What's that?

In a first for the Isenberg Family, today all four of us went....to a mall. We have never actually done this as a family, and now, at the end of a long day, I remember why that is (Yaakov's comment "but that wasn't really FUN" being part of it).
We needed a new suitcase for our upcoming (yay!) trip to California (Yay!) on Thursday (Yay!) and so we headed off to the one mall that is somewhat close by and not closed on Sundays (we have blue laws here, and oddly, even though I love to shop, I generally like not being able to shop on Sunday) to find a suitcase and a scale for luggage so that we don't get into overcharge for overweight luggage like we did two years ago.
We found a luggage store pretty quickly, found ourselves a new large rolling duffel, in navy because it was the only not black color they had, and I really wanted Neon Yellow or something like that, but alas, the one time in my life I actually want a bright color, it is not to be. We were able to leave the suitcase in the store while we walked around the mall and saw what there was to see, which was helpful. We found a newly Kosher Certified Rita's in the mall, and joined a whole line of excited Frummies and had some truly yummy Italian Ices and custard, and then of course needed the bathroom. While Amira and I were waiting outside the bathroom for Yehuda and Yaakov, she saw something strange on the wall, and after pondering it for a while, she finally asked me "Mommy, what is that?" After I stopped laughing, and after the three women around us stopped laughing, I answered her "That is called a pay-phone. That is what we used to use before they had such a thing as cell phones." Amira (incredulously) "Saba and Savta didn't have a cell phone when you were a kid?" Me: (as the women around me laugh again) no...cell phones didn't even exist until I was almost finished with high school. Amira (pondering) "wow. So how do those pay phones work?" Now that, I can explain. Ask me how a cell phone actually works, though, and I have no clue.
Speaking of cell phones, we also went to the Verizon store to try and upgrade Yehuda's cell phone to something that would actually let him talk on it, and the lovely sales lady who was helping us was named She-Ra. And as we shmoozed about our shared name, I realized that we had met before and asked her if she used to work at the Paramus store and she said "Yes- and I remember you, too! You bought a blackberry and were very reluctant about it!" I couldn't believe she remembered that and told her that I absolutely love the blackberry now!
Yehuda did not find a phone, because the one he liked the best was one of those flip phones, but when you flipped it open, it was purple, and we decided (him somewhat reluctantly) that it was a little too teeny-bopper for him.
And now, for the Sendors amongst us, I will end with the following:

(Music Notes) Only 4 more days 'til we go to California, California is the place for you and me! You see, there's lots of fun, things to do, places to go, pools to swim in, too. Can't wait 'til we go to California...CALIFORNIA! (Music Notes) (I know there is another paragraph, and that of course Atara remembers it, but alas, I do not.)

We leave Thursday for 11 days of fun in the sun with the West-Coast Family and friends and are super-duper excited!!!