A roundup of random thoughts…

Random thought #1: Part of the human condition is that we work so hard to amuse ourselves. Cats are smarter. Any box will do. It doesn’t even matter if it doesn’t really support your weight.

Random thought #2: We had another gorgeous sunset last evening. I know this might be getting a little redundant. But if I ever tell you that I’ve gotten jaded over this, just put me out of my misery.

For the record, here’s how the Lake Shore View looks on this sunny day:

Random thought #3: Last night, after our SpartyBall planning meeting at the Mad River Grille broke up, I stepped outside, and for the first time since we moved was really, really cold. Or perhaps the better way to put it is that it is pretty easy to under-dress for the occasion in Chicago this time of year.

Why do I bring this up? As a lame excuse to lure you into reading a blatant plug for SpartyBall, the biggest annual fundraising event staged by the Michigan State University Alumni Club of Metro Chicago (better known as Chicago Spartans).

SpartyBall is a black-tie-optional dinner-dance, which raises money for a scholarship endowment to send a Chicago student to Michigan State. It will be held Saturday, February 25 at River East Arts Center in downtown Chicago, right near Navy Pier.

And wouldn’t you know it — tickets are already on sale and can be purchased by clicking here. They make great Christmas gifts!

So please sign up, whether your favorite colors already are Spartan green and white or you just want to break the winter doldrums with a fun night on the town with some of the smartest, coolest and most attractive people in Chicago. Oh, and I’ll be there, too.

So how cold was it last night? According to Weather Underground, Chicago O’Hare on Wednesday had a high of 46 and a low of 31 with no rain (the temperature bottomed out at 27 overnight). Washington Reagan National was warmer, with a high of 59 and a low of 54, but had a hefty .54 of an inch of rain. I’ll take cold and dry over cool and wet any day, so that point goes to Chicago in the Cooler on the Lake Shore Chicago vs. D.C. Weather Smackdown, bringing its overall lead to 62-43.