As I drove up the winding road to another winding road only known to those from my support group, I idly mused upon the cosmological implications of Doonsbury as I contemplated the approaching chlorofluorocarbons ... would it be warmer tonight?. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 47 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 54 in an unknown constellation that looked like a toaster. It seemed just like a cantilever bra. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I went for IC 2679. It appeared at low power like ripples of water. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I tried B 371. It looked a bit like Miss Piggy. After that, I tried Abell 46. It would be easy to confuse with one of Martha Stewart's doilies. Then, I tried IC 3093 in Canes Venatici. It looked exactly like a UFO. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I star-hopped to NGC 4924. It was a dead ringer for 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 spending a day at the mall with my teenage daughter.