7:45 a.m.: I wake up after getting a decent night’s sleep. Janine is already up and moving around.

8:10 a.m.: We go to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Janine and I both opt for the buffet. She chooses to drink coffee, but I am more of a tea drinker.

8:45 a.m.: Breakfast was good. The buffet had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and breakfast potatoes. Back at the room, I take a shower and get freshened up. Then, it’s time to pack. Packing to go home is a challenge, especially with bags of souvenirs, but I find a way to consolidate everything.

10:30 a.m.: We leave the hotel to head back to Consol Energy Center. It is not as cold as yesterday, and the bus driver drops us off in front of the main entrance so we don’t have to walk as far.

11:05 a.m.: I go back to Pens Gear and pick up Arron Asham and Brooks Orpik name-and-number T-shirts. I was hoping to get a hooded sweatshirt, but they were out of my price range.

11:30 a.m.: The ushers start letting fans to their seats. The giveaway is a reusable grocery bag modeled after the Penguins’ blue third jerseys. On the lower concourse, all of us opt to get pictures inside a life-sized goalie mask. It’s one of the unique features of the arena, and it’s a popular attraction for fans.

11:45 a.m.: I find my seats. We are in the same section as Saturday, but in row N instead of row P.

Noon: I start making my way to the lower concourse for warm-ups. Janine is already there and has saved me a spot on the glass. She is listening to her headphones to pass the time. While waiting for the teams to come out, I talk to a fan named the Pens Knitting Lady. She has a reputation for sitting behind the Penguins bench and knitting during home games. She is wearing an alternate jersey customized with her nickname.

12:25 p.m.: The teams come out for warm-ups, but I don’t stay long this time. The usher is asking (and unfortunately, not nicely) that we sit on the steps so people behind us can see. I stay for about 10 minutes before deciding to leave and talk to guest services about the problem.

12:45 p.m.: The woman working at guest services is nice. She takes my name and phone number, but I tell her that if someone from the Penguins doesn’t call, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. However, she says she will try to see that the ushers enforce the rules consistently and in a polite manner.

1 p.m.: It’s time for puck drop. WBS Penguins goalie Brad Thiessen is making his first NHL start, as Brent Johnson is out with an injury.

1:35 p.m.: I go back to the lower level at intermission to get a Primanti’s sandwich. Primanti’s is a Pittsburgh-area restaurant famous for its stuffed sandwiches. All of them come with French fries and coleslaw on top. I settle on roast beef and cheese. It is messy to eat, but I enjoy it.

2:45 p.m.: At second intermission, I meet up with Nick, who is one of my Twitter followers. It turns out we have similar career aspirations. I want to work in media relations with an NHL team, and he wants to be a radio broadcaster. Our conversation isn’t long, but we leave promising to talk more and maybe help each other out.

3:35 p.m.: The game ends, and Pittsburgh has won, 4-2. Thiessen earns his first NHL victory and is named first star of the game. As Dan Potash of ROOT Sports interviews him, some of our traveling group cheers for him from the stands. It’s always an honor to see the guys in the AHL succeed at the next level. 4 p.m.: We are back on the bus for our trip home. We will travel about two hours before stopping for dinner.

6:45 p.m.: We are back in Tyrone, Pa., for dinner at the same Burger King that played host to us for breakfast. Considering the trip I was on last year also stopped here, I think they’re pretty familiar with us by now.

7:35 p.m.: Only about two-and-a-half more hours until we’re home. The driver says we’ll arrive back at Wyoming Valley Mall at 10:10 p.m. I pass time on the last part by talking with some friends on Twitter and through text message, as well as listening to music.

10:10 p.m.: The driver is spot on. We pull up to the mall, and my step-dad is waiting to pick up me and Rick. It’s time to go home and have some quiet time.

10:30 p.m.: After a crazy weekend, I’m officially back at home. I had a great time, but I must say it’s nice to have some peace and quiet and sleep in my own bed.

I hope that you enjoyed reading about my trips to see the Pittsburgh Penguins. I know I had a great time, and I can’t wait to do it again next year.