Car Free in Raleigh

So, we had planned to head out to Lowe’s this morning to get a heater. But when we woke up, it somehow registered that today is one of the few of what we Catholics know as “Holy Days of Obligation” (read: “Get your heiny in church or else!” days).

(The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, in case you’re curious.)

So, this threw a bit of a monkey wrench into our best-laid plans; we now had to get to mass at the Cathedral at 9:00 am or 10:30 am. (We missed the vigil mass held Friday night.)

We hurried to get our stuff together to hop on the 9:18 bus (#3).

But then, after running (with the jogging stroller) all the way to the nearby stop, we realized it was long gone. Mark wanted to walk to the Cathedral (2 miles). I, being quite winded from the impromptu morning run, was not so eager. I voted for waiting for the next bus (minimum wait time: 45 minutes).

Heated words were exchanged, and finally we compromised on walking from one bus stop to the next until we caught the next bus.

We entered the Cathedral just as the Alleluias were being sung. Phew.

(According to Canon Law or folklore, and no one is really sure which, you have fulfilled your Sunday or Holy Day obligation if you make it to mass before the Gospel readings begin. The Gospels are preceded by the sung Alleluia.)

Malachy was pleasantly sleepy throughout and did not require his customary series of entrances and quick-exits from the mass. It was a lovely mass, complete with my favorite Marian hymn, Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina).

Afterward, we stopped for a couple chili dogs at Roast Grill, where chili-onion-mustard dogs are $2 and Coke in glass bottles is $1.

The website has every bit as much character as the shop, where you can’t get ketchup or fries, but you can get a hot dog with your choice of chili, onion, mustard, and/or coleslaw. And baklava. (I swear, I’m not making this up.)

Here’s a stolen picture of the inside:

As you can see, it’s a true “hole in the wall” treasure.

Then we headed down to Capitol City Grocery, where I was pleased to find organic foods and an Ace Hardware across the street.

We canceled our plans to trek to Lowe’s - quite a relief. It’s much more fun to shop at small, downtown, local shops than to haul your toddler from the bus stop across the mega-lot at a strip mall.