I missed M42

It has been about three or four weeks (shame on me) since I have been out with my telescope. Last time out I was checking out the Pleiades w/ 20x80 binos a couple weeks back. Then of course Wisconsin started it usual cold and a couple weeks of clouds and rain/sleet. Saturday it was clear so I golfed in 25 degree weather and had a few beers after. When night came I didn't feel like taking out the scope when the temp was 9 and just ending a "buzz". A couple more nights of crap weather (you know what I mean if you watched Philly beat up the Packers) and finally tonight, a warm 40 degrees. I walked out with my lowly 10x50 Stellarvue binos and saw Orion in the east. At first I thought, hey that looks familiar, yeah, Orion's back. Pulled out my trusty gm8 and vixen refractor and set up in just a couple minutes flat. Viewing was absolutely beautiful - even with the full moon. I tried a 1000 Oaks LPR filter I purchased a couple months ago but never really had any postive results with until tonight. It really brought out the nebulosity (if that is a word), even at 360x. I don't recall M42 looking this impressive last year (though I was using a 101mm Genesis). Saturn was equally stunning anywhere from 88x to 160x. Even barlowing the 5mm Super lanthanum to 320x Saturn did not lose its resolution. To think I considered selling the NA140. Anyway, I sure missed these two night time friends!