Worldcon, Wednesday

Arrived in Reno by car without major delays. Found the Peppermill easily but got thoroughly lost inside the epic sized complex. To the convention center by car (nobody, to my knowledge, has yet seen the shuttlebus or knows where the pickup spot is). Did not get lost inside the convention center because the concom had already provided members A MAP. Attended two panels both of which went madly off topic. Decided to go out for dinner. Kevin Standlee has often praised the shrimp pan roast at another casino, the Nugget. Had the devils own time driving there through construction and heavy commute traffic. Had to walk the entire length of the casino to reach the right restaurant (once we found someone who knew where it was), an experience like unto a nightmare from Hell, because casinos are smoky. Restaurant fortunately not smoky. And the shrimp pan roast? Was it worth the trouble? Well, it was OK, but I'd have expected something like roasted, in a pan. Instead, it was a bowl of heavily paprika seasoned bisque with lots of shrimp in it. All right, but even the nectar of the gods would not have been worth that smoky walk. Back to mercifully smoke free convention center in time for concert by folk group Tricky Pixie, half excellent and half terminally dull, and amateur performance of Zelazny play, which was, well, amateur. You knew the job was dangerous when you took it. Z's text was cute, but he stole his best joke from Tom Lehrer.