I attended a Microsoft TechNet event today and received my first swag of 2012. A foam Cloud Power “cloud” and a Cloud Power t-shirt.  A little swag helps make any day better.

Here’s what I collected on Day 4:

• Screaming Pig – Microsoft SilverLight

Here’s what I collected on Day 3:

That’s correct… Absolutely Nothing!

This is the first time in many years that I didn’t visit the Expo and didn’t come back with some swag.

Here’s what I collected on Day 2:

• T-Shirts (3) – Microsoft Office 2010, Microosoft Office Communications Server 14, Professional SharePoint 2010 Administration (book promotion)
• Books (2) – Professional SharePoint 2010 Administration (autographed!), Windows PowerShell 2.0
• Silly Putty – NetApp
• Baseball Cap – Another Windows Phone 7 cap
• Foam Channel9 Guy – Microsoft MSDN Channel9
• Foam Monster – TechSmith
• Foam Race Car – AdminStudio

Here’s what I collected on Day 1:

• T-Shirts (5) – Xiotech, Microsoft Windows Server (100% Geek), Diskeeper, Allure Bays Corp (hideous Keynote shirt), Internet Explorer
• Baseball Cap – Windows Phone 7 (repalced the Windows Mobile hat of years past)
• Spiral Notepad – Windows Embedded
• Can Cozy (2) – Idera, Boson
• Pen – Weird unfolding pen from Shavlik
• Flashing Rubber Ball – Windows Embedded
• Pedometer – Microsoft Business Intelligence
• Foam Muscle Arm – Microsoft Fix it (strangest foam toy ever)
• Flashing Ice Cube – Microsoft Services
• Rubber Mardi Gras Duck – GeekFest
• Plush Toys (4) – Screaming Monkey – Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Raccoon – MDOP, Koala – MDOP, Pilot Bear – Mimecast (cutest plush swag ever)
• Lip Balm – Windows 7
• Book – Cloud COmputing for Dummies – Microsoft

OK, that’s out of the way. So what happened today… The flight from St. Louis on Southwest was uneventful and on time, and my bag was one of the first on the carousel, so things were going well. And then I tried to get to the hotel. I should have gone for the taxi, but I’m thrifty (even when WashU is paying for everything) so I decided to take a hotel shuttle. Big mistake. We waited almost 45 minutes for a shuttle to show up, all the while standing outside the terminal in the hot muggy air. Watching cab after cab drive by made it that much worse. I’m sure the occupants were comfortable and cool and looking on the huddled masses waiting for the shuttle with pity. Then again, they could have been laughing at our misfortune, but I digress.

I did finally make it to the Embassy Suites, checked in, and found myself walking back outside (?) to get to my room on the 11th floor. I’m not sure why there is an outside corridor, but there is. Someone wisely installed a sunshade right in front of my room, so I’m hoping that will help keep things cool. I had to crank the A/C way down, but it isn’t too bad now.

I hopped the bus over to the Convention Center after unpacking to get register and pick up my badge and bag. I would have walked since we’re only two blocks away, but the A/C in the bus felt really good. Registration was as fast and efficient as it can be. Probably didn’t spend more than 10 minutes total in the Convention Center, and that includes the time to walk to and from the doors. I’m hoping that means the logistics for the rest of the week are as well executed.

Another stop at the hotel to drop off my bag, and then I started walking down to the French Quarter. I met up with a contingent of The Krewe at Oyster Fest. According to them, I was the Man Who Wasn’t There at TechEd last year. Everyone seemed to have a “Where’s Ladewig” story to tell. Who knew?

I met up with @Brian_Bell later for lunch and left The Krewe at Oyster Fest. We went to Johnny’s Po-boys and it was well worth it. The po-boys were delicious and the gumbo had a great, rich flavor. You just can’t go wrong with the food down here.

We walked back to my hotel so I could give Brian the 3 lbs. of Provel cheese I brought for him. Oh, didn’t I mention the cheese? Yes, Brian had asked me to bring some Provel for him so I went over to Schnucks for a late night Provel run and came back with 6 packages of slices since the deli counter was closed. Brian acquired a taste for Provel via a friend from St. Louis, so I was glad to be able to help give him and his family back in North Carolina a way to get their Provel fix.

Wow… it is midnight. I need to wrap this up so I can get some sleep. After relaxing in the room for a couple hours, I changed, and went to the Manager’s reception at the hotel for snacks and drinks and met up with @wcaubrey. He headed off to do some work while I headed to the Party with Palermo. Considering there was a $10 cover this year, I expected more than we received. The food was not the “full dinner” that was promoted, but at least I had something in my stomach to tide me over. I found The Krewe inside, and we all made our way to Bourbon Street and My Bar where @thekrewe had arranged for the Krewe Meet ‘n Greet. We had the whole second floor as well as the wraparound balcony looking out over Bourbon Street. Plus bags and bags of beads. Booze, beads, and Bourbon Street… What a powerful combination. It is amazing what people will do for beads, and quite entertaining. I do question the wisdom of the parents I saw who bring their small children down to Bourbon Street at night. Seriously, is this an appropriate environment for young kids? I can only imagine the conversations when they get back home… “Daddy, why were those girls rubbing each other and pulling up their tops while people threw necklaces at them?” Good luck with that one…

Anyway, the party was a great opportunity to meet people. I finally met, live and in person, @TIffanyWI (who is NOT from Wisconsin, which is too bad for her), @ClauPerez, and @ClosedSocket, to name just a few. I finally headed back around 10 PM, but had to duck into a Krystal to pick up a late night burger fix on the way home.

Whew! I think that’s everything and in much more detail than you ever wanted to know. Hey, I didn’t make you read all of this. I figure if you made it this far, you must have found something worthwhile. Didn’t you? What, you were only reading because you wanted to see the first Swag Report? OK, OK, here you go. It isn’t much, but it is day 0, so you can’t expect much.

• Official Microsoft TechEd 2010 T-Shirt
• Microsoft TechEd 2010 Bag and Water Bottle

• Cozy – Microsoft BizTalk Server
• Rubik’s Cube Keychain – Avocent
• T-Shirt (2) – Splunk, NEC
• $5 Music Downloads – WIndows IT Pro Magazine
• Compass/Multi-Tool – Dell/AMD
• Flashlight Keychain – Microsoft Business Intelligence

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• T-Shirt – Microsoft TechNet Subscription
• Screwdriver – Microsoft Windows Server 2008
• Multi-tool – Microsoft Windows Server 2008

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• T-shirts (7) – Syncsort/Microsoft, TrainingCamp, TechNet Magazine, ScriptLogic, Double-Take, NetApp, Brocade)
• Polo/golf shirt – Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack
• Flip flops – Commvault & Sun
• Rollup Cozy – Dell/Intel
• Baseball Cap & Luggage Tag – ActiveBatch
• Yo-yo – Idera
• Pen – Numara (counted since it was a little nicer than most of the pens. Came in its own box.)
• Maracas – Microsoft
• Wristbands – Microsoft Unified Communications
• Magic 8 Ball – Commvault
• Portable speakers – Microsoft SharePoint 2007
• Note Cubes (2) – Xiotech, Dell
• Glowing VIP Necklace – Microsoft Springboard
• Remote conrol car – Microsoft
• Stamps – Microsoft SQL Server 2008
• Keychain – Microsoft SQL Server 2008
• Mints – Microsoft SQL Server 2008

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