New York City, March 30, 2014

★ Fog lay over Amsterdam Avenue, up on the building tops and lowering to cover the whole roadway in the distance, but at least it wasn’t raining. Outside was raw and indoors was humid and stifling, but at least it wasn’t raining. Then it was drizzling, but at least it wasn’t raining hard. At least it wasn’t freezing. The narrow points of gratitude were adding up to resentment. Down on Herald Square, the wind was colder but no less drizzle-laden. Uptown again, there was more of the same. A rat walked unhurriedly along the not-even-dampened sidewalk, in broad if gray daylight, but to be fair, it was a very small rat.