As I drove up the winding road to my home observatory, I idly mused upon the subtle meaning of my 401K as I contemplated the threat posed by global warming. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 29 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 72 in Virgo. It looked like a swarm of bees. After that, I tried for IC 2701. It gave the appearance of Gollum. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I hunted for Abell 68 in Perseus. It somewhat resembled one of Martha Stewart's doilies. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I went for Abell 22 in an unknown constellation that looked like a toaster. It appeared at low power like a hamburger. (Hmm, it had been a while since dinner). Then, for a real challenge, I helped a beginner find IC 3243. It compared favorably with a nebula. Then, I tried B 609. It somewhat resembled yet another globular.
After a short break to chat, I sketched B 467. It somewhat resembled that graph in An Unpleasant Truth.
Finally, it was time to pack up and leave. As I drove home, I contemplated the events of the night, and realized that any night out under the sky with good friends is better than being strapped naked to an anthill.