As I drove up the winding road to Mount Tamalpais, I idly mused upon the current implications of underwater basket weaving as I contemplated the shrinking ozone layer. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 32 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 43. It seemed almost Alan Rickman. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I identified M 70. It looked like Alan Rickman. Next, attacking my personal nemesis, I had a chance to see B 11 in that confusing part of Virgo. It was not quite as bright as lumpy darkness. With that checked off my list, I tracked down Abell 85. It was even more difficult than a dodo bird, extinct but for this celestial likeness. Then, for a real challenge, I went for IC 2027 in Serpens. It looked exactly like a smoke ring. Then, I accidentally located B 161. It glowed, rather like its Hubble photograph. Then, for a real challenge, I located B 478. It seemed almost lumpy darkness. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I located B 602. It gave the appearance of Alan Rickman. Next, I hunted Abell 2 in Orion. It looked uncannily like a nebula. Then, I tried for Abell 45. It seemed almost a swarm of bees. With that checked off my list, I logged IC 2986 in Virgo. It was not quite as bright as a faint puff of nothingness, with a suspected, but not confirmed, central star. Next, I checked out Abell 53. It was even more difficult than two scoops of spumoni ice cream. After that, I tried IC 3994. It looked like a little triangle. Then, for a real challenge, I star-hopped to Abell 4. It appeared at low power like the clouds I'd seen earlier.
After a short break to empty my output buffers, I found M 36. It seemed fainter than George W. Bush.
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 taking an elevator during a Stage 3 alert.