As I posted here and here I am attending Storage Field Day 7 as a delegate, which is going on right now in San Jose, California. We had no presentations today; instead it was more about getting to know the other delegates and having a room time. After a day of travel some social interaction was welcome and the SFD7 crew did not disappoint.

A quick informal lunch turned into a 3-hour discussion about the industry and challenges we’ve all faced. The entire crew piled into transportation to head to dinner. What happened next set the tone for the evening. Stephen welcomed the new delegates by starting a starburst throwing war. Apparently throwing things isn’t always frowned upon! Dinner was southern Indian food at the Zagat rated Dasaprakash. The food was tasty and different than the Americanized Indian food I’m used to.

We also had a Yankee Gift Swap. The idea is everyone brings a wrapped gift containing a gift representing you’re local region. Everyone gets a gift from a random someone, and then the fun begins. Each person then has the option to swap the gift in front of him or her for a gift in front of another person. My gift was a bottle of Blanton’s bourbon and some chocolate bourbon balls, both from Buffalo Trace. I received some Cadbury chocolates, tea, and shortbread cookies. My wife loves shortbread cookies, so this was a great gift for me!

The day ended like it began with a subset of us socializing while other needed to catch up on sleep from the long flight.   The next few days will be exciting as we interact with storage vendors, discuss technically, and generally have a great time. Stay turned for more information, watch the live stream, and follow #SFD7 on the twitters.

Disclaimer: I attended Storage Field Day 7 as a delegate. My travel, accommodations, and most meals were paid for. There is no requirement to blog or tweet about my experiences and I am not compensates in any way.