.  1,2, and 3 also house Amazon employees along with other dot com companies.  They make quite a nice show with their lights on at night.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get a good night shot.

Sunday, September 17, 12:45 p.m. - There's something in the air today.  I tried several times to get a clearer shot but no go.  We must be having a case of the atmospheric fuzzies.  The event in the parking lot today was not for the Race for the Cure but a Seahawks event.  They had a huge tent with tables set up for eating and a band stand (with band) with rows and rows of chairs and some of those big blow up games.  But, they sure didn't get many people and now they are tearing it all down.  Kind of strange.

Monday, September 18, 4:30 p.m. - More work on the tower tops today.  The red circle has two guys who have climbed up the mesh to work on it.  It looks really strange like they are spiders going up a web.  Rikketyrik send two cool links today from the First and Goal site. The first one is updated photos and the second one is a bit of updated info on the construction.

Tuesday, September 19, 4:30 p.m. - Today's photo has an arrow that points to the long concrete things they keep bringing onto the site and then a circle to where I think they are going.  The seating formations are really taking shape.  Also, I took yesterday's photo at 4:30 and then went out.  When I got back at 6, the wire on that tower where the two guys were was totally covered in wooden frame!  I was sorry I missed the big action of the day!

Wednesday, September 20, 4:15 p.m. - Today I caught them in mid air!  They were lifting that box thing up over the closest tower.  I waited to see what they were going to do with it and then the guy got out of the lifter so I guess they are just going to let it dangle.  I forgot to mention several days ago that they are either swapping out the rusty box things (see arrow) or adding to it cause now it has a roof.

Thursday, September 21, 4:15 p.m. - Another beautiful sky.  Last night they were working long after dark.  I couldn't tell for sure but it looked like they were pouring concrete in the northeast tower.  They had the workspace all lit up.  It looked pretty cool.

Friday, September 22, 5:15 p.m. - The action this afternoon is traffic to the Mariners' game.  And, guys on the sidewalk looking to buy tickets to the sold out game.  In the photo the northwest wall is taking shape - I circled it.  I checked last night and they weren't working.  Must have gotten all that concrete poured on Wednesday.

Saturday, September 23, 1:30 p.m. - Today there is a little action going on.  There are actually about 5 or 6 workers on that northeast tower doing stuff.  There's one odd thing different than yesterday.  In the lower left hand corner of the photo, next to the rusty iron thing is a ladder with an umbrella on it.  I circled it so you can make it out better.   No idea what that is or what it's for.  It's pretty peculiar looking.

Sunday, September 24, 2:30 p.m. - Yesterday afternoon at 3:30, I noticed that all of the guys who had been working on that northeast tower were walking down the temporary steps that run down the side of the tower.  There are a lot of steps so it was a parade that lasted a while.  Then I noticed what they had done... All of the wooden framing that had been up there two hours earlier was gone!

Monday, September 25, 4:15 p.m. - They seem to be quite serious about finishing off that northeast tower.  Everyday there's something new.  Also today they have removed nearly all the wooden forms from the seat stanchions.  There are two new vertical posts (circled) - these look like they are built to hold up something important.

Tuesday, September 26, 4:15 p.m. - First of all, I must give the eagle eye award to Greg Henion.  He discovered in yesterday's photo that the mysterious umbrella was gone.  Must have moved on to the next project.  Today we have a horizontal bar across the two vertical posts from yesterday.  That blue crane that my Mom loves so much is in the way, but I did draw a rectangle around it so you can kind of see it.  Also there is an interesting wall thing going on at the base of the northwest tower.

Wednesday, September 27, 4:15 p.m. - Today's action seems to be on the north end of the west wall.  Yesterday, I was walking in front of my building and a guy asked me what time it was.  He really looked like a construction guy and I was dying to ask him if he was working on the stadium.  But, then my next question (or zillion questions) would have kept him on that corner until his shift starts again!  So, I gave him a break and just told him the time.

Thursday, September 28, 3:00 p.m. - There's a strange haze out there today.  It was supposed to be cold and rainy but instead it's warm and hazy.  And today is the last home game of the regular season for the Mariners.  It sure seems like this season has gone by way too quickly.  But, the neighborhood is alive with game goers and food and t-shirt hawkers.  I'm off to take in the event myself.

Friday, September 29, 3:45 p.m. - Well, the rain we were promised yesterday finally started about 10 minutes ago.  Better late than never.  Stuff already looks and smells cleaner!  There seem to be a whole lot of guys around the site today - or rather people in hard hats.  Usually it's hard to spot actual people.  I see trucks and stuff moving that I just assume have people in them, but today there are people walking on the top brackets and all around the upper part of the towers and stuff.  Wonder if it isn't some kind of inspection day?

Saturday, September 30 - 1:50 p.m.- Today's picture tells the weather tale.  We're having what my Mom calls a Seattle day.  Light but steady rain and just gray.  There are puddles all over the site - not a soul in site and nothing moving.  It must be a fair weather project.  Which, if the weather prognosticators are correct, could be a real problem this year as they are saying we're in for a lot of Seattle days.