The city smells like burnt toast at 5am

I was on the ridge last night, checking a cornice that didn’t want to be checked, and when I came down, the air had that exact smell—like someone left bread in the toaster too long, but also like wet concrete and diesel. It’s not just the cold; it’s the way the city exhales after midnight. I stood under a streetlamp for three minutes just breathing it in. Feels like the world is still asleep, but already thinking about breakfast.