I suppose a fancy sports car or a new house or a couple of Bill's Billions would be the ULTIMATE swag, but this year is better than the last and it just keeps getting better.  So far, I have accumulated a certificate for one free copy of SQL 2005, 7 t-shirts (yeah, I know, I'll get marketing calls, but that's okay), and one SQL Server 2005 baseball cap just as an attendee.  In addition, as a volunteer, I got another t-shirt, a PASS pen, and a PASS clear glass coffee mug (not to mention the free registration).

Quest Software, celebrating having received 11 awards for their software was giving out five $1,100 cash prizes.  I didn't win one of those.  HP is giving out X-Boxs and other prizes.  I didn't win any of those, but I know two people who did.  Red-Gate and SQL Power Tools were both giving away iPod Minis.  I kinda won one of those!

Dania (one of the gang) and I were wandering around the exhibit hall, putting in entries for these drawings.  As we were waiting for the Red-Gate drawing, with just a couple of minutes left, our friend and joint gang member, Wendy comes over to see what we're doing.  We encourage her to quickly put her name into the drawing.  They pull out a name of someone who was not there, and you must be present to win.  So they shake up the box of cards again and pull out Wendy's name, so she won a 6GB iPod Mini + HP.  Wendy talked about several other things she had won already this week.  She was on a roll!  So we went over to the SQL Power Tools booth and put our cards in their drawing for another iPod Mini.  It was going to be a few hours later and so as Wendy and I were walking off, I said if she won that one too that I was taking her to Las Vegas!  We laughed and went our separate ways.

When 3:00 came around, it was time for the drawing and we met back at the booth.  The rep from SQL Power Tools drew the name of someone who wasn't there so it was discarded, and then they drew another card.  Guess whose it was.  Wendy!!  Well, this one was just a 4GB iPod and since she had just won a 6GB one, she decided to give it away and was kind enough to give it to me.  Thanks, Wendy!  In trade, I offered to buy her dinner when our gang goes out tonight, but I'm still thinking we should run off and play the tables in Vegas.