It is my fondest hope, after spending the last several days there, that I will never ever ever ever ever have reason or need to return to Reno, Nevada. It took a while to reach critical mass, but Saturday night I realized that I hated this city so much that I was out of control nuts.

Several friends have told me that on visiting a place that they don't understand, that has a specific tone or reputation, they treat the experience as a sociological or anthropological one. Few people I know would choose to live in Reno, though some do and some have been before and enjoyed the trip. Someone has a kid who lives there, another simply liked Reno. I detested it. I don't get it, but no surprise there. When "Seinfeld" is on television, I race out of the room before I start losing patience. "The Big Bang Theory" is to me the unfunniest, laff-trackiest awfullest sitcom since "Seinfeld". Most of my friends love it. Stu loves it. I don't get it. And that seems to be my thing. I don't get stuff. And stuff that makes me crazy? Other folks find amusing. That is such a good thing.

And no, I never have been to Atlantic City, Vegas or any other "destination" city. Like my old friend Andy Moody, I suspect will never go there. I mean I might even have to skip conventions I love, now that I know my reaction. I had no idea that my reaction would be so strong. No idea. It won't get easier, that I know. I can't be amused - damn, that would be easier. I can't ignore. I wish I could - man, I know people who can block out so much ick. I can't.

Reno is aimed at people who want to gamble. I get that. What I don't get is why these over-the-top hotels have to BE over-the top. Why the "themes" of "lavish" Roman ruins (in a place called the Peppermill) what does that have to do with b?) with horrid fake statues, dozens of fake pre-Raphaelite artwork, endless vivid neon running everywhere? Why, at midnight, does the drive up to the hotel have to be blasted with "old standards" music. There's nothing it's drowning out but it's midnight for cryin' out loud. Who needs Johnny Mathis and Natalie Cole singing with her dead daddy? (can you tell how I feel about that one?) as you're waiting for the limo or cab. At midnight. Red and orange neon. Orange and purple neon. Blinking, changing, beeping, clanking. And lots of folks find it amusing, bemusing and can handle it. Not moi. What's the point of competing music tracks, of very loud and large and colored lights everywhere? the Peppermill seemed to have a theme. The Atlantis didn't - just lots of shiny colors.

In order to get to the convention proper, most guests at the attached hotel (including Stu and me) used a skybridge that covered quite a distance. And walked and walked and walked because it's a casino and its lifeblood is casino and games and gambling and machines that go bing and blink and beep. And I began to wonder how many ENT specialists or audiologists or hearing specialists live in and treat residents of Reno because the noise levels are unreal. Even at restaurants, it was so often so difficult to talk, to hear. Yes, the were busy and crowded, but I've been to busy crowded restaurants often and no one had to strain the hear or be heard. Eight hours a day in a room full of driving games and shooting games and glittery interaction video thingies like "Guitar Hero" and jumping up and down games. All with lots of lights, lots of sound effects. Gods, I hope they are paid decently.

Most of us have learned over years of convention-going that no matter what, you need down time. You need that break in the social interaction and the non-stop talking, listening, attending, looking at, reading, buying, drinking, eating, to let go. In this instance, you could do that perhaps, but even the relaxation rooms were social gathering places, so going to hospitality or the fan lounge for quiet was an iffy proposition. As convenient as it was, the Fan Lounge was echoey. Hard to hear because of the dreadful sound system across the hall. Nothing marking it off, lots of crashed out fans taking naps on the furniture. Was it in a cool location - hell yeah. You went by on your way to dealers or art show and could find people. Was it a bad location. Yep. the aforementioned noise, the people using it as a nap station, the program going on so you'd go in, see a friend you wanted to chat with and realize "oops, that's a program item". We think that's new in the last few years but we've found program in the fan lounge. It should be a non-program LOUNGE.

Food at casinos is, I've always read, cheap and plentiful, to lure gamblers. The everyday was cheap while the food at the higher end restaurant was not cheap, but was truly good and worth eating. To get to almost any eatery, again, the casino takes over and you cannot walk from here to there. You are meant to walk through smoky blinky noisy bouncy machine, beepy "paradise" and get distracted and go throw your money at a machine. Through smoke, lights, noise and all of the above. YUCH!!!! People, it is YUCKY. Yuck awful not ignorable - an assault on the senses.

Hotel elevators should be for all hotel guests. The idea that a hotel with lots of rooms for parties locates those rooms in a tower served by glass-wall elevators ignores those guests who cannot handle those elevators. A fear of heights is not uncommon; as an old friend once explained, it's not the heights, it's the edges. And yeah, but. I learned many years ago that i was unable to use those "atrium-style" glass elevators. And no, of course it's not a matter of just facing the door and/or closing my eyes. If i could do that, it would cease to be a phobia. It would be an inconvenience I can get past. And there were no "standard" elevators available in any elevator bank that went to those floors (we'll deal with that anon.)

Don't please get the idea that this is a complaining about Worldcon or the folks who put it together. it is most certainly absolutely NOT. This was a successful Worldcon. Read the comments. Folks had a BLAST. They had lots of fun, wrote great comments. The convention was absolutely a success. I'm of the teensy minority that often sees what most folks don't, as I have worked on and run conventions. Who CARES? That is not the important part. My issues are not general. This was a damn good Worldcon. Remember please, that the last Worldcon I went to was in 1996; there are SO many changes, from wi-fi and cell phones and iPads to cable tv shows and games into tv shows (George RR Martin is a big deal and famous. COOL!) I don't remember knitting panels. I saw no "rovers" as we used to have wandering, looking for problems to solve.

The hotel needs to be taught organization skills. They need to learn that a sliding door in an "ADA" hotel room MUST be moveable by someone who is disabled. The staff was very cheerful, friendly and happy to help. The restaurant service was fast. Registration was good; the concierge desk, not so impressive. In all, a good solid convention hotel. The handicapped-accessible room? Basic stuff was fine, but for such a humongous deal, they could have done better. I rated the room a "B-" based on years of staying in hotel rooms all over the country. And oh yeah, those AWFUL nasty icky cups in the room. What, your budget for neon means you can't come up with something better? How about some decent black tea? Little things matter too.

It's been about 24 hours since we've been home. I love love love the quiet. I love that nothing is blinking or too loud. I already miss my friends and am already muttering to myself about all the people I wish I'd had time with.
Some of these issues can be addressed. Some are just me and I get to figure out how to deal, if I want to deal, how to cope. There's a lot to think about.