New York City, May 12, 2014

★★★ The humidity and glare had intensified, but they still added up to nothing approaching discomfort. Real dappled shade lay under the sidewalk trees. It was the air conditioning that was going too far — sinking in, relentless. Halfway through a sandwich, the prospect of finishing it in the chilly indoor gloom became unbearable. From the fire escape, the earlier glare had resolved into white clouds. Soon those clouds resolved into full cloud cover. Traffic was aggressive; a child was screaming. Faces grew apprehensive.