Made it to Lake Tahoe

8 hours, two flights and a shuttle (bus, not space) later, I’m successfully ensconced on the eleventh floor of the megahotel-cum-casino that is Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. My room is laughably ornate, and offers two bathrooms, both with televisions and phones. I sniffed out the second-floor conference area, where all of the Gnomedex magic is supposed to happen. In my immediate view are no less than nine scruffy men in the lounge, all typing on laptops. It’s all a bit incestuous, frankly. Two other men are stringing brightly coloured banners from the ceiling. No expense spared, apparently.