If it helps, Yellow Cab has gone up to something around 3 bucks to start and close to $2.50 a mile after that. From airport? To general area of hotel? The airport is way up here in the northland, you're looking at just around 15 miles from airport to downtown.
Yep, last time I was there I rented a car, but I wanted to have one handy for driving around town. Now if I wanna get around town, I can probably just bug Themo or Mystic to drive me.
I talked to the folks at the LaQuinta, and they said their shuttle driver can do airport runs, but I have to call and talk to someone specific to try to set it up. So, we'll see.
Speaking of which, having not been to one of these before, is there a recommended time to arrive? So that one isn't stuck outside due to lines or some such, that is.
Usually he does a Q&A before he starts signing anything so there isn't a line when you first get there, The line only starts after he gets tired of answering all our questions. 
I've been to 2 different kinds. In one kind, they handed out wristbands or tickets based on your arrival time, and that's how you lined up. In the other, there wasn't any kind of Q&A - you just meandered in and formed a line.
I recommend calling the store and asking them what their process will be. For example, for one of the signings I went to last year, we went to the store at 10 am and picked up our wristbands, to make sure we'd be in the first group.
Either way, though, I recommend getting there around an hour early. First, you will get a better seat for the Q&A. Second, as Mystic pointed out, you will get to meet and mingle with folks... assuming you don't mind hanging out with some happily geekily obnoxious people.
For the record, we have been huffed at by store personnel, but we have never been thrown out of a signing.
