Well, my trip to Pittsburgh was amazing. I was able to do just about everything I wanted (the Incline, Strip District, Station Square, to name a few), including a trip to MELLON ARENA!

Now, I had never seen that arena up close before. Driven past it? Sure, but then it seemed like only a blur, and I didn't begin to really love the Penguins until two seasons ago. So to be able to go there - and visit PenStation, the team store - was amazing.

It seems like such a small arena when I first saw it - but then you get right in front of it, standing on the sidewalk, and you're literally looking up at this giant igloo. You can tell it's an old arena not from the outside, which is gorgeous, but from the inside. Being that it's the offseason, the pavilion/concourse area wasn't open, but I was able to sneak a couple peeks through the windows in PenStation and the windows on the outside of the arena.

I was able to go into the pavilion area for a minute, when the lady at the store graciously allowed me to in order to buy one of those pressed pennies. I simply can't wait until I get to the game in October (that is, willing I can get tickets, which is going to be super hard!)

Also, when we walked around the exterior of Mellon Arena, we were up semi-high on a ramp and got a nice view of construction on the Consol Energy Center. It's really coming along, and I can just imagine how much more work will be done by the time I see it again. The last steel beam was put in place today (I wish I had been in Pittsburgh to see that!), and it's moving along at a really good pace.

I'm at work, so I'll talk more about hockey in an update later, but can I just say:

WHY HAVEN'T THE SABRES SIGNED DREW STAFFORD YET?!?!?!?!?!?