I'm melting

God, it's hot in Tampa Bay.
I'm not complaining. Really, I'm not. But it is hot. When you've been through a tough winter, you almost forget what it's like to stand in sweltering heat.
Your shirt and pants are so soaked with sweat you have to change and take a shower. That was certainly the case today, as cameraman extraordinaire Mark Punga and I travelled across Tampa gathering footage for our show.
First, we went back to the rink, where the Ottawa Senators were practicing at 11 a.m.
After reporter Elliotte Friedman did a little one-on-one interview with coach Bryan Murray, we shot a little of the practise and headed into the locker room to gather some clips.
Friedman asked a few questions to Chris Neil and Daniel Alfredsson, who didn't really have much to say beyond that they feel Tampa will come back strong in Game 4.
Defenceman Wade Redden, coming off an amazing effort yesterday despite going through one of the toughest times in his career with the death of his mother earlier this week, was in the locker room, but the media respectfully kept their distance.
We had an hour to spare before we could feed clips to Toronto, so Punga and I had lunch at Dave Andreychuk's restaurant, just across the street from the arena.
I loved Dave as a player, but the service at his restaurant was awful. Punga ordered a coffee, but the waitress didn't bring any cream or sugar. I ordered a salad, but got no utensils...We should have left a smaller tip.
After we quickly finished, we headed off to our feed point, at WFLA-NBC. Usually, at this point, it's the end of our day. But Elliotte made a special request for us, and we hopped in the car and travelled down the highway to the Florida State Fairgrounds.
We shot visuals of Expo Hall, the first home of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The expansion Lightning stayed at Expo Hall for one season before moving to the Thunderdome.
Despite it's age, it's in fairly good condition. It's hosts various events throughout the year, including home and auto shows and conventions. The circus uses the facility to plan and practice its shows.
I can tell you, though, that virtually nobody has been to the press box since the Lightning left.
It was a scary walk across the catwalk to the box. The stairs were slippery and the wooden planks didn't seem too...what's the word....stable.
We pounded off a few shots and exteriors before heading back in the van and to the hotel, where I'm writing right now.
It's actually nice to sit, relax and enjoy the air conditioning. I'm not complaining about the heat. Really, I'm not.